Sayeda Zeinab Mosque

Ceiling in the ladies section of Sayeda Zeinab

The following quote is from Naguib Mahfouz's book "The Mirage", describing a sublime experience experienced by the protagonist within the Sayeda Zeinab Mosque:

"My nostrils were penetrated by a sweet aroma that may have been some perfumes being sprayed by a magzub, while the sounds of the supplications being made by those circumambulating the shrine filled its corners with melodic echoes. A sheikh passed near me chanting verses from the Holy Qur'an in a hushed voice, and I remembered how I'd fallen away from the religion's obligatory rites to the point where the only thing I did regularly anymore was to fast during Ramadan. I thought to myself: If I returned to the right guidance found in the prescribed prayers, might not my heart find serenity and assurance, and might I not experience relief from the burden of anxiety and fear? Despite the pain it had endured, my heart had continued to find refuge in the prophets and the guidance they brought, and to drink deeply from a wellspring of cool, pure waters. I was flooded with a tranquility so profound, I wanted to soak up all I could of the wholesome, untainted serenity that I was experiencing in those moments. In that peace-induced rapture, my sufferings appeared to me as nothing but a fine threat in the fabric of destiny's invincible sway over all that is, and I was drawn into a state of contentment and surrender. A cloudlessness of the spirit set my soul in an upward spiral until I reached a pinnacle of bliss beyond anything I'd ever hoped for."

Eid Perfume

Source: Tour Egypt Article:
The Flowers of Ancient Egypt and Today

Egyptians have a long history of creating and wearing beautiful perfumes and using incense. During Eid ul Fitr, Muslims wear sweet perfumes in addition to eating sweet desserts along with the feast, in celebration of the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Prophet Muhammad said: Made beloved to me from your world are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer. (Ahmad and An-Nasa ‘i)

Some other beautiful quotes about perfume in the spirit of Eid ul Fitr:

If you go to the garden of the Heart,

You'll have beautiful perfume like a rose.

If you fly to the sky,

Your face will turn into a moon like the angels.

- Rumi

Prayer Carpets

The five times of prayer a day in Islam are meant to be a direct channel of communication between a person and God. As such, Muslims have ritual washing (wudu) before prayer, among which is cleaning the feet, and also standing on a clean carpet before praying to God. Prayer carpets have a nice velvety soft feeling under your feet, and are often made of bright colors. This picture is taken from a store just outside of Khan al Khalili. Note, prayer carpets are not essential for praying, here in Egypt you will often see people praying in the grass for example, over "nature's carpet" (especially the case for the Eid prayer), though carpets are added over the grass too when available.

Knitted Caps

Varieties of knitted caps for sale just outside of
Al Hussein Mosque next to Khan al Khalili

Personally, I think these are great. They make me think of Bakar, the cute little Egyptian cartoon. Men in Muslim countries wear such hats in emulation of the Prophet Muhammad, however wearing head coverings is a tradition that predates Islam in Arabia - which seems natural, since it is so well-fitting to the geography in protecting the skull from the sun's strong rays, and keeping in body heat during the cold desert nights.

Ramadan Fasting and Fun

Ramadan is a time for deep inward reflection self-control as well as self-improvement. Yet, it is equally a time for enjoyment of family and friends and for saying a strong "thank you!" for all the gifts we've been blessed with (for believing Muslims, principally the Quran, but also the food we so often take for granted, our loving family, and the neighbors who make our lives wonderful and all such gifts).

Islam teaches that the golden mean should govern our lives.

The Golden Mean in nature

 We are not to lead our lives in total asceticism nor in total hedonism, but to strike a balanced life that includes joy and pleasure set within limits of our good habits, bringing respect to the lives of ourselves and others. There is a saying that captures this balance nicely,

"Work for this life as though you are going to live forever. Work for the Next life as though you will die tommorrow." (Ali Ibn Talib 600 - 661)

During Ramadan, Muslims fast during from sunrise to sunset, which includes abstaining from food, drink, sex, cigarettes, bubble gum, etc. Each evening however, once the fast is broken those things which were forbidden are allowed, and it is a time to treasure and enjoy being with one's close family and friends, as well as dedicating time to prayer and learning.

Islamic Museum of Cairo

The newly renovated Islamic Museum of Cairo is a great place to visit to learn about art history in Egypt and the Middle East. It seems while the museum itself has been nicely renovated, its website is consigned to ancient history, so ignore the online site and go in person yourself to witness a fabulous collection of beautifully displayed artifacts.

Source: http://www.islamicmuseum.gov.eg/museum.html

As I wandered through the museum on my last visit, I wrote down a series of vocabulary from the titles on the items on display, the following was my luxuriant list of scribbles:

- Astrolabs
- Sundials
- Arches
- Geometric patterns
- Wood assembled "tongue and groove"
- Mother-of-pearl
- Marble inlaid with colored stones
- Colored glass windows
- Carved marble
- Vegetal design
- Mortars
- Hexagonal kohl container
- Surgical instruments
- Medical instruments
- Perfume bottles and chemical liquids
- Bowls with talisman inscriptions
- Pages of manuscript "benefits of herbs"
- Balance
- Anatomical panel of circulatory system, digestive spine and rib cage
- Prescriptions for treatment
- Ottoman
- Mamluk
- Wide use of geometrical compositions more than 12 centuries
- 12 c. polygon an essential figure of elaborate geometric patterns replaced by a star
- Geometric decoration in Egypt at peak under Mamluk reign
- Star replaced by decentralized composition - creates depth
- Fascinates eye
- Riot and harmony of geometry to enhance elaborate architecture
- Fountain carved marble resembling fish scales
- Blue and white tiles
- Fragments of a frieze with arabesque scrollwork
- Marble inlaid with black paste
- Floral and animal design
- Fish decoration
- Public fountains (sabil) 19c carved and painted marble
- Ceramic lusterware
- Kufic inscription
- Fatamid Ayyubid
- Arabic script, fluid letters
- Boundless inspiration
- Calligraphy
- Rules of proportion
- Lamps from madrasa
- Mihrab
- Colored glass inset in stucco
- Turned latticework (mashrabiyya)
- Wood joined and turned
- Court carpet from Iran
- Wool silk, silver threads
- Prayer carpet
- Textiles
- Spindles
- Knot methods
- No. of knot in each square inch increases value of carpet and durability
- Brocade
- Damask tapestry
- Embroidered
- Rich glass making
- Cameo glass
- Iranian potters
- Resemble ceramic lace
- Rich painted enamels
- Shallow reliefs enhanced with gold
- Decoration with metallic oxides
- Long-necked bottles
- Poet Firdawsi (Iranian) The Book of Kings (The Shahnama)
- 13 c. Mongols promoted great artistic accomplishments in Iran
- Timurid empire / Tamerlane
- Buyids
- Samanids
- Ghaznavids
- Copper alloy jug inlaid with gold
- Candlesticks
- Mirrors with ring of lions
- Quranic inscriptions stand out in cobalt on a metallic luster background
- Turquoise ceramic
- Mongol Ilkhanid Dynasty
- Overglaze painting
- Lapis Lazuli
- Cobalt blue
- White red blue enamels
- Manuscript
- Compass
- Panels from cenotaphs
- Tubercle
- Saddle cloth cotton and silk brocade with metallic thread red and gold
- Fascination with numbers order and structure
- Candlestick with ducks
- Coins
- Salah al Din
- Glass vessels
- Gold dinars
- Panels decorated with birds
- Collection of gold jewellery
- Dishes with dance and music scenes
- Desert hare
- Gazelle
- Lion sphinx and hare

Astronomy

Astronomy has always played an important role in Egypt and the Arab world. Indeed, back in the day, the Arabs paved the way to many great advances in Physics, Algebra (Al-Jabr), Optics and Astronomy. The emphasis on charting the moon and the stars was partly traced back to precepts of Islam (see Astronomy and the Quran), which dictated precision in following accurate prayer times and directions, as well as timing for the beginning of Ramadan and the yearly Haj (pilgrimage) through astronomical calculations. In Islamic societies, including Egypt, to this day the sighting by eye of the new crescent moon marks the beginning and end of the holy month (read more on the recent work of Algerian astrophysicist Nidhal Guessoum).

Quran, Sura 6, verse 97:
"(God) is the One Who has set out for you the stars, that you may guide yourselves by them through the darkness of the land and of the sea. We have detailed the signs for people who know."

The Egyptian love affair with the stars goes back far earlier than the age of Islam however. The ancient Egyptians lived by the night sky, and some theories propose that the secret behind the location of the great pyramids lies in understanding a correlation between the location of the "immortal" stars as they were positioned 4,500 years ago with the Pyramids as they still stand today (also see Orion Correlation). The ancient fascination with the night sky is evident in visiting the tombs in the Valley of Kings, many of which have elaborate murals of the sky depicting the Ancient Egyptian cosmogony, with the 12 hour night journey of the sun into the netherworld wherein the Sun God Ra (God of the Living) and Osiris (God of the Dead) became one.