Day 14 11/15/22
Egypt - Cairo
Frank's Trip
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My Final Day in Egypt ...
It has been a wonderful trip and a great adventure to see so many things from the depths of the past and onward.
I began my final day by finding an exquisite mausoleum. It is said to be the second most beautiful memorial after the Taj Mahal of India. It is unquestionably breathtaking in its opulence and beauty. After my trip to India in February - March 2023 I will be able to make my own comparison of it to the Taj Mahal - for now I accept the conclusions of others.
This was a short day of sightseeing and then getting everything packed up for a very early trip to the airport for a very long trip back home. My homebound trip was on my birthday - and this trip was a great birthday present to myself!
According to many, it is the second largest and most beautiful grave in the world after the Taj Mahal. The royal graves, the place where the graves are built, is surrounded by gardens, followed by a big gate, then a garden with pomegranate trees. Then inside there is a huge four-column dome surrounded by four small domes.
The graves inside are more like temples rather than graves. It is like one of the reception rooms in a palace. It is built according to the Mamluk architecture designs. The walls and floors are made of marble and embellished with golden decorations, as well as it has stained-glass windows.
Emina Ilhamy, the wife of Khedive Tawfiq and the mother of Khedive Abbas Helmi II, ordered the construction of the grave according to the Mamluk style in 1870. There you find the graves of Khedive Tawfiq, his wife Emina Ilhamy and their sons, Abbas Helmy II and his brother Prince Mohammed Ali Tawfiq. There are also the graves of the son and daughter of Khediwi Abbas Helmi II, the Prince Mohamed Abdel Moneim and Princess Fathia.
I would argue that the strangest thing about this memorial is its location. It is on the edge of the City of the Dead. It is very difficult to get to. The best way was to park the taxi along El-Nasr Road and walk to a nearby opening to the streets and then walk in and around a bit to the entrance. The top and dome of Kobet Afendina can be seen from El-Nasr and Google Maps will get one to that point.
Video: Kobet Afendina
Video of the interior of the building.
This palace was commissioned by Prince Sayf al-Din Taz,Dawadar of Sultan al-Saleh Ibn al-Nassir Mohamed Ibn Qalaun, deputy of Aleppo, in 1352 AD.
It is one of the finest and most beautiful examples of Bahari Mamluk palace architecture. It is also the largest in area.
The palace seems to be getting ready for a refurbishment. It is in a state of decrepitude right now. However, looking closely, one can see that it must have been magnificent in its time - and hopefully will regain some of that when work is performed. There are multiple floors and some steep steps to climb - but worth the effort.
"Hi-Tech" Spa
No, the colorful lighted ceiling isn't from LED lights. It's glass in the ceiling - see photo at right where glass comes through roof.
The Mawlawiyya Takiyya was originally a madrasa, established by Prince Shams al-Din Sunqur al-Sa’di in 1321 AD on Siufiyya Street. In 1344 AD, it became more commonly known as the dome of Shaykh Hasan Sadaqah al-Sharabishi. The school’s plan consists of an open courtyard, of which only a water fountain survives. The takiyya became a place of residence for Sufi dervishes of the Mawlawi (Mevlevi) order starting the seventeen century, after which it moved to another location.
