Aimless wanderings in the Egyptian heartland. Part FIve- A few memorable men
El Arish is a place that can be termed as truly off beat… especially for the foreign tourists. Its proximity to Rafah makes it a high security zone, often out of bounds for foreigners. But as I discovered, it is one place that is not to be missed… for its tranquility and soul therapy.
When I alighted from the bus… I met a person… his name was Maghawary. That meeting and we became friend for life. He belongs to a delta town of Tanta… famous for its saint Ahmed Shah Badawi. And presently teaches French language in a school at Rafah. Some words about Ahmed Shah Badawi and French language.
Egypt under the Fatimids became a great centre for Sufism. Many saints and Sufi philosophers were patronized and preached during the Fatimids reign... Egypt, therefore, can be termed as the cradle of Sufism. Fatimids were Shiites, though most of their subjects were Sunnis. This history has given some distinct taste to the Islam of Egypt. One it is fairly liberal, two it lays a lot of impetus on Sufism and sainthood… much like India. One of my Iranian friends was telling me about the similarity of Islam in Egypt and Iran… and conjectured that Shiite Islam gives more freedom to Individuals than the Sunni Islam. Perhaps it is true. Ahmed Shah Badawi was one of such Sufi saint, who was born in Morocco and patronized by the Fatimids.
Egyptians have a great thirst for learning languages… I have seen a lot of people who learn European Languages- French is one of the most popular languages… also Italian, Dutch, Spanish and German… often they do it for the purpose of furthering their career prospects, but often for the pleasure of learning a new languages. This has given them a unique edge over their regional competitors… they are a truly mutli-lingual society. The other day I was interacting with an Egyptian software engineer working for Satyam in Cairo… and was telling him how it would be very advantageous for Egypt in the long run, especially in the field of Outsourcing.
Maghawary told me to be a little discreet in El Arish, as I was in a high security zone… he told me about a very good and affordable hotel in El Arish called Mecca Hotel. And then helped me in getting a taxi to the place. We exchanged our numbers and promised to be in touch… which we eventually did.
Mecca hotel, true to its name, was imbibed in religious colors… there was a Television in the lobby that played only 'Quran' channel. The interiors were colored mostly in green and the lift played an audio from the Holy Quran. The ambience was very soothing… and nice. The hotel itself was neat and clean… and more than a worth for 60 Egyptian Pound that I paid for it.
The owner of the place told me that El Arish around this time of the year resembles a Ghost town. It hardly as anybody coming here, around December and January… when it is bitterly cold. He, however, was quick to point out that El Arish is a very serene and peaceful place around this part of the year. And so was it.
Beyond a small museum on the life in the North Sinai… and a few beaches here and there, El Arish does not have much to offer. The museum… I was told is quite good and informative… however it was closed for renovation.
The next day… I started off early… I wanted to see all what El Arish had to offer and make a quick visit to Rafah before leaving for Dahab…
El Arish, interestingly, doesn’t have much to offer… and that is a blessing in disguise… the taxi that took me to the Museum of North Sinai warned me that the museum is closed around this time of the year… but he told me about a small zoo close by. He said it was nothing great compared to the one in Cairo, but can be used for a brief stopover. He was wrong.
Cairo zoo comes as a blow to the senses and sensibilities. It is very very crowded and often deteriorates into a rendezvous for lovers and picnicking crowds. Animals in Cairo zoo are kept in a very callous fashion… often hurting your concerns for animals. El Arish zoo though small, avoids these pitfalls. It introduces the wild life to the kids of El Arish in a gentle and humane fashion.
After seeing the zoo… I chatted with the zoo-keeper Farid. Farid was startled to find an Indian coming all the way till El Arish for a visit. He told me that for ages, he has been watching Indian movies… without understanding the head and tail of it… but somehow his senses were titillated every time he saw one… he always dreamt of meeting an Indian movie star in flesh and blood… and that I as an Indian come close to the realization of his dream. He took out a scrapbook and asked me to write something in Hindi. I did that, almost feeling like a celebrity ala Amitabh Bachchan.
Upon being questioned about places worth a visit in El Arish… he quickly pointed out the Garnata Beach. I bid a goodbye and took a cab to Garnata. When I alighted at Garnata, I realized that I do not have the required 1 pound in change to pay to the cab-driver. Realizing my predicament, the cab driver said that I need not worry about the money… after all, he said, I am a guest in Egypt. I promptly took out my pen and gave it to him as a memoir (Zikra).
Standing before the Mediterranean in El Arish, I was humbled. I met some most memorable people during this journey… not at the touristy Siwa or vibrant Port Said… but here at El Arish. It is more than 4 months since I met them and yet I remember their faces. Maghawary went on to become a good friend of mine… He came to Cairo and called me up to meet me. He even invited me to his brothers wedding in Tanta, though by that date I was due to travel back to India.
I was also humbled because of the raw and serene beauty of Mother Nature in El Arish’s Garnata Seaface.
When I alighted from the bus… I met a person… his name was Maghawary. That meeting and we became friend for life. He belongs to a delta town of Tanta… famous for its saint Ahmed Shah Badawi. And presently teaches French language in a school at Rafah. Some words about Ahmed Shah Badawi and French language.
Egypt under the Fatimids became a great centre for Sufism. Many saints and Sufi philosophers were patronized and preached during the Fatimids reign... Egypt, therefore, can be termed as the cradle of Sufism. Fatimids were Shiites, though most of their subjects were Sunnis. This history has given some distinct taste to the Islam of Egypt. One it is fairly liberal, two it lays a lot of impetus on Sufism and sainthood… much like India. One of my Iranian friends was telling me about the similarity of Islam in Egypt and Iran… and conjectured that Shiite Islam gives more freedom to Individuals than the Sunni Islam. Perhaps it is true. Ahmed Shah Badawi was one of such Sufi saint, who was born in Morocco and patronized by the Fatimids.
Egyptians have a great thirst for learning languages… I have seen a lot of people who learn European Languages- French is one of the most popular languages… also Italian, Dutch, Spanish and German… often they do it for the purpose of furthering their career prospects, but often for the pleasure of learning a new languages. This has given them a unique edge over their regional competitors… they are a truly mutli-lingual society. The other day I was interacting with an Egyptian software engineer working for Satyam in Cairo… and was telling him how it would be very advantageous for Egypt in the long run, especially in the field of Outsourcing.
Maghawary told me to be a little discreet in El Arish, as I was in a high security zone… he told me about a very good and affordable hotel in El Arish called Mecca Hotel. And then helped me in getting a taxi to the place. We exchanged our numbers and promised to be in touch… which we eventually did.
Mecca hotel, true to its name, was imbibed in religious colors… there was a Television in the lobby that played only 'Quran' channel. The interiors were colored mostly in green and the lift played an audio from the Holy Quran. The ambience was very soothing… and nice. The hotel itself was neat and clean… and more than a worth for 60 Egyptian Pound that I paid for it.
The owner of the place told me that El Arish around this time of the year resembles a Ghost town. It hardly as anybody coming here, around December and January… when it is bitterly cold. He, however, was quick to point out that El Arish is a very serene and peaceful place around this part of the year. And so was it.
Beyond a small museum on the life in the North Sinai… and a few beaches here and there, El Arish does not have much to offer. The museum… I was told is quite good and informative… however it was closed for renovation.
The next day… I started off early… I wanted to see all what El Arish had to offer and make a quick visit to Rafah before leaving for Dahab…
El Arish, interestingly, doesn’t have much to offer… and that is a blessing in disguise… the taxi that took me to the Museum of North Sinai warned me that the museum is closed around this time of the year… but he told me about a small zoo close by. He said it was nothing great compared to the one in Cairo, but can be used for a brief stopover. He was wrong.
Cairo zoo comes as a blow to the senses and sensibilities. It is very very crowded and often deteriorates into a rendezvous for lovers and picnicking crowds. Animals in Cairo zoo are kept in a very callous fashion… often hurting your concerns for animals. El Arish zoo though small, avoids these pitfalls. It introduces the wild life to the kids of El Arish in a gentle and humane fashion.
After seeing the zoo… I chatted with the zoo-keeper Farid. Farid was startled to find an Indian coming all the way till El Arish for a visit. He told me that for ages, he has been watching Indian movies… without understanding the head and tail of it… but somehow his senses were titillated every time he saw one… he always dreamt of meeting an Indian movie star in flesh and blood… and that I as an Indian come close to the realization of his dream. He took out a scrapbook and asked me to write something in Hindi. I did that, almost feeling like a celebrity ala Amitabh Bachchan.
Upon being questioned about places worth a visit in El Arish… he quickly pointed out the Garnata Beach. I bid a goodbye and took a cab to Garnata. When I alighted at Garnata, I realized that I do not have the required 1 pound in change to pay to the cab-driver. Realizing my predicament, the cab driver said that I need not worry about the money… after all, he said, I am a guest in Egypt. I promptly took out my pen and gave it to him as a memoir (Zikra).
Standing before the Mediterranean in El Arish, I was humbled. I met some most memorable people during this journey… not at the touristy Siwa or vibrant Port Said… but here at El Arish. It is more than 4 months since I met them and yet I remember their faces. Maghawary went on to become a good friend of mine… He came to Cairo and called me up to meet me. He even invited me to his brothers wedding in Tanta, though by that date I was due to travel back to India.
I was also humbled because of the raw and serene beauty of Mother Nature in El Arish’s Garnata Seaface.
