In reviewing the blogs and photos for Egypt’s “Day of Anger” in Algazeera, January 27, one photo of a police officer struck me with its strong echoes of Egypt’s past. He could have been found in a tomb painting.
Egypt is the oldest established Arab government. The world knows more about this country than perhaps any other aside from Greece because of it’s long history and its vaunted place as that part of the world from which all mankind emerged.
The images we have seen in text books and in the National Geographic have reverently presented us with Egypt’s important past at the crossroads of the world. Not even Ancient China looms so large in our psyche.
When we think of Alexandria, we think of the seat of ancient culture with the great library that was destroyed by fire in ancient times. We know that the Nile was the road taken by people from the time of Moses through that of present-day by tourists.
It is all so familiar that hundreds of Americans have donated millions of dollars to preserve Egyptian antiquities and to return many from American museums. At the Metropolitan Art Gallery in New York City, a cavernous glass wing was built especially to house a small temple rescued by concerned citizens.
The colorful tales of the pharaohs on the tomb walls, the devastating stories of exile of the Israelites under their power from the Bible – all attest to a kind of timelessness that only floats easily in the desert air.
It was not difficult to find an image from a tomb wall that could have been our soldier above. Yes, he could have been a pharaoh.
May Egypt – the world’s Egypt – avoid a leveling storm from which it would take unknown time to emerge.
J. P. Morgan
January 28, 2011
Thanks to Crockett Lives Bob Mack for steering me to your blog and this post. Indeed, the entire success or failure of this cell phone revolution will rest with the army. Will they refuse to kill their own or will they back Mubarak with force of arms? If the former, the revolution will succeed.
samhenry
January 28, 2011
Happy to have you, JP. Welcome aboard. I think the army will initially back Mubarak and therein lies the threat of a pretty bloody revolution I fear. We can only hope for the best but Mubarak did not offer the best – only his best. I am so happy that this post is appreciated. It is one of my favorite -not in a self-love kind of way but in the sentiments I was able to get out.
DarcsFalcon
January 29, 2011
I saw that pic up top and had to stop and look at it again. It is SO much like the ancient drawings! It was almost like some kind of weird time warp, like he’d actually posed for the drawings. Amazing.
If Mubarak falls, it will not bode well for us or Israel. It will be another Iran with the Muslim Brotherhood taking over. That is something the world does not need.
samhenry
January 29, 2011
Worse, China will suffer without oil and the world depends on their business and loans. These are very serious times.
blackwatertown
January 29, 2011
Very good observation about the police officer in the helmet at the top – yes, you’re right about the timelessness of it.
I really enjoyed visiting Egypt a few (ha, more than a few) years ago. Great friendliness and chattiness – which suited me. And I reveled in the smells and bustle of Cairo.
The only crossness I encountered was when my girlfriend and I were standing, my arm around her, on the ramp up to a mosque doorway – unbeknownst to us. We quickly made ourselves scarce. I think we were posing for a photo – and you can just see the encroaching shaking fist of a bloke entering the frame of the picture as it was taken. The next moment we became aware of him. Other than that though (and even that was understandable I suppose) people were generally a joy.
Was considering taking my son there this summer. Has already concluded couldn’t afford it – but might leave it a bit longer anyway now. Phew!
samhenry
January 29, 2011
Oh what fortunate children to have a Dad who believes in the educational value and the joy of travel. I am sorry that you cannot go. You are both young and it will happen. I think Egypt will perhaps go back to “normal” more easily that other countries in the region. The only unknown is how long the Muslim Brotherhood wants things to stay unsettled so that they get a less secular government. They have vowed to take over every country in the Middle East with a dictatorial government that catered to the US. Not an enviable position. People around the world who remember the ’50s and ’60 will not see the like of the American tourists of that era. Obnoxious some of us but for the most part, babes in the woods off to see and thoroughly enjoy the wide-eyed wonders of the world. We were fun-loving and good-natured and fun-loving but above all wildly generous – to a fault. I myself miss “us” from those days. It’s closely akin to Cornelia Otis Skinner’s book about travel in the ’30a “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay.” Good to see you Roo.
Ike Jakson
February 1, 2011
You have a lovely overall “picture” of old Egypt; it is so sad to hear of the current upheavals. I sure hope it doesn’t go any further.
samhenry
February 1, 2011
Thank you, IJ. I hope someday the old Egypt will be woven into the new without much fuss. It is a crossroads and like all crossroads, a little bit of everything from all over the world is what makes it uniquely what it is. Groups like the Muslim Brotherhood would eradicate all of that and, like the Taliban, find monuments to scuttle. It may not go the way most would like initially but over time, it will come around. Wish I were young enough to think I could live to see it. I will just have to satisfy myself with old books on Egypt and Grandfather’s diary. Thanks so much for your sentiments and welcome.
Ike – I usually do not allow commenting on this blog unless you have a blog of your own at wordpress. I think I have only one other person without a blog who comments here.