WHAT I SAW IN EGYPT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8793, 1 May 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

By Halkett-Dawson, M.A., F.S;S., F.H.0.3.

One of the chief attractions of Cairo is the great Mohammedan University. Studeuls fl >ck hero from all parts of lha Moslem world. A special order has to be procured for visiting it This I obtained without much difficulty from an oilicial corresponding with our New Zealand Minister of Education. He appeared to bo s

young aud handsome Turk, was vory courteous, and gave orders that I was to be allowed every facility to sco the working of the university. With my card of admission and a letter, accompanied by ri dragoman, I drove to QAMI.-EL-A7.riAK,

a mosque of no importance from nn architectural point, of view. In fact the varioiisaltcralioM nnuie in it from time to time, exhibit mutt distinctly successive periods of growing degradation in Arab architecture. About the middle of the tenth century it was converted into a university. Our seats of learning, even the most veuDrablo, are young compared with Gami-el-azhar. Euteriujj by one of the six gates I tools ofE my shoes, reserving a pair of _ tlippors. Ouo'a hat may remain on cme'tf head. Curious, is it not? la Presbyteriau St. | Giles' in Edinburgh on entering I saw a i notice to the effect that visitors are required to take off their hats in the sacred edifice. The first noticeable thing on entering is the hard work of the barbers. Shaving is a great institution at this place of learning. Students were seen in all directions recliniug with a barber shaving their head. One would think that in a hot country it mush be a foolish custom to deprive the head of nature's covering and protection from the fierce rays of the sun and the tropical shower. I suppose the pious Moslem would imagine he was guilty of sin if he did not have himself properly shaved. Tbo uiosque is quadrangular like many of our college?, and iv the coutre is a largo court covered in with a wooden roof supported by rough hewn wooden pillars. This is the great hall and class room. Along the sides in the building itself art; the dormitories and kitchons. Imagine a large space, acres in extent, covered by a rough kiud of matting, dotted over here and there and everywhere with groups of Btudeuts all recliuiug or ou their knees with a sheikh or professor in the centre. I am told there are 8000 students here. Group after group I visited. There wore men—young and old —from Coustantinople, Damascus, Mecca, the Soudan, Tripoli, Tunis, Tangiers. There were Indians and Kurds. Persia sends its contingent, so doe 3 Ceylon. The3e students are subjects to a large extent of the Empress of India! Everywhere I was most courteously received by the proFessors. Explaining I was from New Zealand one of the professors at once manifested a most lively interest in me. Was it possible I was a missionary eafcer. The dragoman had to re-assure him that I was quite a peaceable creature. It may interest Now Zealand students to learn that in one class room I witnessed an emeute—a. freo 6ght among the students. The professor, however, was equal to the occasion. He had a good thick acacia cane, and dealt blows with it pretty freely till peace and quietness reigned. I asked one of t^e sheikhs what salary he receive 1. I was told that he got nothing. They occasionally got donations, however, from the wealthier students, though a wealthy student is a rara avis ; and the dragoman told me they get money for doing literary work. This means copying books. Note the contrast with us Our professors get salaries for teaching ; few do anything at writing. A little more writing by our professors would probably be advantageous for the community. There is a president or principal at Gami-el-ezhar. Ho receives a salary of 10,000 piastres. " Br^vo," shouts the overlooked aud under-paid teacher. Your bravo is premature aud uncalled-for. It is only £100 Tha offica of principal is most important at Gami-el azhar. Our colonial universities, one and all, suffer from, not having somo similar functionary to see that professors are carrying out a proper course of lectures, aad for other purposes, such as discipline, &;. THE CORBICULTOI OF STUDY. Many of the students commence to learn to read and write on entrance. I saw many old men at this work, and it appeared fearful drudgery. Only burning zeal could overcome the difficulties. In days not so remote, the Bible was the common reading bookiu Scotland. The d*y of " collections " and " readers " had hardly commenced even in my day. The Koran is still the reader at Ganii-el-azhar, and will bo for ages. When the student can read and write his religious course begins. He is taught the twelve attributes of God In particularity and completeness our catechism is iv this respect quite in tha shade. What contented a Scotchman of the olden time—the catechism, the psalms, paraphrases, with a manual of prayers and a grace or two to the bargain—was but a mere fraction of the memory work expected of the Moslem scholar. The system at Giniv.Rl-sz'nr is or.a of memory pure and simple. A student has mastered a book when he can repeat it word for word. There is no questioning, no inquiry. Long ago men arrived at perfection ; aud what the race has to do now is to repeat, pjrrot-lilie, ] the wisdom of the ancients. ! Well, wheu the student has satisfied the ■ sheikh that ho can repeat this part of the coursr, ! he commences the study of ' JUBISPRUDENCE, j which is divided into two brunches—■ , (a) Law of God. ' (b) Secular law. ' In addition to these he is taken through a , course of 1. Logic. ; 2. Rhetoric, 3. Art of poetry. , 4. Elocution. 5. Pronunciation. ■ ' Before my reader forms an opinion about this , cnrriculum—an opinion which is pretty certain , to be of a condemnatory character, especially if ( it is compared with a Western course of study, , I would ask him to reflect ou tho evident purpose of the course. It is for the purpose of ' the perpetuation and spread of Islamism. And , in my opinion it is an admirable course for this , end. Not one branch is U3eles?, and for the spread ! of the faith not one branch seems wanting. . A copious flow of language choice and logical U t secured to the student. Above all he is an J excellent debater, and arguments he never lack?, j aa he has the Koran—the authority and , arbita—at his finger ends. , You say there is no science. The student at , Gami-el-azbar will tell you he cares not for ■ your science. Ho is sent into this world with . ; one special and all important object—the salva- , lion of his soul. He will tell you that, in nearly ; the very words of our own Bible," What will it . profit a man if ho gain the whole world and lone hia own eoul?" He utterly despises Western , civilisation. He will tell you with pride that when Western Europe was all but ( peopled by savages, the aucieut Arabs had I made certain advances in algabra, geometry, and . astronomy. What a curious outburst of reli- , gioos fanaticism was Islamism. If the books in J the library at Alexandria are iv accordance with the Koran, there is no need for them, if they are not in accord with the Koran they should be destroyed. It was this Epirifc that caused ' the study of many of the sciences to fall into ! desuetude. It is this spirit now, though it is ' much less fierce and intolerant, which prevails ' ■at Gami-el-azbar. It is this spirit, too, which j has led to the gradual break-up of Moslem power. They have become a byeword and a reproach among the nations. '

Religion is a great factor in civilisation, but when exclusive attention is given to it civilisation stagnates and ultimately dies out.

One of the most imposing sights at the aniversity is the simultaneous devotional exercises gone through at various hours during tbe day. From one of the minarets there was a call to prayer. At once work was given up. The students on their knees faced towards the Kibala, or prayer niche. Tho repetition of prayers was universal and the noise almost deafening. Prostrations followed at regular intervals. I watched the men most carefully. I had uo doubt of tho intensity of their devotional feelings. After the exercise was over I was pleased to see the bright, well-satisfied faces. They have done their duty. They were in possession of a peace the world cannot give. There was a perfect harmony between mind and heart.

From this very imperfect account of the mind and heart, let me touch a little upon the hand of the Arab. Museums and universities among us are intimately associated; but unfortunately our museums are too often only collections of natural curiosities and monstrosities. A lusus natures is among us reckoned the fittest thing for our museum*. Industrial museums filled with the products nf handicraft are too rare. Cairo can boast of one, and tbat one purely Arab. A special permit is necessary to enter the time-honoured walls of OAMI-ET.-HAKIM, a mosque erected at the beginning of the fifth century of Htigiraby the founder of the Dru3ee, the famous Khalif-el-Hakim, A Cufio inscription give 3 the date p.a about 63 years before our Norman conquest. This Khalif was quite an important personage in his own estimation—so pjuch so that at last he cx.icled divine worship from his subjects. One night ho disappeared while takiv.f; a walk on the fnmom JdokntUn Hills iv Hie vicinity of Cairo. I think ha was assassinated ; his followers, the Drur-e.«, believe he went up to Hflcven. I hope so. Between my belief ami that of tho Druses there h no incompatibility. What the Druses say in addition U that hn will one day return aa the last incarnation of Deity. Iv my opinion he is better where he is. At least tha o.irth can ill afford to ha scourged by another eiioh ncoundrel. Any way he has given his name to the Arab museum of these m >dern days. My ideas of Arab workmanship were greatly enhanced by my visit. flero are to bo seen all manner of utensil* — lamp?, chairs, tables, filters, doors, window?, jugs, boxes, screens, door kuockecs, dishes, inkstand?, &o, &;. The glass is specially worth seeing, while the wood carving is simply marvellous. I began to realise what arabesque mentis But it was a rather sad reflection for tme to compare much of this work with articles manufactured and for sale in these days in Cairo. There lus been a terrible falling oif. I vi.Mted the workshops of tho gold and silver smiths, and of tho workers in brass—the [attar being one of thq attractions of tbo city—and I could plainly ste that mudtrn work was veiy far

inferior to the ancient specimens iv Gami-el-Hakim. Many of tho designs are pretty aud quaint; but tho workmnuthip is poor. To tho ISnglish taste, with its notions of solidity and j strength, modern Arub work looks weak, Fittings, hinges, springs, locks, connections—all exhibit- hud workmanship. If ono purchase* any article it must be strenglhoned by an English workman lu-forc it becomes serviceable. 'These remark* apply morn to niticlea of gold .md silvtr; less to brass, which U a specialty hern. On the whole, a visit to Gami-el-Hakim will prove a corrective to ;i somewhat popular and common idea that the Arabs from an industrial and artistic standpoint have been ever rather inferior. That is not true, as specimens of architecture can testify, and as the treasures of G mi-el-Hakim can prove.