HISTORICAL EGYPT.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1304, 22 April 1915, Page 41

HISTORICAL EGYPT.

A Poverty Bay trooper, Guy Woodward, writing to his parents, gives a fine description of historical Egypt. He says:—On Sunday last in the afternoon three of us went to the citadel — the oldest fortification now standing in Egypt, and went through the wonderful mosque there, said to be the most elaborate in Egypt. The citadel was built nearly 1000 years ago by an Arabian conqueror of Egypt, Saladin, and has been several times besieged. It. was ruled by Saladin’s successors until a great Turkish ruler, Mahomet Ali, again conquered it. This Khedive built the mosque we saw, and you will notice in the postcards I sent originally three tall minarets,

representing three mosques, the tallest of the three is that of Mahomet Ali. On passing through the huge gates of the mosque one enters a huge courtyard paved in coloured parquetry of strange and quaint design. In the centre of the courtyard, as is the custom in every temple, there is a huge font. This particular one is connected with an up-to-date water supply now and has a large number of silver taps, at which every believer must wash himself thoroughly clean before he enters the inner temple. The guide showed us the old source of the water supply, a huge well no less than 242 feet deep. One can shout down the mouth and hear echoes apparently down in the nether regions. The old Egyptians had some wonderful method of pumping this water into a huge cistern which occupies the whole of the outer courtyard, and over which the floor was built. Our guide could not explain the system they used, but it must have been very wonderful. This washing font is covered by a large rotunda arrangement of beautiful, elaborate designed stonework in colours; and the top is occupied by a tower which contains a clock presented to Mahomet Ali by King Philip of Spain, and which still keeps most accurate time. By this clock all the services are held, and the Mahommedans point it out with considerable pride. By the way, we. had to wear huge sandals over our boots when we entered the mosque, and it is quite contrary to custom to allow anyone to enter with boats on. All pilgrims leave their sandals or boots outside the door. Passing through other magnificent doors one enters the inner temple, and the first view of this one was wonderful. It was about 300 ft by 150 ft wide, or rather more if. anything. The floor was entirely covered by a huge Turkish pile carpet of a rich crimson colour. The roof, supported by four huge pillars, and the centre of the dome just 200 ft from the floor. The walls and pillars are entirely faced with beautiful white alabaster, and at the corners of these pillars, when a match was held behind them, one could almost see through them. The lighting is provided by beautiful stained glass windows in the daytime, and by 365 separate electric chandeliers or clusters at night. These clusters represent the days of the year. A huge 'chandelier in silver hangs in the centre, and is a masterpiece of cut glass work, and pendants which reflect every light and movement in the huge room. This chandelier was presented to Mahomet Ali by King Louis XIV., of France, and cost thousands of pounds. Next one was struck by the wonderful ceiling; it is designed by concentric semi-circles working outwarfis from the huge centre dome. The painting and carving of these ceilings alone is estimated to have cost over £50,000, and one small semicircle done recently cost £2OOO. There are inscriptions from the Koran worked into all these designs and the names of Mahomet Ali and all his descendants also appear. In the eastern wall in each mosque there is a huge semi-circular depression or niche which they use as an altar, and every believer must face this when at prayers. Inside there are three separate pulpits or desks; one from which the Koran is recited, not read, remember, as every priest must know the entire Koran by hearL This is the most elaborate, and is inlaid with gold, silver, ebony and ivory in a most wonderful manner, and does not contain a single nail, nothing but wooden pegs hold it together. The second desk, not so good in design, is used for sermons, and the third for special feasts, I imagine conversions, etc. In a separate transept, behind superb carved ivory screens, one sees the casket containing the mummified body of the builder. This casket is a work of art in itself, and something similar to the Koran desk in design. This temple would occupy a writer for a whole week, and I personally could find new interest in it every day for a month, but time is limited, and it’s very cold. One’s thoughts could not but go back through time and space, and I thought of the tales those walls could unfold of life and death. It was, I think, the most interesting sight I have seen, and later we went through another temple older still, outside the citadel walls. I shall try to tell you about it next week. This citade was besieged by Napoleon about 100. years ago, and the walls of the temples still hold the cannon balls he fired, with no damage to them. Napoleon removed many of the magnificent inlaid doors of the temples, and presented them to the “Louvre” at Paris Perhaps I may yet see them there.