Cairo to Kisumu : $b Egypt—The Sudan—Kenya ColonyCarpenter, Frank G. (Frank George)
History
Cairo to Kisumu : $b Egypt—The Sudan—Kenya Colony
Carpenter, Frank G. (Frank George)
Egypt -- Description and travel; Kenya -- Description and travel; Sudan -- Description and travel
The Mohammedans reverence their bible quite as much as we do ours. While
it is being read they will not allow it to lie upon the floor, and no
one may read or touch it without first washing himself. It is written
in Arabic and the Moslems consider its style a model. They believe that
it was revealed by God to Mohammed, and that it is eternal. It was not
written at first, but was entirely committed to memory, and it is to a
large extent in that way that it is still taught. The better classes of
Mohammedans have beautiful copies of this book. They have some bound in
gold with the texts illuminated, and the university has a collection of
fine editions which is looked upon as one of its greatest treasures.
This famous Mohammedan university is situated in the heart of business
Cairo. When I rode to it to-day (on my donkey) I passed through a mile or
more of covered bazaars, thronged with turbaned men and veiled women and
walled with shops in which Egyptians were selling goods and plying their
trades. Known as the Mosque of El-Azhar, or “The Resplendent,” it is one
of the oldest mosques of Cairo. It covers several acres, and the streets
about it are taken up largely with industries connected with the college.
One of the bazaars is devoted to bookselling and bookbinding and another
to head dressing. Since every Mohammedan has his head shaved several
times a week, there are in this institution ten thousand bald-headed
students. The men wear turbans of white, black, or green, and there is
not a hair under them except on the top of the crown, where a little tuft
may be left that the owner may be the more easily pulled into heaven.
My way was through this street of the barbers, where I saw students
kneeling down while being shaved. One or two were lying with their heads
in the laps of the barbers at work on their faces. The barbers used no
paper, wiping the shavings on the faces of their victims instead. At the
end they gave the head, face, and ears a good washing.
As I approached the entrance of the university I saw many young men
standing about, with their books under their arms, and some carrying
manuscripts in and out. Each student has his shoes in his hand when he
enters the gates, and before I went in I was made to put on a pair of
slippers over my boots. The slippers were of yellow sheepskin and a
turbaned servant tied them on with red strings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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