The World's Progress, Vol. 01 (of 10): With Illustrative texts from Masterpieces of Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Modern European and American LiteratureDelphian Society
History
The World's Progress, Vol. 01 (of 10): With Illustrative texts from Masterpieces of Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Modern European and American Literature
Delphian Society
Civilization -- History; World history
In no other locality can one see such a meeting of the nations. All
languages are heard in a general babel around the harbor and in the
streets. Numbering about three hundred and forty thousand people, its
population includes Asiatics and Europeans of every description, who
offer a striking contradiction to Kipling's couplet:
"For East is East, and West is West,
And never the twain shall meet."
CAIRO.
The ride from Alexandria to Cairo leads across the level plains of the
delta. Fields of grain, occasional palms, scattering villages of mud
huts, and the ever-evident canals make up the landscape. As one draws
near the city a sight of the Pyramids is gained; then the suburbs of
Cairo appear.
Unlike Alexandria, Cairo is a comparatively modern city. The seaport
was twelve hundred years old before a stone of Cairo had been set in
place. Now having a population of about six hundred thousand, it, too,
shows great diversity of people. While the Arabs make up the bulk of
the inhabitants, representatives of all countries and climes are seen.
The domed mosques stand on every hand, monuments to the teachings of
Mohammed.
Much as Venice attracts artists by its lavish display of color, Cairo
also offers visions for one who is skillful with the brush. Its
sapphire skies, gorgeous sunsets with their marvellous after-glow, the
gleaming sands of the desert and Pyramids turned to gold in the
setting sun, are intoxicating. It is the land of Arabian Nights, and
slight imagination is required to make the visitor fancy himself back
in story land. Strange and unfamiliar sights greet him everywhere;
even the odor of the oriental city, incapable of description, is
present when darkness has eliminated many of the scenes, and slumber
has lessened many of the sounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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