A Visit to the Cultural Treasures in and Around Cairo, Egypt, Part 1

VOICE ONE: I'm Steve Ember. VOICE TWO: And I'm Faith Lapidus with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today, we continue our travels through Egypt to explore one of the greatest civilizations in human history. Last week, we visited the Nile River valley to see the art and architecture of ancient Egypt. Today, we explore the buildings of ancient Egyptians in and around Cairo. And, we visit other more modern cultural treasures in the capital city. VOICE ONE: Welcome to Cairo, the largest city in Africa and the Middle East. This huge city is home to about seven million people. Cairo is equally great for its many traditions, cultures, and monuments. We begin our visit in the center of the city on the banks of the Nile river. Looking at the countless buildings, cars, people, and boats it is hard to imagine the historical roots of this modern place. The beginning of Cairo as a city dates to the year nine sixty-nine when Muslim invaders from Tunisia took control of the area. The word Cairo comes from the Arabic word "al-Qahira" meaning "the victorious." VOICE TWO: Many rulers, such as the Fatimids, the Ayyubids, the Mamelukes and the Ottomans, controlled Egypt over the centuries. Starting in the late nineteenth century, Britain controlled the country for about seventy years. Each of these cultures left its mark on the culture and building design of Cairo. In the late eighteenth century, the French general Napoleon Bonaparte briefly took control of Egypt. He brought with him over one hundred and fifty experts and scientists to document the monuments, arts, plants and animals of Egypt. Over several years, thousands of artists worked to put together the collection of books called the "Description de l'Egypte." VOICE ONE: For many Europeans, these detailed descriptions brought to life a culture that was unknown to them and very exciting. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Egypt became a popular destination for European travelers, writers, and artists. Ancient Egypt influenced European architecture, art and opera. This interest also had some unfortunate effects. European travelers in Egypt often took ancient treasures illegally. Many important objects ended up in the national museums of Britain, France and Germany. VOICE TWO: In eighteen thirty-five, the Egyptian government started the Egyptian Antiques Service. Its aim was to stop the stealing of ancient objects and gather a national collection for a museum. Today, visitors can spend many hours enjoying the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It houses an estimated one hundred twenty thousand objects from all periods of ancient Egyptian history. VOICE ONE: One of the most popular rooms in the museum contains the funeral objects of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Last week we visited his burial site. But in the museum, visitors can see the strikingly beautiful objects with which he was buried three thousand three hundred years ago. The skill and imagination of the artisans that made Tutankhamun's treasures are extraordinary. For example, his detailed death mask weighs eleven kilograms and is made from jewels and solid gold. It gives a stylized image of the young ruler's face. Source: Voice of America