Tyler Sharp
Trash Dwellers & Sufi Mystics
As we had already organized a guide, and the guide had already organized a rigid itinerary, we were caravaned around a few of the more popular tourist attractions, the Citadel being one of them. As I was busy photographing, and not paying attention to what our guide Lina was saying, I cannot give you much information about it. It is a centuries old stronghold that was placed high atop a hill to keep approaching enemies in sight from long distances. Inside was the Mohammed Ali Mosque, which I believe is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo, and had beautifully intricate carvings, doorways, and arches. As we had already been in and photographed many mosques so far, we spent little time there, and moved on to the Egyptian Museum. Here was the world’s largest and most unique collection of Egyptian artifacts, sculptures, golden tombs, jewelry, weapons, and even the still intact mummies. I have no photographs, as it was forbidden inside, and we didn’t want to risk a curse. The collection was quite impressive, and I was amazed at how intact many of the pieces were after thousands of years. The Egyptians had always mystified me, and their symbolism and rituals seemed very powerful, even more than human at times. That dark power still remained as I encountered their earthly remains, which have outlasted most other civilizations.
The Walls of the Citadel
Roof of the Mosque
Being tired of getting ushered around and told what to do, we said goodbye to our guide Lina, and had her drop us off at the nearby Khan Khallily Bazaar, a huge open air market where handicrafts of all kind could be found. Disappointed in the authenticity of the goods as compared to Pakistan, we bought nothing, much to the dismay of the hordes of hustlers. “Can I take your money? they would shout as we walked by. Charming, to say the least. Even cafes had people hustling you to sit down at their tables and try to sell you beverages and food. We eventually selected a small cafe, smoked some shishah, and drank Turkish coffee. There was a woman there who claimed that she could read the streaks in the coffee cups, telling our futures, but I wasn’t impressed with what she told me, so we went about our way.
As random coincidence would have it, my friend Talia, who is a Red Cross photographer, was in Cairo with her sister for the month. We decided to meet up to increase our numbers, with hopes of finding a unique Egyptian experience to photograph. I told Brady that if there were a unique or cultural experience to be had in Cairo, then she would know where to find it. And lead us to it she did… Talia had been photographing what the locals call the Zabbalin, and they are a community of about 65,000 people who sort through all of Cairo’s trash. The waste was brought in by the truck loads, and dispersed to the families in large bags that looked to be made of straw. The streets were lined with this garbage, houses piled in it, and the ground on which you walked was covered in it. It was basically one giant recycling community that lived amongst the materials to be sorted. Talia led us to the home of a family that she had already met and photographed, and we were welcomed with hugs and handshakes. There was a mother, two sons, two daughters, a few mangy ducks, a donkey, and a literal pig sty in the backyard. All of this was surrounded and littered by empty plastic bottles, wires, broken glass, VHS tapes, food wrappers, discarded oil drums, and even an old Atari, complete with controllers and a few dirty and damaged games. The family spoke no English, and us no Arabic, so we communicated by singular words and pointing, and the universal sign of a smile and laugh. We also all joined in on a strange version of the Hokey Pokey dance that the girls knew, which I filmed. It was at this moment, being surrounded by trash in one of Cairo’s biggest slums, singing the Hokey Pokey with a family I barely knew, that I realized the irony of the situation. The family was so genuinely happy, positive and full of laughter in a place that was so full of stench and filth that the monstrous dead rats couldn’t even survive, and they were all happily performing a service for the city of Cairo that goes largely over looked and un-rewarded. On the way out, we visited a church that had been carved out of the side of the mountain. There was a large crowd of people waiting outside of the gates that seemed flustered as we were ushered by with our cameras. There was shortly about to be a series of exorcisms, which we did not stick around for, but admired the Arab influenced church that was hewn from the cliffside into a giant ambient amphitheater.
Grime Laden Duck
Talia, Red Cross Photographer
You will know it by the trash...
Cliff Hewn Church
We took a cab away from the Zabbalin to meet up with Talia’s sister Sheera, who is a very talented writer for the Times of London. Sheera had heard of a private performance of a group of Sufi musicians, so we sought out the Muslim Mystics. Wandering through alleyways and narrow streets, we finally found the gates and entered, being seated just in time to see the performance start. What followed was one of the most moving and captivating performances that I have ever seen. These men use their instruments, and in the case of the dervishes their spinning, to induce a state of religious ecstasy, a state of pure trance and meditation that is very powerful and intoxicating. All of us were floored as they went through their numerous songs using assorted horns, drums, flutes, hand cymbals and tambourines, all accented by their exotic and colorful dress, and their very stylish and elegant dance moves. An hour and a half seemed to float by as we were mesmerized by the bright spinning quilts of the dervishes, and the eerie melodies of the Sufi sounds. It was a performance that none of us are likely to ever forget, or ever see again.
Whirling Dervish with Removable Quilt
Sufi Meditation Dance
Dervish Trio
Sufi Stage Bow
After another dinner on the Nile, Brady and I said our goodbyes to the journalist sisters, and headed back to our hotel to pack for the next leg of our journey. We fly from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where we have a lengthy layover, and then back to Karachi, Pakistan, where we will attempt to catch our flight to Delhi, India. We have one last bout with Pakistan, as our single entry visas have already been stamped for exit when we left for Cairo, and so we can only hope that give us no trouble at customs. Our fool proof plan is to just say, “Just let us get on the plane to Delhi, and you won’t see us again!”