Cairo was a "tough job"--but somebody had to do it. Who better than three intrepid explorers: Sue, Rogério and moi! After a strenuous day in Islamic Cairo, we had the opportunity to spend a short while in
Al-Azhar Park, a lushly green oasis in the heart of historic Cairo. Of course, we grabbed it! The park is relatively new and houses several restaurants, a children's play area, and a mini-lake. See the map below:
The park is very clean and well-maintained. Bravo to residents of Cairo for doing their part to keep it looking nice! There are nice meandering paths throughout the park that lead one to special garden areas, overlooks, restaurants, water features and the like.
The park is beginning to be known as "the gate to al-Darb al-Ahmar Historic District". On the west side lies a 1.5 km section of the Ayyubid wall, constructed in the 12th century A.D. by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin). It was unearthed during the construction of the park and has been restored so that visitors can explore its ramparts, passageways and towers. Here are some views from the park of the wall and the area beyond.
The glorious views to the south are of the Citadel, a centuries-old bastion crowned by the minarets of the magnificent Mosque of Mohammed Ali.
As you can see, we had a strenuous day and so felt entitled to our banana split. Ah, you say, we finally get to the banana split! This final picture is of the three of us preparing to devour the tasty creation made with vanilla, hazelnut and mango ice cream!
The guy in the center looks pretty suspicious, doesn't he? Almost as if he were getting ready to run off with the whole thing... But the ladies were ever-vigilant and we all got our fair share. YUM!
Great informative update--showing us some new things we all need to stay up with!
ReplyDeleteHope you got into Joseph's Well on the Citadel--a 10 meter square shaft built by Saladin's brother and at least 87 meters deep--to water, through the limestone bedrock!