Bart Bear's Blog

So where are the clock and the chandelier that the Luxor obelisk was swapped for? They are in Cairo, at the Muhammed Ali Mosque. The oldies went there as well. Actually, there is a bit of doubt about the chandelier. The oldies' guide said it was part of the deal but it is not mentioned in most references I have dug up. Anyhow, the Mosque is a spectacular bit of architecture. It was built between 1824 and 1865 and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because it uses a lot of that beautiful creamy stone. Unfortunately the Cairo smog has discoloured the outside a lot, but it is still really pretty. The clock is outside in the courtyard of the Mosque. It is in an iron tower which has a tea pavilion at the top. It looks great, but the French king definitely got the better end of the swap because the clock has never worked! Dad really liked visiting this place because it is inside the fortress built by one of his heroes, Saladin. Most of the fortress walls and towers are still there. It is really mean of the oldies to go traipsing off to places like this without me.

Labels: Egypt