"Tres Culturas"/Three Faiths ...

In Toledo Spain, they call it "Tres Culturas" ... 3 great faiths/cultures living together, supposedly peacefully.   In Cairo today, we walked through the streets and sites of the 3 great faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Masr al-Gadida (Old Cairo).  We began at the Hanging Church, dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus.  Went to a pilgrimage site for St. George (Mar Girgis), then the Church dedicated to the one-time home of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, when they escaped Herod's wrath.  Turn a corner, and we enter the Ben Ezra Synagogue, also known as the "Syrian temple", since Ben Ezra was a Jew who came to Egypt from Damascus.  The synagogue has been renovated over the past 20 years (it was a shambles in 1984, when I first visited there).  After a rest at a jewelry and "trinkets" store (bathroom break, sodas, and tea), we walked down the street to the first mosque ever built on the continent of Africa - the Amr ibn al-'As mosque (also a shambles in '84 and also now fully renovated).  This was the first time that most of our students entered a mosque.  Thus, it was indeed the start of our education about Islam, and Egypt's history moving through Pharaonic, Roman, pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cultures.  

Several students are beginning to "wane" ... stomach problems, jet lag, whatever else.  So, we're taking the day off tomorrow/Sunday.  But we will head to Abduh and Hayaam's home for a scrumptious banquet!