Gayer-Anderson Museum, Cairo

I know that the Egypt posts are getting old at this point but I have two more sets of pics to put up.  The first is the Gayer-Anderson Museum in Cairo, a house museum considered to represent the finest example of 17th century domestic architecture in Egypt.  The house was preserved by a British major (Gayer-Anderson), who lived there between 1935 and 1942.  He bequeathed his extensive collection of art objects and decor to the government on the condition that the residence was turned into a museum.

As always, what I love about house museums is you see exactly how normal people lived their lives (although obviously these are often people known for their exceptional aesthetic taste and artistry).  Lots of good ideas here, like the simple fringe valance above two panels of printed cotton.  You could buy an Indian tapestry just like these at Urban Outfitters.

 Mashrabiya, the architectural term which describes these traditional wooden screened windows.  One has a perfect view of street but with complete privacy.  If you remember the post which visited H. H. Richardson's famous house Stonehurst, you will see his inspired use of the mashrabiya element.

An interior courtyard...

Painted wooden mottos....

rooftop patio....

Used as set in James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me....

Egyptian stained glass uses plaster to separate glass.

built into corner of stairwell....it is made of stone but could just as easily be painted wood.

outdoor living....

Embrace me holographic jewel energy!

A thank you note from my talented aunt anne (click to enlarge).  I added a link to her work in the sidebar (the doll).  With respect to more mundane forms of energy, I have always considered compact fluorescent bulbs a necessary evil and cringe whenever I see them in antique light fixtures.  But somehow these ones in the mosque chandelier seem cool!

Buy a share in a satellite...

Faithful readers, do you remember my post about William Kamkwamba of Malawi who published an autobiography called "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind"?  In his book he recounts (among other things) the poignant story of being shown google and the internet for the first time.  The organization A Human Right believes everyone should have access to the internet and, to that end, William is helping them run a fund drive to purchase and relocate a major communications satellite over the developing world.  Check it out at Buy This Satellite.  If you're on paypal it will take about 30 seconds to click a few dollars/euros to them.

Blue Mosque tile fantasy

If Queen Victoria had asked William de Morgan to redo the interior of St. Paul's Cathedral, no expense (or tile) spared, it might have ended up looking like the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.  More familiarly known as the "Blue Mosque" after the more than 20,000 hand-made ceramic tiles that line its interior, it was built in Istanbul between 1609 and 1616.

Many of the tiles came from the town of Avanos in Cappadocia.  We visited one of the oldest ceramics businesses in town and got the soup to nuts tour, starting with the clay cave.
 

The final products.....stunning but not cheap, this plate would set you back hundreds of dollars.  I wish I had bought a few tiles at the time, if only to use as trivets...c'est la vie.

O Pioneer! William Morris Lace

 

 I went through my lace curtain phase in the 1990s but this new design from Cooper's Cottage Lace might just make me reconsider!  It would look right at home in my Morris Chrysanthemum dining room.  Great stuff Dan!

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Kelmscott Chaucer (1896)

On display in the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library through January 30, 2011, “The Ideal Book - William Morris and the Kelmscott Press”.  Your chance to see one of the most famous books in the world, regarded by many as the greatest publication ever issued by a modern private press.

An older post about Morris and the private press movement (which he founded) here.

Jane's addiction?

Rossetti?  A previously unknown portrait of Jane Morris, William Morris's wife, drawn by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, her lover, goes on display at the Birmingham Museum in Great Britain in January.  More details here.

M. S. Eugenie, Jewel of the Nile

While hundreds of passenger vessels ply the Nile between Aswan and Luxor, a distance of less than 200 km, only a few boats carry tourists on Lake Nassar above the High Dam.  The first was the M.S. Eugenie, built in 1993 in the style of a early 20th century Art Deco steamship.  The Eugenie feels so perfect I was initially uncertain whether it was a replica or a restored vessel.  It was named after the Empress Eugenie of France who traveled to Egypt in 1869 to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.

The top deck (Eugenie is parked behind a large rock island)

 Fifty cabins, about 100 guests, average age probably around 55 (lots of retired folks living life to its fullest).  Four days, three nights cost ~$650 per person including all expenses except alcohol and tips.  Each day included expertly guided expeditions to amazing ruins in the morning and late afternoon.  Food and service was impeccable.  I want to return with my parents and children--it was that special.

 Back dining deck

 

Dining Room

One of the many cool seating areas at dusk.... 

top deck combo plunge and lounging pool

And of course it wouldn't be a cruise without towel-folding!  Here raised to a fine art.....

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving! *

(* Dear foreign readers....A secular holiday with the only requirement that you have a long bountiful feast with family and friends, typically built around a roast turkey, and be thankful for the things you might take for granted the rest of the year.)

I apologize to everyone who's enjoyment of today's turkey I ruined by the last post!  I will state for the record that I will be eating turkey today.  I buy very expensive, special order turkeys that lived happy, carefree lives in rural Vermont, possibly roaming their neighborhoods and woods, flirting and making turkey-babies like my local bird above (see this post).  I am happy to pay double for the humane narrative, hope it is somewhat true, and recognize how fortunate I am that I can make such a financial choice.  Beccacowster came to her vegetarianism through her love of cows, other social action groups try to get Americans to choose "Meatless Mondays".  I eat meat about once a week and try to buy local/regional farm-raised animals rather than factory-grown produce (this is harder in America than it should be).  The best book I ever read about food and the choices we make was The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.....I think everyone should read this thoughtful book which celebrates food.

  

Please don't eat me!

Just in time for Thanksgiving....this moving YouTube video (link here) made by my friend's twelve year old daughter Rebecca, aka beccacowster, using iMovie on a Mac.  I am in awe!

Temples at Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel just above the Sudanese border

When a new larger dam was built by the Egyptians and Russians in Aswan in the 1960s it was clear than many archeological treasures would be lost as the waters rose in the new Lake Nasser.  A global collection was taken up and with $40 million contributed by many nations, UNESCO organized a multinational team of archeologists, engineers, and heavy equipment operators to move some, but not all of the drowning temples.  The most famous of these were the two Temples of Abu Simbel.

 approach from the lake...

Over four years (1964-1968), the temple was carefully deconstructed, cut into large 20-30 ton blocks, dismantled, and moved to its new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river.  The undertaking is widely considered to be one of the greatest archaeological engineering feats in history.  In appreciation of help from the U.S. the Egyptian government later gave the New York Metropolitan Museum the Temple of Dendur which was also saved from the rising waters.

A great pic (from wikipedia) showing a model of the old (under water) and new locations of the temples.

The face of the second Ramesses fell off in an ancient earthquake.  The decision was made to leave it as it had fallen although some repairs were made to other parts of the statues as can be seen below.

The complex consists of two temples; the larger one (above) dedicated to three of Egypt's gods of the time, Ra-Harakhty, Ptah, and Amun, and featuring four large statues of Ramesses II guarding the entrance to both the temple and Egypt (don't even think about trying to invade oh Nubians of the south!  I will crush you with my superior might and godliness).  The smaller temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Nefertari, most favored wife of Ramesses. 

The temple of Nefartari (if you click to enlarge you can see all the "cutting lines" of the blocks).

 

 The insides of the temples are amazing, seemingly acres of wall covered with carved and painted hieroglyphics and bas-reliefs telling the stories of Ramesses' exploits and accomplishments.  Unfortunately, no photography.  And, if you ever happen to be in Abu Simbel, I highly recommend the light show, unlike the one at Giza which is cheeeeezy....

Next, how I got here....the totally awesome boat M. S. Eugenie.

Some perspective, Stonehenge

So last night I'm pondering Egypt and I think of Stonehenge, a place I first visited as a child, later brought my own children to, and have always thought of with wonder and awe.   Who made this ancient monument?  How were these massive stones lifted into place?  Where were they transported from?  It all seemed so monumentally impressive (pardon the pun).  So I look up the age of Stonehenge this morning to discover they date to ~2500 B.C., younger than the pyramids, tombs and carved temples at Saqqara and about the same age as the Giza Pyramids (and all their accompanying wall carvings, paintings, wooden funerary boats, treasure, etc.).

Suddenly Stonehenge didn't seem quite so impressive!

(pic from wikipedia)