Showing posts with label Cairo Egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cairo Egypt. Show all posts

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Anwar Sadat's and the Unknown Soldier's tombs, Cairo

/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Above is the approach to the Unknown Soldier's tomb and memorial in Cairo. The monument was ordered by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1974 to honor Egyptian and Arab soldiers killed in the 1973 war with Israel, which was the Yom Kippur War about taking back the Sinai.

Only seven years later, the monument also became the tomb of President Sadat after he was assassinated October 6, 1981 across the street from the memorial.  There he reviewed the annual parade to celebrate Egypt's crossing of the Suez Canal before he was attacked.

President Sadat and Israeli President Menachem Begin together were the recipients of the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.
/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017  
Above is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Cairo where President Anwar Sadat is also buried. At the site, our Odysseys tour guide, an Egyptian, became emotional and said beforehand, that it would make him quite sad to visit the memorial, but for us curious Americans who well remember the tragedy, he would do it.  We were grateful for the opportunity to see the tombs and the site and remember.
 
Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017

Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
 Looking from the back of the grave marker to across the street at the reviewing stand where President Sadat was attacked and ten others, killed.  Four U.S. military members were among the 28 who were wounded in the assault by Islamic fundamentalists.
 /Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
 /Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Across the street from President Sadat and the Unknown Soldier's tombs is the reviewing stand where President Sadat was killed. Note the raised guard station on the left/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
One of two guards who always stand to protect President Sadat's and the Unknown Soldier's tombs. The soldiers' rotations last four hours/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
 Another guard/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
 The same/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
 Art of the 1973 conflict  at the Memorial/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017
Above the guard station at the assassination site a helicopter flies overhead, perhaps a security helicopter like the ones which crisscross Tysons, Virginia daily, perhaps to check on the C.I.A. building/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 4, 2017

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Thursday, March 23, 2017

Destination: Cairo


Changing planes in Frankfurt, Germany where two hours rushing through the beeeg (sic) terminal were almost not enough time to catch our next flight to Cairo (having to go through security again). The experience at Dulles last night was not nearly so bad.  The employees smiled (shock) and were right friendly/photo by Patricia Leslie
Update: Look!  Look! Blurry lights and an impressionist painting taken from the shuttle bus in Cairo on the way to the hotel which has security entrances with dogs and inspections of vehicles under and over, large gates, magnetometers, and x-rays of possessions.  I later learned (and observed) the Egyptian government supplies guards with AK-47s to accompany tourists whenever tourists are out in public.  We always felt safe. Pictures to come!/photo by Patricia Leslie
Look! Look!  Cairo has more traffic than DC, more people, too!  On the way to the hotel on this bus, I fell on top of the tour guide while searching the floor for my IPad when the bus driver had to suddenly lurch to a stop.  (He was very cute.  The tour guide.  I never saw the driver from my perch at the back of the bus.)  This was after the tour guide almost sent out a search party for me at the Cairo airport when I lagged and didn't show up.  Man!  I was at the back of the plane and we know how fast it is getting off when you're in the tail.  Claire says Egypt is a third world country, and I said "no way," laying on these luxurious Egyptian sheets in this palatial hotel, the Fairmont on the banks of the Nile River.  More to come!/photo by Patricia Leslie