september 29, 2007 to Red Sea and Sinai

Kendra Crandall
Class Journal
29 September 2007
We were all pretty exhausted by the time Saturday rolled around – we had been in Egypt for nearly a week during which time we did more than we ever thought possible. In the morning we checked out of the Oasis Hotel and prepared ourselves to make a few stops before leaving Cairo. First we went to the Muhammad Ali Mosque located on the Cairo Citadel. Upon entering the courtyard for the mosque, we all removed our shoes. There were Muslim women at the door with coverings to lend people who showed too much skin – it was neat to see that we were about the only tour group in the mosque that didn’t need the covering. The mosque was very impressive – the high domes and floating lights gave it a very spacious appearance. While in there, our guide, Hasan, described the history of the mosque to us. Then Brother Ludlow discussed how the Five Pillars of Islam relate to the Gospel as we know it. He made the point that Islam is more like Mormonism than many Christian religions are – an idea we all readily accepted after having lived in an Islamic neighborhood for nearly a month. Outside of the mosque afforded us a spectacular view of Cairo, including the pyramids of Giza in the distance.
Next we went to St. Sergias Church, a Coptic Christian church that dates to the eighth century CE. Called the “Hanging Church,” the St. Sergias Church was built over the gate of a Roman fortress. After that we went to Ben Ezra Synagogue which was significant because its “genizah” provided the modern world with the greatest historical record of Judaism until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
After seeing the synagogue we went to a Nile-side restaurant for a typical buffet-style lunch. We then hopped into the bus for our six-hour drive to Mount Sinai. The bus rides are actually very bearable because we’re always with friends. They provide great opportunities to get to know each other better and to get some sleep. We were all starving when we arrived late at the hotel. After dinner, we had Sacrament Meeting together. I think that we were all relieved to sit down, reflect, and partake of the sacrament. I really grew to appreciate the priesthood holders of our group and that they took such care to prepare and bless the sacrament. There was a refreshing, sweet spirit in the room as we sang and listened to the speakers. At about 10:40 pm we finally returned to our rooms and went to bed for two hours.