Peeps at Many Lands: Egypt | Page 7

water-seller is well
patronized, for Egypt is a thirsty land.
Here comes a bread-seller, whose fancy loaves and cakes are made in
rings and strung upon wands which project from the rim of a basket; or
on a tray of wicker-work or queer little donkey-cart are piled the flat
unleavened loaves of the people.
To remind us of the chief baker's dream, the pastry-cook still cries his
wares, which, carried in baskets on his head, are often raided by the

thieving hawk or crow, while delicious fruits and fresh vegetables are
vended from barrows, much like the coster trade in London.
Many of the passers-by are well to do, shop-keepers and merchants,
clothed in flowing "khaftan" of coloured cloth or silk, over which,
hanging loosely from their shoulders, is the black goat's wool
"arbiyeh," or cloak.
The shops also make a gay addition to the general colour scheme. Of
these the fruit shop is perhaps the prettiest; here rosy apples and juicy
oranges, or pink-fleshed water-melons, are tastefully arranged in
baskets or on shelves covered with papers of different tints. Even the
tallow-chandler renders his shop attractive by means of festoons of
candles, some of enormous size, and all tinted in patterns, while the
more important shopping streets are one continuous display of many
coloured silks and cotton goods, the glittering wares of the jeweller or
coppersmith, and the gay trappings of the saddler.
In between the shops may often be noticed small doorways, whose
white plaster is decorated by some bright though crude design in many
colours; this is the "hammam," or public bath, while the shop of the
barber, chief gossip and story-teller of his quarter, is easily
distinguished by the fine-meshed net hung across the entrance as a
protection against flies, for flies abound in Cairo, which, however
disagreeable they may be, is perhaps fortunate in a country where the
laws of sanitation are so lightly regarded.
Noise enters largely into street life, and the native is invariably loud
voiced. No bargain is concluded without an apparent squabble, and
every tradesman in the street calls his wares, while drivers of vehicles
are incessant in their cries of warning to foot-passengers. All the
sounds are not unmusical, however, for from the minarets comes the
"muezzin's" sweet call to prayer, to mingle with the jingling bells and
the tinkling of the cups of the water-sellers.
Then the donkey-boys, everywhere to be found in Cairo, add much to
the liveliness of the streets. Their donkeys are fine animals, usually
grey and very large, and their bodies are shaved in such a manner as to

leave patterns on the legs and snout, which are often coloured. The
saddles are of red leather and cloth, and from them hang long tassels
which swing as they canter through the streets, while the musical rattle
of coloured beads and the chains of copper and brass which all donkeys
wear around their necks, add their quota to the many noises of the
streets, through which in a low murmur one may distinguish the drone
of flies.
Among all the bustle and confusion, shimmering lights, and varied
colour which constitute a Cairo street scene, the native woman passes
with graceful dignity. Her features are hidden by the "bourka," or veil,
which is generally worn, but her beautiful eyes fascinate; nor does the
voluminous cloak she wears entirely conceal the dainty, if brilliant,
clothing beneath, nor the extreme beauty of her well-shaped hands and
feet.
Quite as picturesque as the life of the streets are the buildings which
enclose them, and the great glory of Cairo consists of its bazaars and
mosques and old-time palaces.
The streets are usually irregular in width and often winding, and are
sometimes so narrow as to render driving impossible, for when Cairo
was built wheeled vehicles were not in use, and space within its walls
was limited. The houses are very lofty, and are built of limestone or
rubble covered with white plaster, and the lower courses are often
coloured in stripes of yellow, white, and red. Handsome carved
doorways open from the street, and the doors are panelled in bold
arabesque design, or enriched by metal studs and knockers of bronze.
The windows on the ground-floor, which are usually small, are closed
by a wooden or iron grating, and are placed too high in the wall for
passengers to look through them, and frequently, even in the best
houses, small recesses in the walls serve as shops.
The upper storeys usually project beyond the ground-floor, and are
supported on corbels or brackets of stone, which also are frequently
carved. This method of building has two advantages, for the projecting
upper storeys afford a little shade in the streets, and at the same time
give greater space to the houses without encroaching upon