St. Landry democrat., 1882-08-12
Cairo and Its People.


Cairo is the second city of impor-
tance in the Turkish Empire, Constan-
| tinople being the first. 1t is situated
about l2O miles southeast of the now
ruined city of Alexandria, a mile from
Che right bank of the Nile and ten
miles above the delta of that river. 1t
has population of about 100000 pep
pie, Mohammedans, Copts, Jews,
Greeks, Armenians and Europeans.
The city lies mostly on the plain of the
Nile Valley but the southeast part, in
Guiding the citadel, is built upon the
spur OF the Mokkotam Mountain. Cairo
occupies a site Of about seven miles in
circumference. Strangers who yisi5 it
are enchanted by its appearance from
without, but their golden dreams are
| dispelled as soon as they set foot inside.
The houses rs rule are wretched little
huts one story high, aud the streets are
lily kept, unpayed, and in a filthy con-
dition. Clouds of dust are met at
every hand, and a heavy rainfall is con-
sidered a calamity, for the garbage in
the streets undergoes rapid decomposi-
ton. The Esbekizah, the principal
public place, is planted with shurbs
and trees and crossed by walks. Cairo
is famous for its mosques, some OF them
elegant specimens of Arabian archi-
lecture. The most celebrated of the
| four hundred of these structures is that
of Sultan Hassan, near the citadel.
The mosque El-Azhor is cele-
brated for the beauty of its
architecture and for college to
which hundreds of students resort from
all parts of the Mohammedan world.
The mosque of Talun, founded A. ID.
S79, contains specimens of the pointed
arch which was afterward introduced
into Europe, and was one of the charac-
teristics of the Gothic style of architect
ure Northeast of the city, just outside
the walls, are a number OF beautiful
mosques built over the tombs of the Cir
cassian and Borgite monks. In the
southeast is the citadel, on hill $50
feet above the rest Of the city, contain
ing the palace of the Khediye, the mint,
a manufactory of arms, various Govern
ment offices, barracks and other build
ings, and a splendid mosque, begun by
Mehemet Ali. Within the citadel a
deep well is cut $50 feet deep, intended
to supply the garrison in case OF siege.
The different races who inhabit Cairo
live i'll distinct quarters, of which there
are many, as the jew quarter, the Frank
quarter. the Coptic quarter, etc. The
streets leading to each quarter are closed
at night by gates. The Khedive main
tains a theater for French comedy, and
an onera house and good ballet. In
the Frank quarter is the library of the
Egyptian association. There are also
many Protestant and Catholic charita-
bic institutions in Cairo, where all per-
sons of all creeds are treated alike. The
Americans, among others, have a reig-
ious mission in the city. Cairo has two
suburbs, Boolak and Musr- el-Abek, both
of which are on the banks OF the Nile,
and serve as ports to the city.
Cairo was founded about a. D. go,
hv Johar, a General Of ElMoez, the
chief Imam of the northwest coast Of
Africa. He name it Ell kahireh (the
victoriors), in commemoration of his
conquest of Egypt. In I'LL the cru
saders laid siege to the city, but with
drew on the approach of the Syrian
army. Saladin greatly improved the
city. In 1886 the Turks defeated the
Mameluke beys in battle before Cairo,
and took possession OF the place, but
lost it again in 1890. A few years later
General Bonaparte entered Cairo with
his victorious army. The city was,
furthermore, the scene OF most of the
triumphs of Mehemet Ali. AT the head
of the Albanians he conquered it soon
after the departure of the French. He
then openly declared war on the Name
luke beys. A considerable body of the
beys who were camped before Cairo in
the summer of 1906 were enticed into
making an attempt to seize the city.
They forced an entrance by gate pur-
poselv left undefended, and marched
triumphantly through the streets until
they were suddenly surrounded by the
troops of Mehemet Ali. who slaughtered
them all without mercy. For the next
ten years Mehemet Ali kept on compar-
atively good terms with the beys. On
March l, 1911, however, he entieed all
the Mamelukes in Cairo iuto the citadel
on pretense of witnessing the ceremony
of investing his son Tusum with the
command Of an army to be sent against
the Wahabees in Arabia. The gates of
the fortress were then closed upon them,
and they were killed to the number of
470. BY this event Mehemet Ais au
thority in Egypt was placed on firm
basis.-N. 7. Mail and EIpress.
nrrinp Hav HuShands Graya