Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-07-27
Cairo And Its l'eODle.

~ appeuiS W nc tnS lnleHtiOil Oh
Arab Pasha to lead his army on to
Cairo. the capital of Egypt. Cairo is
the second city of Importance in the
Turkish Empire, Constantnople being
the first. 1t is situated about 100 miles
southeast of the now ruined city of
Alexandria, a mile from the right bank
of the Nile and ten miles above the
delta of tina. river. 1t has n ropula-
ton OF about 400, 600 people. Moham-
medans, Copts, jews, Greeks, Armeni.
ans and Europeans. The city lies mostly
on the plain Of the Nile valley, but the
southeast part including the citadel. is
built on the .pur Of the Mokkotam
mountain. Cairo occupies II site of
about seven miles IN circumference.
Strangers who visit it are enchanted
by its appearance from without, but
their golden dreams are dispelled as
soon AS they set foot inside. The
houses as n rule are wretched little
nuts one story high. The streets are
lily kent, unpayed and IN filthy con
dition. Clouds of dust are met at every
hand, and heavy rainfall is consider
ed calamity, for the garbage in the
street undergoes rapid decomposition,
The Esbekiaih, the principal public
place, is planted by shrubs and trees
and crossed by walks. Cairo is famous
for its mosques, some Of them elegant
specimens of Arabian architecture.
The most celebrated of these four
hundred structures is that of Sultan
Hassan, near the citadel. The mosque
El-Azhor is celebrated for its beauty of
architecture and for II college to which
hundreds of students resort from all
parts of the Mohammedan world. The
mosque of Talun, founded A. ID. so,
contains specimens of the pointed arch
which was afterwards introduced into
Europe, and was one of the character
istics of the Gothic styles Of architect
IRE. Northeast of the city, Just outside
the walls, are Il number of beautiful
mosques built over the tombs of the
Circassian and Borgite monks. In the
south east is the citadel, on hill $50
feet above the rest of the city, contain
ing the palace OF the khedive, the mint,
mandatory Of arms, vari Gus govern
ment offices, barracks and other build
iDgs, and splendid mosque, begun by
Mehemmet All. Within the citadel n
deep well is cut $50 feet deep, intended
TO supply the carlson with water in case
Of siege. The different races which
inhabit Cairo live in 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 maintains the.
alter for French comedy, and an opera
house and a good ballet. In the Frank
quarter is the library of the Egyptian
association. There are also many
Protestant and Catholic charitable in
stitutions in Cairo, where persons Of all
creeds are treated alike. The Ameri-
cans, among others, have religious
mission in the city. Cairo has two SUBJ
urbs Boolak and Musr-el Abek, both of
which are on the banks ofthe Nile, and
serve as ports to the city,
Cairo was founded about A. ID. $40,
by Johar, general Of El-Moez, the
chief Imam of the north west coast Of
Africa. He named it III Kahireh the
vlctoriou : J, in commentator OF his
conquest of Egypt. In III the crusa-
ders laid siege to the city, but withdrew
on approach of the Syrian army. Sal
adm greatly improved the city. In
1856 the Turks defeated the Mameluke
beys in battle before Cairo, and took
possession of the place, but lost it again
in 1870. A few years afterwardl Gen.
Bonaparte entered Cairo with his VIC
torious army. The city was, further.
more, the scene OF most orthe triumphs
Of Nj ehemmet Ali At the head Of the
hibanians he conquered it soon after
the departure ofthe French. He then
openly declared war on the Mamelrke
beys. A considerable body Of the beys
who were camped before Cairo, in the
summer Of 1906, were enticed into an
attempt to sieze the city. They
forced their way IL a gate pur-
posely undefended, and smarched tri-
umphantly through the streets unit
sudeuly they were surrounded by Mo-