Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-03-27
UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO.


this Egyptian city, under Mohamme-
dan control and with the Koran as its
chief textbook. Tourists do not
ordinarily visit this great school for il
Is somewhat dificult OF access, but IT
is a sight well worth the time taken
to get in and get out.
Gamia ell Azhar, "the ever-bloOm'
ing is the central educational In
stitution Of Islam and has been al.
most for a thousand years. CONSTANT,
nople is the Official head OF the cult Of
the crescent but Cairo is the literary
capital. Oxford, Paris and Bologua
each claims to be the most ancient
university but their claims are mud.
died as to dates, while El-Azhal
traces Its history directly TO the veal
9T3 when a Calf, with an unsrellablt
name, converted a mosque into
University. OF course it is not
University such as the great ono
building up on the banks of the classic
Hinkson, but it has ever been claSset
among Universities by the wise mer
from the East. AS for its claim to b
the largest it enrolls 10000 student.
annually.
The university is sacred ground. NJ
Christian shoesole may pass across iii
portals. Coming through a narrow
filthy street to the somewhat insignia
cant entrance, called the Gate Of the
BARRIERS because students formerly hat
their heads shaved here, we parleyet
for admission. After much gesticula
tion Of the students around the gait
we conveyed the idea that we wished
to see the central authority, the presi
dent OF the proctor or the registrar o.
the Horace Williams. Finally a tall
stately gentleman with green turban
red boomers and yellow sanHals ap
peared at the Gate OF the BARRIERS. w
handed him our cards-a whole deck
He bowed and we bowed. He sal
some words in Arabic to 4 youngste
near by who Immediately lodged int
a side room and lodged out again wit
two pairs Of sandals large enough 70
a Chicago woman S feet. He pointed t
our feet and we started to unlace on
shoes.
More violent gesticulation-thes
Oriental folks talk as much with the
/, hands as they do with their mouth
! We need not take of our shoes.
would answer all the requirements
Mohammed and perserve the sanctit
Of the University IL we tied the SAINT
ais on over our shoes. This we did
or rather the half-naked lad did Il
! us-and across the threshold from Il
$ street into the university proper v
S went. Once within We walked at wi
: everywhere and, thanks TO the Englis
speaking son Of one OF the professor
J a youth some Is years Of age, '
. learned the inner life Of the sehoC
"My father is a learned man, ''said u
young chap. IL was his way Of II
d pressing upon the visitor the idea tn
his father was a professor in the uT
n versity. Not all professors In all vi
, gersities could be thus classified.
h THE COURT AND THE STUDENTS.
ell There is little architectural el
n belishment about the university. !
enormous square court, Whose dime
sions the scribe does nov rememb
uuUapIes the center. This is border
u with porticos, each divided into sep
ate compartments for the use OF s.
dents from different nations. TT
E, portico, for example, is for studeI
u from Algiers, this for those fri
Nubia, this for those from Syria a
II so on. There is a special departing
for blind pupils, who, are strang
fanatical and turbulent. The knC
II ledge that a Christian is looking ~
them is the signal for an OutburSt
fury.
ne The dormitory problem is solved
I. the simplest fashion at El-Azh
1T More than 2,000 Of the students live
No the rooms and on the porti
IL and in the quandragle under
e open sky. No club house in An
" lea can equal the food for che
40 ness. They eat whenever the spI
moves them-a bowl Of lentil souI
er fat cake Of bread and a handful.
ar dates or garlic constituting th
IT meal. No student ever leaves
Azhar because he is too poor TO
main. To the needy loaves Of brt
are given. There is no room rent
(. tuition is free,
al The students are a brightlook
nj lot-much above the average Of
n Mohammedan world. They are Of
al ages from three years old upward,
AZ the University is a Kindergarten
he well. The institution is co-edu
a tional as far as the children r C
,ir cerned, but nolarge girls are admit
pr 70 the open courts. Girls and b
M are seated apart from each other.
heI After death Mohammedan won
or are buried away from man. 2
small children are taught nothing
the Koran. "You teach your Bibl'
s.lyour University" was the inqu
which the Mohammedan guide put
the Missourians. We did not say.
THE PAY OF THE PROFESSORS.
The University Of El-Azhar does
tpay its professors anything, but 81
them instead a liberal allowances
8 bread. This allowance is in the Il
OF loaves which are sold at outs
shops. The master makes some mo
". by reciting the Koran at weddif
al funerals or other feastS, by copy
cb books or by holding some religi
lal salaried Office. The annual salary
IT. an Occidental University profe'
or. would support an Oriental set
ID master lifetime. Wealthy stude
IN occasionally contribute voluntarily
'er the masters support The head sch
a master is not the president or
nj chancellor, but the Sheikh El-Az
IN and is second only 10 the Khediye
m Importance. He is chosen from
faculty for his superior knowledge