egypt-第3部分

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plains　and　yellow　desert。　It　is　a　favourite　view　of　the　tourists　of

the　agencies；　and　we　meet　again　our　friends　of　the　mosque；　who　have

preceded　us　hitherthe　gentlemen　with　the　loud　voices；　the　bellowing

guide　and　the　cackling　lady。　Some　soldiers　are　standing　there　too；

smoking　their　pipes　contemplatively。　But　spite　of　all　these　people；　in

spite；　too；　of　the　wintry　sky；　the　scene　which　presents　itself　on

arrival　there　is　ravishing。



A　very　fairylandbut　a　fairyland　quite　different　from　that　of

Stamboul。　For　whereas　the　latter　is　ranged　like　a　great　amphitheatre

above　the　Bosphorus　and　the　Sea　of　Marmora；　here　the　vast　town　is

spread　out　simply；　in　a　plain　surrounded　by　the　solitude　of　the　desert

and　dominated　by　chaotic　rocks。　Thousands　of　minarets　rise　up　on　every

side　like　ears　of　corn　in　a　field；　far　away　in　the　distance　one　can

see　their　innumerable　slender　pointsbut　instead　of　being　simply；　as

at　Stamboul；　so　many　white　spires；　they　are　here　complicated　by

arabesques；　by　galleries；　clock…towers　and　little　columns；　and　seem　to

have　borrowed　the　reddish　colour　of　the　desert。



The　flat　rocks　tell　of　a　region　which　formerly　was　without　rain。　The

innumerable　palm…trees　of　the　gardens；　above　this　ocean　of　mosques　and

houses；　sway　their　plumes　in　the　wind；　bewildered　as　it　were　by　these

clouds　laden　with　cold　showers。　In　the　south　and　in　the　west；　at　the

extreme　limits　of　the　view；　as　if　upon　the　misty　horizon　of　the

plains；　appear　two　gigantic　triangles。　They　are　Gizeh　and　Memphisthe

eternal　pyramids。



At　the　north　of　the　town　there　is　a　corner　of　the　desert　quite

singular　in　its　characterof　the　colour　of　bistre　and　of　mummywhere

a　whole　colony　of　high　cupolas；　scattered　at　random；　still　stand

upright　in　the　midst　of　sand　and　desolate　rocks。　It　is　the　proud

cemetery　of　the　Mameluke　Sultans；　whose　day　was　done　in　the　Middle

Ages。



But　if　one　looks　closely；　what　disorder；　what　a　mass　of　ruins　there

are　in　this　townstill　a　little　fairylikebeaten　this　evening　by　the

squalls　of　winter。　The　domes；　the　holy　tombs；　the　minarets　and

terraces；　all　are　crumbling：　the　hand　of　death　is　upon　them　all。　But

down　there；　in　the　far　distance；　near　to　that　silver　streak　which

meanders　through　the　plains；　and　which　is　the　old　Nile；　the　advent　of

new　times　is　proclaimed　by　the　chimneys　of　factories；　impudently　high；

that　disfigure　everything；　and　spout　forth　into　the　twilight　thick

clouds　of　black　smoke。



The　night　is　falling　as　we　descend　from　the　esplanade　to　return　to　our

lodgings。



We　have　first　to　traverse　the　old　town　of　Cairo；　a　maze　of　streets

still　full　of　charm；　wherein　the　thousand　little　lamps　of　the　Arab

shops　already　shed　their　quiet　light。　Passing　through　streets　which

twist　at　their　caprice；　beneath　overhanging　balconies　covered　with

wooden　trellis　of　exquisite　workmanship；　we　have　to　slacken　speed　in

the　midst　of　a　dense　crowd　of　men　and　beasts。　Close　to　us　pass　women；

veiled　in　black；　gently　mysterious　as　in　the　olden　times；　and　men　of

unmoved　gravity；　in　long　robes　and　white　draperies；　and　little　donkeys

pompously　bedecked　in　collars　of　blue　beads；　and　rows　of　leisurely

camels；　with　their　loads　of　lucerne；　which　exhale　the　pleasant

fragrance　of　the　fields。　And　when　in　the　gathering　gloom；　which　hides

the　signs　of　decay；　there　appear　suddenly；　above　the　little　houses；　so

lavishly　ornamented　with　mushrabiyas　and　arabesques；　the　tall　aerial

minarets；　rising　to　a　prodigious　height　into　the　twilight　sky；　it　is

still　the　adorable　East。



But　nevertheless；　what　ruins；　what　filth；　what　rubbish！　How　present　is

the　sense　of　impending　dissolution！　And　what　is　this：　large　pools　of

water　in　the　middle　of　the　road！　Granted　that　there　is　more　rain　here

than　formerly；　since　the　valley　of　the　Nile　has　been　artificially

irrigated；　it　still　seems　almost　impossible　that　there　should　be　all

this　black　water；　into　which　our　carriage　sinks　to　the　very　axles；　for

it　is　a　clear　week　since　any　serious　quantity　of　rain　fell。　It　would

seem　that　the　new　masters　of　this　land；　albeit　the　cost　of　annual

upkeep　has　risen　in　their　hands　to　the　sum　of　fifteen　million　pounds；

have　given　no　thought　to　drainage。　But　the　good　Arabs；　patiently　and

without　murmuring；　gather　up　their　long　robes；　and　with　legs　bare　to

the　knee　make　their　way　through　this　already　pestilential　water；　which

must　be　hatching　for　them　fever　and　death。



Further　on；　as　the　carriage　proceeds　on　its　course；　the　scene　changes

little　by　little。　The　streets　become　vulgar：　the　houses　of　〃The

Arabian　Nights〃　give　place　to　tasteless　Levantine　buildings；　electric

lamps　begin　to　pierce　the　darkness　with　their　wan；　fatiguing　glare；

and　at　a　sharp　turning　the　new　Cairo　is　before　us。



What　is　this？　Where　are　we　fallen？　Save　that　it　is　more　vulgar；　it

might　be　Nice；　or　the　Riviera；　or　Interkalken；　or　any　other　of　those

towns　of　carnival　whither　the　bad　taste　of　the　whole　world　comes　to

disport　itself　in　the　so…called　fashionable　seasons。　But　in　these

quarters；　on　the　other　hand；　which　belong　to　the　foreigners　and　to　the

Egyptians　rallied　to　the　civilisation　of　the　West；　all　is　clean　and

dry；　well　cared　for　and　well　kept。　There　are　no　ruts；　no　refuse。　The

fifteen　million　pounds　have　done　their　work　conscientiously。



Everywhere　is　the　blinding　glare　of　the　electric　light；　monstrous

hotels　parade　the　sham　splendour　of　their　painted　facades；　the　whole

length　of　the　streets　is　one　long　triumph　of　imitation；　of　mud　walls

plastered　so　as　to　look　like　stone；　a　medley　of　all　styles；　rockwork；

Roman；　Gothic；　New　Art；　Pharaonic；　and；　above　all；　the　pretentious　and

the　absurd。　Innumerable　public…houses　overflow　with　bottles；　every

alcoholic　drink；　all　the　poisons　of　the　West；　are　here　turned　into

Egypt　with　a　take…what…you…please。



And　taverns；　gambling　dens　and　houses　of　ill…fame。　And　parading　the

side…walks；　numerous　Levantine　damsels；　who　seek　by　their　finery　to

imitate　their　fellows　of　the　Paris　boulevards；　but　who　by　mistake；　as

we　must　suppose；　have　placed　their　orders　with　some　costumier　for

performing　dogs。



This　then　is　the　Cairo　of　the　future；　this　cosmopolitan　fair！　Good

heavens！　When　will　the　Egyptians　recollect　themselves；　when　will　they

realise　that　their　forebears　have　left　to　them　an　inalienable

patrimony　of　art；　of　architecture　and　exquisite　refinement；　and　that；

by　their　negligence；　one　of　those　towns　which　used　to　be　the　most

beautiful　in　the　world　is　falling　into　ruin　and　about　to　perish？



And　nevertheless　amongst　the　young　Moslems　and　Copts　now　leaving　the

schools　there　are　so　many　of　distinguished　mind　and　superior

intelligence！　When　I　see　the　things　that　are　here；　see　them　with　the

fresh　eyes　of　a　stranger；　landed　but　yesterday　upon　this　soil；

impregnated　with　the　glory　of　antiquity；　I　want　to　cry　out　to　them；

with　a　frankness　that　is　brutal　perhaps；　but　with　a　profound　sympathy：




〃Bestir　yourselves　before　it　is　too　late。　Defend　yourselves　against

this　disintegrating　invasionnot　by　force；　be　it　understood；　not　by

inhospitality　or　ill…humourbut　by　disdaining　this　Occidental

rubbish；　this　last　year's　frippery　by　which　you　are　inundated。　Try　to

preserve　not　only　your　traditions　and　your　admirable　Arab　language；

but　also　the　grace　and　mystery　that　used　to　characterise　your　town；

the　refined　luxury　of　your　dwelling…houses。　It　is　not　a　question　now

of　a　poet's　fancy；　your　national　dignity　is　at　stake。　You　are

/Orientals/I　pronounce　respectfully　that　word；　which　implies　a　whole

past　of　early　civilisation；　of　unmingled　greatnessbut　in　a　few

years；　unless　you　are　on　your　guard；　you　will　have　become　mere

Levantine　brokers；　exclusively　preoccupied　with　the　price　of　land　and

the　rise　in　cotton。〃







CHAPTER　III



THE　MOSQUES　OF　CAIRO



They　are　almost　innumerable；　more　than　3000；　and　this　great　town；

which　covers　some　twelve　miles　of　plain；　might　well　be　called　a　city

of　mosques。　（I　speak；　of　course；　of　the　ancient　Cairo；　of　the　Cairo　of

the　Arabs。　The　new　Cairo；　the　Cairo　of　sham　elegance　and　of　〃Semiramis

Hotels；〃　does　not　deserve　to　be　mentioned　except　with　a　smile。）



A　city　of　mosques；　then；　as　I　was　saying。　They　follow　one　another

along　the　streets；　sometimes　two；　three；　four　in　a　row；　leaning　one

against　the　other；　so　that　their　confines　become　merged。　On　all　sides

their　minarets　shoot　up　into　the　air；　those　minarets　embellished　with

arabesques；　carved　and　complicated　with　the　most　changing　fancy。　They

have　their　little　balconies；　their　rows　of　little　columns；　they　are　so

fashioned　that　the　daylight　shows　through　them。　Some　are　far　away　in

the　distance；　others　quite　close；　pointing　straight　into　the　sky　above

our　heads。　No　matter　where　one　looksas　far　as　the　eye　can　seestill

there　are　others；　all　of　the　same　familiar　colour；　a　brown　turning

into　rose。　The　most　ancient　of　them；　those　of　the　old　easy…tempered

times；　bristle　with　shafts　of　wood；　placed　there　as　resting…places　for

the　great　free　birds　of　the　air；　and　vultures　and　ravens　may　always　be

seen　perched　there；　contemplating　the　horizon　of　the　sands；　the　line

of　the　yellow　solitudes。



Three　thousand　mosques！　Their　great　straight　walls；　a　little　severe

perhaps；　and　scarcely　pierced　by　their　tiny　ogive　windows；　rise　above

the　height　of　the　neighbouring　houses。　These　walls　are　of　the　same

brown　colour　as　the　minarets；　except　that　they　are　painted　with

horizontal　stripes　of　an　old　red；　which　has　been　faded　by　the　sun；　and

they　are　crowned　invariably　with　a　series　of　trefoils；　after　the

fashion　of　battlements；　but　trefoils　which　in　every　case　are　different

and　surprising。



Before　the　mosques；　which　are　raised　like　altars；　there　is　always　a

flight　of　steps　with　a　balustrade　of　white　marble。　From　the　door　one

gets　a　glimpse　of　the　calm　interior　in　deep　shadow。　Once　inside　there

are　corridors；　astonishingly　lofty；　sonorous　and　enveloped　in　a　kind

of　half　gl