'Sensitivity is also needed in the face of the poverty sometimes found not far from even the grandest Sicilian streets. Deprivation should never be treated as a photo opportunity for "picturesque" holiday snaps. In Sicily as elsewhere tourists should try to avoid voyeurism and think of themselves first and foremost as guests, according to others the consideration they expect for themselves'. This was what Baedeker wrote in his Sicily guide. This applies not only to Sicily but also elsewhere like Cairo and Egypt. Sometimes our most poignant pictures are of the deprived living conditions of the places we visit. While we are not laughing about the people, we just find the place and their living conditions fascinating.
Mashrabeya. What? According to Frommer's Egypt, ' Keep a sharp eye out in Cairo and you'll see these screens made of turned wood covering windows and dividing rooms. Traditionally, it was used as a part of a natural air-conditioning system: The wood screen at once blocked the heat of the sun and allowed the breeze to flow through the window to an unglazed pottery container of water. The water seeping out through the walls of the vessel and evaporating the contents cool and lowered the temperature of the air that then blew through the house. ' I read somewhere else that these windows keep the house cool and keep the women hidden from the world but they can see the world go by through the latticework of the windows. These windows still survive and are seen in this part of Islamic Cairo near Bab Zawayla.
'Sensitivity is also needed in the face of the poverty sometimes found not far from even the grandest Sicilian streets. Deprivation should never be treated as a photo opportunity for "picturesque" holiday snaps. In Sicily as elsewhere tourists should try to avoid voyeurism and think of themselves first and foremost as guests, according to others the consideration they expect for themselves'. This was what Baedeker wrote in his Sicily guide. This applies not only to Sicily but also elsewhere like Cairo and Egypt. Sometimes our most poignant pictures are of the deprived living conditions of the places we visit. While we are not laughing about the people, we just find the place and their living conditions fascinating.
Mashrabeya. What? According to Frommer's Egypt, ' Keep a sharp eye out in Cairo and you'll see these screens made of turned wood covering windows and dividing rooms. Traditionally, it was used as a part of a natural air-conditioning system: The wood screen at once blocked the heat of the sun and allowed the breeze to flow through the window to an unglazed pottery container of water. The water seeping out through the walls of the vessel and evaporating the contents cool and lowered the temperature of the air that then blew through the house. ' I read somewhere else that these windows keep the house cool and keep the women hidden from the world but they can see the world go by through the latticework of the windows. These windows still survive and are seen in this part of Islamic Cairo near Bab Zawayla.
Isn't this beautiful? This is the old water reservoir though it is not evident from the outside. On top is a madrassa.
If you want to see authentic Cairo, this is the area to be, Islamic Cairo, around Bab Zawayla. It is one of the most fascinating part of Cairo. People are busy with their daily lives, buying, selling and hanging out. I felt really comfortable here. We weren't bothered here at all because they don't cater to the tourists. It is all local trade. I don't agree with Baedeker. I've lived under these conditions before and I don't feel bad looking and taking pictures.
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