Don't You Just Love It?

Love what? The Bibliotheca! I posted before that the Bibliotheca was my Tiffany's. For all of you reading the blog who are not Audrey Hepburn fanatics, let me explain. In the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, Ms. Hepburn describes the jewelry store saying, "It calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it. Nothing very bad could happen to you there." Walking into the library for the first time, this was exactly how I felt. Naturally it was quiet, being a library and all, but there is something very proud about it as well. Built on the site of the old library of Alexandria, which for many years was the largest in the world, it is one of the few things I have seen in Egypt that the government has actually put time and energy into. The calm interior is a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Egyptian life.

A view of the inside of the library

The library is huge. Designed to resemble a sun dial, this massive structure rises out of the ground at a steep diagonal.

A view of the library from the corniche

Even without its odd shape, its gleaming white exterior stands in sharp contrast to the old and somewhat decrepit buildings of this ancient city. It is impossible to miss and an integral part of the impressive skyline.

I think this is my favorite place in Egypt thus far. The entire roof is covered in large windows (you can see them in the picture) so the library is always filled with light. The sunshine bounces of the gleaming wood inside the hall and bathes everything in a sort of dim glow. The air is still and clean (a novelty in this country) and you can always find a nice space to work. Because of the odd shape of the building, the floors sort of cascade down, making the whole hall visible from just about any point. There is just one problem: you can't check any books out. Instead, the library has copy centers were you can bring you book and have pages photocopied. But, due to copyright laws, you can only copy up to 20% of a book. Not to mention the environmentalist inside me that dies a little each time I am handed my pile of papers, printed on just one side of course. As I was wandering through the thousands of shelves during my first visit I did notice a boy taking pictures of each page of the book he was reading with a digital camera. I may have to explore this option...

Gunning for a close second on the list of best places I have been to in Egypt is actually something much less well known. Over the weekend one of the other girls in the program and I went to the synagogue. I say THE synagogue because there is only one in all of Alexandria. And for good reason; this synagogue doesn't actually have any services. In Judaism there is something called minyan, the quorum of 10 Jewish adult men that is required for certain religious ceremonies, the most common of which is public prayer. There are not 10 Jewish men in Alexandria. In fact there are not even half that. According to the synagogue's director, there are only 4 Jewish men in all of Alexandria and 17 women. For this reason the synagogue cannot perform weekly services. On big holidays, like Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and Passover, the synagogue actually has to import Jews from Israel. For these celebrations, the director told us, the synagogue pays for several Jewish men and a Rabbi to fly to Egypt and stay in Alexandria in order to meet minyan and perform the religious ceremonies. It is a real shame, because the synagogue is absolutely stunning and kept in excellent repair by those tending to it.

The outside takes your breath away, the size and beauty of the building really is something incredible. Surrounding the building are beautiful gardens, the lush greenery obviously kept up by an attentive and caring groundskeeper.

The inside is equally impressive. A towering vaulted ceiling held up by grand marble pillars covers a large hall filled with pews for the men and balcony seating for the women. Each seat in the temple has a little plaque bearing the name of an Alexandrian Jewish male. The rows and rows of names is a reminder of a time not so long ago, when more than 35,000 Jews lived and worshiped in Alexandria.

Of course there is one advantage to this severe lack of Jews. Me and my half Jewish friend were very warmly welcomed and instantly considered part of the community. The director took our cell phone numbers, gave us his, promised to call us whenever they were having any events, encouraged us to visit as much as and whenever we wanted, and told us to consider him our father in Alexandria!

The head of staff at the synagogue, who also acted as our tour guide during out visit, was a very sweet old man who spoke impressively good English for his age and even knew some Hebrew phrases, despite the fact that he is a very devoted Muslim. He has worked at the synagogue for 20 years and now his daughter works there too. He promised to open the synagogue on Fridays for us if we ever wanted to visit on that day, but he would only be there after his midday Friday prayer (Friday is the sabbath for the Muslims). His presence and his devotion to both his religion and his job was yet another reminder of the delicate relationship between Muslims and Jews in this part of the world. However, this reminder was one of hope and of tolerance. The building itself was a reminder that these two peoples used to live together peacefully and Mr. Abdel Nabi (his name means servant of the prophet) is a reminder that this could still be possible. At least, I'd like to think so.

Mr. Abdel Nabi

I have so much more to tell you all, but it is late and I am tired. Soon to come: a post about the BEST MANGO JUICE EVER. Also, tomorrow night I am going into Cairo to see the opera Aida performed in front of the pyramids. Sometimes I can't believe this is real life...