Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 75

[Page 75]

Saturday 20 February 1915

Being a half-holiday, I had my first look at the capital of Egypt by day. We drove straight up to the citadel, thus making a commencement of seeing Cairo in detail. The citadel is a large but ancient fortress built on the highest point of Cairo. At the bursting of a single 6 or 8 in. shell, I daresay half the structure would tumble down – a heap of ruins. At any rate an armed guard is on duty at the entrance of the place to prevent civilians or those without passes from entering. So I suppose the old place is worth something.

But the chief interest of the place is the well-known Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha. This is considered to be one of the finest mosques in Egypt. After putting on slippers, you pass through the outside courtyard, and from there, into the interior of the building. The first thing that strikes one is the beautiful harmony of colour in the multi-coloured effects – nothing gawdy, nothing inartistic or displeasing. Then there are the wonderful curved effects of the interior, from the great dome of the roof down to the beautifully rounded bases of the polished alabaster pillars. And after the squalor of the native quarter of an eastern city, the rich red carpet, soft to the tread, gives the necessary reminder of the luxury of the Orient.