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[Page 126]
Egypt
Cairo
This ancient city to a stranger is a wonderful place, & practically impossible for one to describe things to be seen here. The population is nearly twice that of London & is said to be the oldest civilized country in the world & no record has yet been found to say how ancient the place is.
The Persians, Greeks & Romans successfully dominated it & these conquering races have now disappeared, whilst Egypt goes on in the same old fashioned way & its people remain. It was during the Roman occupation that Christianity became a recognised religion & the Copts (descendents of the ancient Egyptians), are said to be the oldest Christian church in existence, yet they are a bad sect, backed up with moneyed men of the city.
The bazaars & streets present a very picturesque picture & one can hear every known language of the world spoken here. In the streets one comes across hundreds of native cafes, where they go & sit cross legged on high benches & enjoy coffee or a smoke from a long pipe containing "hashish" ( opium) which is supposed to be prohibited from being brought into the country, and very seldom are chairs used, except by the upper classes of Egyptians. Most of the natives wear a "jlelabieh" (long gown) & a tarbush is always worn on the back of the head: coloured leather shoes, generally carried in