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[Page 55]
were marvellous being inset with ebony & ivory & must have taken years to do. The "pulpit" in each one was also marvellous work. The gold all round the walls was bewildering. We have been told that this mosque cost nearly £3,000,000 to build. Some of the stone used was taken from the pyramids : next was the mosque that Napoleon fired at & was fairly interesting the marks of the cannon balls being visible:one hole about 60 ft from the ground still having the ball embedded in it. The exterior of all the mosques are rather on the worn side but the interiors are wonderfully preversed : all of these mosques are anything from 500 years old upwards. After the mosques we went into the citadel (Napoleon's fortress) The mosque there is also marvellous: the lighting being supplied by hundreds of lamps suspended from the roof by long chains. The chandeliers here were magnificent (about 10 ft across) the roof was a series of domes each one forming the support of the next one. Outside was a well down to the level of the Nile. Rumour says that the builder was asked if he could build a better one & on replying "yes" had his eyes taken out: The old guns are still mounted there. From here we wandered out again & past the Egyption barracks & some very poverty stricken quarters to the Dead City & then up a pathway to the top of some high cliffs & the view was splendid. Pyramids in the distance Cairo on the right & the Dead City on the left & big quarries behind. These cliffs have rooms cut into them & are supposed to have been part of Napoleon's fortresses. One archway through the rock is about 50 yards across & a splendid sight & seems to have been cut through ages ago