Thursday, April 22, 2010

Date Night: Whirling Dervishes

Back at home, date night for me and Clark usually means dinner at Chili's and a movie if we're not too tired. Here in Egypt our date night was unlike any other date night I've had recently :) How often do you get to see whirling dervishes perform inside a caravanserai that was built in 1504? Not too often.

If you recall, about a year ago I expressed some major jealously when my brother Chris got to see these same dervishes whirl and twirl for Allah. I never would have imagined that I would get to see them too. If you are planning a trip to Cairo, the whirling dervishes who perform at the Al-Ghuri Wikala is must-see. Plus, it's a free performance- you just have to get there early (like 1-2 hours early) to secure a seat. Definitely worth waiting around for.

If you're totally confused about what's going on, here's an article that might shed some light on Sufism and dervishes here in Egypt. I know this is a picture and video overload, but what can I say? I really enjoyed myself.

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Here's a shot of the caravanserai where the performance was held. Back in the day, it was like a roadside inn where caravans would stop and rest their animals and maybe do a little trading. The open courtyard (where everyone is sitting) housed the animals while the surrounding stalls and rooms were used by the travelers and merchants.

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After the dervishes, I was feeling brave and wanted to check out Khan el Khalili once more since it was right next door. It was about 10 o'clock at night on a weekday but the Khan was bustling with people. I knew exactly what I wanted and didn't waste any time trying to find it. Poor Clark was bombarded by shopkeepers on all sides, "Hello Mr. President! How can I take your money?"

After 30 minutes of searching, I was about ready to give up but I decided to check one more shop. And there they were! My rose earrings made out of coral.

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I probably paid too much for them but I wasn't in the mood to bargain. They were still pretty inexpensive. Any date that starts with whirling dervishes and ends in earrings, is a good night by my standards.

2 comments:

Emily said...

Coolest date night EVER!! Those earings are gorgeous.

I love reading all these posts and look forward them! Keep 'em coming. It seems like you've been gone FOREVER. Come home!

the coltons said...

those earrings are gorgeous!!! so simple and definitely beautiful. and i'm not even a jewelry wearer ... it's probably been 3 years since i had a pair of earrings IN my ears...