All Time Therapies-Community Times

ALL TIME THERAPIES

Written by: Sankalita Shome

The disease is always a step ahead of the cure. With the conventional allopathic medicine failing in many areas, and the stress of modern day living taking its toll on the health of people, more and more people are turning towards alternative and complementary medicine. 

Cairo, too, has seen an upsurge in the number of wellness studios that are opening their doors; two yoga studios opened in the same neighborhood in Cairo in the same month. Even the National Geographic’s travel guide on Egypt carries a new section on spiritual and therapeutic travel to Egypt.

“Alternative or complementary medicine takes a very holistic view of the problem, the pain is only a manifestation of a deeper malice,” explains Dina Fakhry, about the growing popularity of the alternative therapies. Dina is a reiki master and went into alternative therapy when she greatly benefitted from its therapeutic powers “The alternative therapies go to the root of the problem, rather than just treating the symptoms.”

Alternative Therapy Movement in Egypt

Though alternative and complementary medicines have already been big the world over, Egypt seems to have got onto the bandwagon only recently. 

But Leslie Zehr, disagrees and argues that Egypt has always had its own brand of substitute medicine; only it was in different forms. 

The wall in Zehr’s apartment is adorned with completion certificates from the courses that she has taken in every conceivable form of alternative therapy-hypnotherapy, reiki, aromatherapy, touch therapy and even homeopathy.

In the year 1995, Zehr established one of the very first Centres for Health and Well-being in Egypt. She went on to use her experience to developed Sacred Dance, which is sort of a primordial dance like a primitive or tribal dance. It came from her initiation at a temple in Upper Egypt and has evolved out of the work that she has been doing in Egypt. 

“I have based the process of dance on the archetypes of tarot that carry certain energy. In our daily lives, we are all about control and schedules and what we are going to do with our lives. We need to learn to flow like the Nile and so during the Sacred Dance workshop; I let the music be the guide. It is about reconnecting to the divine feminine in a joyful and spiritual manner.”

Egyptians have always used herbs for healing; the ‘attarin’ or the traditional healer was, and probably continues to be a very important part of their lives and it has never really been ‘alternative’ medicine for them.  

But then, why is it that in Egypt, most of the practitioners and teachers of alternative therapy are westerners. “Alternative therapy is a western movement. Chinese have always had the acupuncture and the Indians the ayureveda but as a movement, it has come from the west,” explains Zehr.

Corroborating Zehr, Lady Colleen Heller who has been has been involved with alternative healing since the early 90’s describes an incident that took place when she had just arrived in Cairo. She had gone to the Al Azhar mosque in her quest to know more about the people and culture of her adopted country and there she got into a discussion with the Iman, who asked her what she did. She explained that she was a reiki healer and that she worked with "laying on hands", which is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us. And the imam immediately said that this is similar to “rukia” that is practiced in Egypt. 

Thereafter, whenever she had to explain reiki to a layperson in Egypt, she just referred to ‘rukia’ and it sort of paved the way for a better understanding of the discipline. As director of the 99 steps ~ The Cairo Center, she lectures on Alternative Complementary Health care and has combined different modalities of healing to develop acupressure point reiki. “I release all meridian points in the body that alleviates the stress and anxiety that is packed in this area,” explains Lady Heller.  Apart from this, she also conducts spiritual journeys into the Sinai region of Egypt.

Growing awareness 

“Egypt in 1995 was very different from the Egypt of today,” says Zehr referring to the increased awareness about the alternative therapies in Egypt.

In 1996, she had started the Women’s Group for Health and Well-being with the idea of connecting and educating women about the healing arts. There were many alternative health care practitioners in Cairo but finding them was not always easy. Growing internet penetration and with greater number of Egyptians travelling abroad, there is growing dissemination of information regarding alternative therapies. 

Gabriele Habashi, who is trained in reflexology, Trager, and reiki, among others, also feels that the Egyptians are very receptive to alternate therapies. It is easy to believe her considering that the interview with the Community Times reporter had to be squeezed in between her almost back to back appointments.  

Alternative v/s Conventional

Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) is something that has to be used in conjunction with the conventional medicine and not in isolation or as a last resort. “CAM complements any type of procedure or programme that you are taking with a regular physician so that you heal faster,” explains Lady Heller. 

There is a time and place for everything. “If you are in a car accident and you need surgery, then there is no doubt that you go and get it,” says Fakhry. She goes on to use the example of a headache to show how alternative medicine tackles the problem holistically. Conventional wisdom requires that when you get a headache, you swallow a painkiller. Using alternative therapies in such cases means that the problem would be looked at holistically; the pain is only a symptom. It is important to alleviate the problem from its root and not merely the symptoms.

“As an alternative therapist, I think that sometimes the conventional medicine can be damaging to the body; but I do believe that the conventional and the alternative medicines can work together.” 

Choosing a flower from the bouquet

With so many natural therapies to choose from, it can be a daunting task to decide as to which one is best suited to you. 

But Fakhry makes it sound easy when she says “You are generally drawn to what is good for you. All of the therapies work with energy but the techniques are different.” 

Habashi was cured of a nagging shoulder problem through the Trager therapy and she went onto do a professional course in this therapy. And then as one thing leads to another, she attended a reflexology course conducted in Cairo and is now teaching it to students in Cairo.

Zehr firmly believes that “Finding me and what I do is part of your journey, and if you are meant to find me, you will and people do.” 

Legal Status and Regulation

Despite the fact that more and more people are embracing the alternative therapies in Egypt, there is no registration and legal status afforded to the practitioners of alternative therapies in Egypt. 

In interviews with several practitioners of alternative therapies in Egypt, Community Times learnt that this is a serious handicap in the extensive use of these therapies.  You are unlikely to walk past a signboard that reads “the Accupuncture Clinic” in Egypt. Rather, most of them operate out of their homes and rely on word of mouth publicity.

The only way that these centers can operate is either as beauty parlour or as being attached to a medical doctor.

“Why should I link myself to a doctor and pay more than half of my earnings to her when the kind of services and impact that I can provide are far superior? Is it not a very illogical way of doing things,” questions an alternative therapy practitioner, preferring to remain anonymous.

Their less than official status has also proved to be an obstacle in the use of these therapies in instances, where typically the conventional medicine would not be able to yield results- as in cases of rehabilitation.

Habashi recalls that she was invited by a hospital in Cairo to train doctors and nurses in reflexology as a means of rehabilitation. “And then the whole thing dropped because I had to tell them that I am not registered. Even, though they wanted me, they could not have me.” 

She, in fact, did conduct training programs for mothers of the handicapped children in some basic aspects of reflexology, with positive results. “But it was under the umbrella of the hospital and to do any such thing requires that we must first be legal ourselves.” says Habashi. Though her reflexology workshops are very popular it again raises the question as to what kind of certification can Habashi offer is she is not legal herself?

In fact, a number of people who are involved with alternative therapies would like to be able use their skills for the good of the society.

Dagmar Bock, who has been in Cairo for less than a year offers workshops in Facial harmony. As the name suggests, the therapy works on the meridians on the face and the neck. With a feather light touch, the lines of energy and the energy channels are activated and there is a perceptible difference in the facial muscles. Dagmar would love to be able to use her expertise to help women who are victims of violence to lead better lives. 

At the other end of the spectrum are trainers like Zehr who are not particularly affected by the lack of regulation. She is wary of the fact that with legalization and consequent greater visibility, the alternative therapies might go the way they have gone in the west-with an increased commercial focus. 

What is to be Done?

Legalizing the alternative therapy in Egypt is important as it is necessary to set standards for the discipline. Without regulation, there is no uniformity in the fees and the services offered by the various therapists and the foray into alternative remedies is largely confined to the elite.

The city of Cairo attracts people from all over the world and at any given point of time is host to a huge transient population. This floating population brings with it ideas, knowledge and skills relating to alternative remedies that are readily available and can be exploited. 

Legalization and regulation will ensure that this knowledge can be acquired and the wider use of these therapies. 

Habashi’s vision of holding an open clinic with many alternative healers offering services to the community for free might then become a reality.

Sufism in Egypt

Regarded as the soft and moderate face of Islam by the West; Sufism is the other extreme of Islam that talks to the heart, rather than the head; that believes in content rather than context. Sufism has played a major influencing role in the social, cultural and spiritual life of the Egyptian society. Over the years, it has enjoyed a chequered history in Egypt, from being heavily patronized during the Mamluk period, to being completely sidelined as Egypt went about building a modern state post 1952. Over the last decade and more, the Sufi groups had aligned themselves with the regime and now in the post-Revolution era, they are in the process of trying to emerge as a political force.

Community Times tries to demystify this mystical component of Islam.

Sufism: For the Love of God

Written By Sankalita Shome

Are You a Sufi?

A question that should be easy enough to answer; yet my query is met with much evasion and elaboration. 

The confusion also extends into defining the term ‘Sufi”.  According to some, the word is derived from ‘safa’ which means purity. According to another view it is derived from the Arabic verb ‘safwe’ which means "those who are selected" - a meaning quoted frequently in Sufi literature. Valerie Hoffman, professor of Religion at the University of Illinois, says that “the name "Sufi" (which is derived from "suf," meaning wool) began to be used in Syria and Iraq, it seems, in the late seventh century, when Muslim ascetics began to wear patched woolen cloaks as a badge of poverty, in probable imitation of the practice of Christian ascetics.”

The problem with understanding Sufism, thus begins by the diversity of possible derivations of the word itself. Then, there is also the fact that the Sufis are reticent to talk about themselves.

Huda Lutfi, a historian and artist, explains this reluctance; “People are awkward talking about Sufism because it is a very personal thing and the belief that this is in their hearts.”

Kathy (her name has been changed on request) is a Sufi of the Naqshabandhi order and has some more light to throw on this issue as she says “It would be bad manners to say that I am a Sufi; it is like saying that I am more pious than you. So, a real Sufi would actually not say it!”

Rise of Sufism

The history of the rise of Sufism shows that it existed from the time of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) itself. “Sufism began as a movement of great piety and extreme asceticism, and Sufis would say that it existed in the time of the Prophet in the devotion and poverty of the "People of the Bench". Sufism gained impetus as a reaction against the wealth and worldliness that grew among Muslims as a result of the conquests, especially the conquest of Iraq during the reigns of `Umar (634-644) and `Uthman (644-656)”, explains Hoffman.

Sufism came to Egypt as early as the 8^th century through a well-known Sufi  Dhu 'l-Nun al-Misri , who is said to have developed the idea of mystical knowledge, contrary to the popular perception that Sufism came to Egypt during the Mamluk period. “Sufism acquired an organizational dimension with the development of the Sufi Orders (sometimes called Brotherhoods) in the eleventh century; the major Sufi Orders developed in the 12th and 13th centuries, which is perhaps why people associate Sufism in Egypt with the Mamluk era,” clarifies Hoffman, who has spent two years studying Sufism in Egypt. “Sufism became a mass, popular movement in Egypt under the Ayyubids, and continued to grow in importance under the Mamluks.” 

In fact, Sufism was so important in the Mamluk period that it was commonplace for the Sultans to belong to a Sufi order. And the other eminent people of the court also patronized them; through granting them lands and financing the construction of buildings. The period saw the construction of a number of khanqas; sort of a monastery, where the Sufis could retire to practice their faith.  

Every Sufi order has the Sheikh tareeqa as the head.  The second in hierarchy is the Khalifa or successor who is usually nominated by the sheikh during his lifetime. Next in hierarchy after the Sheikh and the Khalifa comes the Naqeeb. Initiation into a Sufi order comes through taking the oath of the tareeqa, administered by the Naqeeb. Membership of the Sufi orders or tariqas is fluid and a mureed (follower) has the freedom to change from one order to another. 

Describing his personal quest, Omar Sayed Al Ahl, a Sufi belonging to the Naqshabandhi order says that he came into the Naqshabandhi fold, after having practiced many other tareeqas like the Shadhiliya, the Qadriya till he finally found peace with the Naqshabandhi. “This is the good thing about Sufism. The Sufis believe that you may come from a number of different places and from any direction but you are all going towards the same truth, towards Al-Haqiqa.” 

“There are as many paths to god as there are breaths,” affirms Kathy, “Also, the path can change with each breath.” 

Sufi Rituals

The core of the Sufi ritual is the zikr. “A zikr involves a number of senses, it first starts with only the mouth intoning the name of Allah, then it is with the heart and finally the zikr is with the whole body,” explains Al Ahl. 

Within Sufism, there are different approaches-some like dancing and music and some like movements like zikr, some only chant the Quran. Every founder of a sufi tariqa creates the rituals of prayer and worship that are practiced by the followers.

Sufism, undoubtedly, has its appeals. Hoffman has authored a book on modern Sufism, wherein she has enumerated a number of reasons for Sufism’s popularity. She shares some of them with Community Times and says “The practice of communal Sufi dhikr, which often includes bodily movements and music […….. It] is undeniably emotionally and spiritually uplifting. It is also an important social activity for many people; in Upper Egypt and among Sa`idi immigrants in Cairo, people may hold a dhikr as entertainment at a wedding, instead of having a belly dancer,” elaborates Hoffman. She further says that Sufism appeals to the people due to the sense of family relationships that exists among the members of a Sufi Order. Also Sufism’s emphasis on love and high morality makes it attractive. “Sufis are very accepting of other people, in sharp contrast to the tendency towards mutual criticism found in Salafi groups.”

Egyptian Influence on Sufi Culture

What is interesting to note is how popular Sufism has been influenced by elements from the Egyptian culture. Moulid is originally an ancient Egyptian tradition that was adopted by the Sufis.  The Sufi orders celebrate the birthday of the saint, (usually the birthday is the death day) because for the Sufi, the more important is the after-life when the spirit is released from the body.

“Egyptians celebrate the birth of their Sufi saints as Moulids (birth), which can last from one day to one week depending on the stature of the Sufi whose birth is being celebrated,” explains Professor Ahmed Alqadi, who heads the Department of Urdu at the Al Azhar University in Cairo. “It is more of a social occasion marked by entertainment rather than religious rituals.” 

Prof Alqadi points out that a Moulid is not confined to Muslims alone and people from different religious communities participate in it. There are many similarities between a Sufi Moulid and a Christian moulid. “What we are seeing is that the Sufi popular culture has a long historical tradition of being influenced by the Christian moulid culture because it is all saint culture. The Sufi order may have started in some other country but once it comes to Egypt, it is transformed by the local context where it exists,” explains Lutfi.

Sufism in the Dock

There are five main Sufi orders, in Egypt- Shazli, Rifai, Khalwati, Ahmedia and Burhamia. These are further divided into a total of 75 to 80 sects. According to Prof Alqadi, there are around 15 million followers of Sufism in Egypt and they belong to all sections of society and all branches of the government including the judiciary, the police and the military. Describing the penetration of Sufism in Egypt, Hoffman says that “One can say with some certainty that Sufism is pervasive in rural areas and among the uneducated, but it is also very important in urban areas, and there are many more educated and middle- or upper-class people affiliated with the Sufi Orders than is generally supposed.” 

Despite its appeal and popularity, Sufism and it followers have occasionally been targeted as not being ‘legitimate’ or at times even described as “Unislamic.”. In fact, the very act of celebrating Moulids of the famous Sufi saints meets with a lot of flak for allowing dancing, music and chanting and being contrary to Islam. Questions are always raised as to how compatible is Sufism to Sunni Islam. 

Mark Sedgwick, a historian, who works on Modern Islam and has authored the book, “Sufism: The Essentials”, first published in the year 2000, told Community Times “A charge that is often leveled by the detractors of Sufism is that the Sufi practices are ‘bida’, innovations because they cannot be supported by the hadith reports of the words and actions of the Prophet (PBUH).” To which Al Ahl has a simple answer, “The Sufis believe in content, not context.” 

Corroborating Al Ahl, Hoffman insists that “most Sufi leaders are very seriously observant of the Shari`a; if anything, Sufism is characterized by an intense attention to religious obligations. It is true that there have been individual Sufis and Sufi movements that have felt that their intimacy with God transcended observance of religious obligations, but such movements have not been popular in Egypt.”

Sufism is often regarded as the spiritual and the mystical aspect of Islam. But, does this fact alone make it different and is not spirituality a part of every religion? 

Lutfi agrees that the spiritual aspect is present in every religious tradition and in fact it is more difficult to achieve because it does not depend upon a rule of law. Aisha Rafea, a Sufi practitioner and writer, whose father founded the Islamic Spiritual Society in the early 1950s also asserts that Sufism takes its principles from the Quran and that is what inspires their teachings. In fact, the tenets of Sufism are more in accordance with what Quran says as it “focuses more on changing oneself, and on moral and ethical behavior.”

Sedgwick says that there are many Sufis who feel that their critics are taking a very narrow view of things, when they say that Sufism is incompatible with Islam. “It also depends on which practices you are talking about. There are some practices amongst the uneducated that they think are Sufi, and which better educated Sufis would say are not.” 

The Sufi culture does involve superstitious beliefs, which are frowned upon by the educated, and there have been instances where fraudulent religious teachers have taken money from people to solve their problems and heal them. The followers blindly trust the sheikhs and seek their intervention in every aspect of their lives. Rafea says that this particular aspect of the popular Sufi culture is something that is not appreciable. As the founder of the Islamic Spiritual Society, which practiced the sufi zikr together with meditation, Rafea’s father differed from the traditional Sufi sheikhs in the sense that he did not interfere in the personal lives of the followers and encouraged the members to be responsible for their own actions. 

Lutfi explains the perspective that she gained, while teaching Sufism at the American University in Cairo “there are many misconceptions about the teachings of Sufism due to the fact that they are a closed group and a person has to be initiated into a Sufi order.” Adds Sedgwick, “A lot of things that many Salafis think Sufis do and believe, for example, are not actually what Sufis do and believe.”

Many Sufi saints are buried in Egypt, including one of the most famous of all Sufis, Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, who was a Moroccan and spent most of his life in Egypt, and his successors organized the Shadhiliyya as a Sufi Order. People visit the tombs of such saints to seek their blessings. Veneration of shrines is something that is also regarded as Unislamic. But Hoffman points out “Many, many people attest to miraculous experiences through visits to the tombs of the saints. Some of the saints specialize in particular problems, e.g. Sayyida Zaynab is known for healing eye diseases, and Abu Su`ud caters to women's problems. These powerful personal experiences, which are related enthusiastically to family and friends, enable Sufism to withstand any amount of outside criticism.”

Sufism and the State

As the society moved towards a modern state, the State patronage of Sufism and its practices started diminishing. “On one side, the modernist reformers targeted Sufism because it didn’t seem modern or rational to them. On the other side, Muhamamd ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers in what later became Saudi Arabia were strongly anti-Sufi and still are, and as their influence spread, so did hostility towards Sufism,” explains Sedgwick.

“In the time of Nasser, he wanted to build a modern state and therefore Sufism was sidelined, because he felt that it was important to get rid of the superstitious beliefs,” says Lutfi.

After the Sadat period, there has been more openness to the Sufis, again inspired in part by the fact that the intention was to counter the stricter from of Islam and it was a way of fending off the politicized Muslim groups. So, there was more encouragement and openness for Sufis to celebrate their culture. The Sufi orders in Egypt have a syndicate.  Hitherto, the chairman of the syndicate was appointed by the President of Egypt, reflecting the patronage of the previous regime.  The government supervised the running of the Sufi shrines through the Wakf Ministry.

Lutfi has an interesting point to make when she says that a lot depends on what the State adopts as its official ideology. “It depends who is in power and how they define Islam.”

Over the years, the Sufi groups in Egypt have been largely apolitical, with their spheres of influence confined to the spiritual, social and cultural. But, at times, their huge social reach and popularity has also been a cause for concern, resulting in restrictions being imposed on the celebration of the moulids.  

Explaining this flip-flop move of the State, Lutfi says “In all periods of history, this is one of the reasons for the modern state being threatened by any cultural movement. Their main popular celebrations take place in the public space; thousands of people attend, there is always going to be a threat to maintaining order in public spaces. As a historian, I have always seen, especially in moments of weakness as to how the State will not want to  give the access of public spaces to thousands of people, [they are]always worried that it may turn into something else.’

Sufism Under Attack! 

Increasingly, Sufism is being targeted as not being a legitimate Islamic practice. In the aftermath of the January 25 revolution, a number of shrines belonging to the Sufis have been vandalized by the Salafists, demonstrating the intolerance and the violence of extremist Salafism. 

“Today’s Salafis are really the theological descendants of Muhamamd ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and much that is taught in schools reflects the emphasis of the modernists, so Sufis are still targeted from both sides. As the Salafis grow more important and vocal, so does the targeting of Sufis. And that makes the future uncertain for Sufis,” says Sedgwick.

However, Hoffman, feels that these attacks cannot destroy Sufism as it is the heart of popular Islam in Egypt. She is encouraged by the fact that the attacks on the Sufi shrines have provoked vociferous responses from Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyib (the Shaykh al-Azhar) and Dr. Ali Gomaa (the Grand Mufti), both of who are Sufis. “It is noteworthy that some Sufis armed themselves and vowed to personally protect the shrines. Sufis are not going to take this lying down.”

Sufism: A Viable Political Force? 

The Sufis, in response to these attacks, are taking tentative steps towards organizing themselves politically. But for people who have always been accused of being politically apathetic, it must not be something that comes naturally to them. Do they really have it in them to become a political bloc to reckon with?

 “I don’t know how they will begin to change after the January uprising, because it seems that every hidden group is coming out and trying to participate in politics like all of us,” Lutfi told Community Times.  The ‘hidden groups’ that she is referring to are parties like the Salafists, who were persecuted under the Mubarak regime and the Muslim Brotherhood, whose political activities were greatly curtailed. 

She further feels that, at the moment, the move by some of the Sufi leadership, to align themselves, with the more liberal, open-minded political leadership is very logical, “because they [Sufism] are very open, their Islam is more universal, in the sense it opens itself to people who are more spiritually inclined.” 

Prof Alqadi points to the fact that the Sufis do have the support of secular and moderate elements including Al Azhar.  “If the Sufis get the support of liberal and secular parties, they can be a force against the fundamentalist hard-line forces.  United on one platform, they could be a sizable voting bloc.”

Kathy, however sounds a word of caution regarding the political ambitions of the Sufis. “I am not so sure if we should get involved in politics. We are kind of background people, jumping to the head of the parade is an ego game.”

Summing up the situation, Sedgwick says, “I think what will happen to them depends on what sort of a place post-Mubarak Egypt turns into. If Egypt becomes more pluralistic, there will be space for Salafis and Sufis and everyone else. If Egypt becomes less pluralistic, the Salafis may be able to persecute the Sufis.”

Till then, the jury is still out!

The Diappearing Hammams: Much Ado About Nothing?

(This story was published in Community Times magazine. You can also read it here)

Today in Cairo, the word ‘hammam’ may just mean the washroom in your house, but eleven centuries or so earlier and for a long time thereafter, a hammam meant a place where people went to luxuriate in steam baths, to get therapeutic massages for their aches and pains and to catch up on the local gossip.

Surprisingly, for a city that boasted one hammam for every single day of the year, there are only around six functioning hammams today and their decaying condition requires urgent action to save the ruins and restore the beauty of these monumental witnesses of Cairo’s glorious past.

this is the slab of stone in Hammam El Arbaa, where you will be given a scrub down

Despite several attempts by friends to dissuade me, (ranging from dire warnings of being infected with a skin disease to outright expression of disgust), I was curious and determined enough to hazard a visit to a hammam to get a glimpse into the much-feted bathhouse culture of Egypt.

I traverse the narrow lanes behind the Boulaq market, dodging splatters of horse-dung, on my way to Hammam El Talat and Hammam El Arbaa.The neighborhood looks poor, neglected and nostalgic...much like the people who frequent the hammams of today. But the owners of El Arbaa-Um Azza and her husband Mohamed el Mesry, aka Okal- insist that their hammam is patronized by people from all walks of life, including people from “high levels’, ‘classy’ women and even actors, though curiously, they cannot remember any names.

Down a flight of steps and a winding corridor later, is the reception room or maslakh of Hammam El Arbaa, where groups of women lounge on the sofas covered with a flowered fabric, sipping on hot tea or smoking the hookah, while enjoying a Bollywood film on the huge television screen. A faux fish tank and a huge Turkish chandelier that hangs in the middle of the room, completes the kitschy decor. Though it still functions as a hammam, Okal has strategically transformed the place into a quirky cafe as well as a gymnasium for men in order to attract clientele, though nothing from the tenth century depictions of hammams with frescoed and embellished walls remain.

Um Azza shows me around the place; proudly pointing out that the place was a garbage dump when they first bought it in the year 1999. “It was a hammam in the morning and a motel at night.” A hammam since the time of the Mamluks, its recent owners had allowed the place to fall apart. “Through sheer hard work and perseverance, I made it what it is today,” says Okal proudly. “From rotten fish, I made juice,” he says citing a famous Egyptian proverb.

Ever the savvy businessman, Okal tells me “you are a little bit dark, come to the hammam, they will massage you and you will become fairer.” But is it enough to bring people to the hammams? What about the hygiene and the dilapidated condition of the building and the neighborhood?Hearing this, Um Azza instantly takes umbrage and it takes some pacifying to calm her down. She says that the place is scrubbed with disinfectants regularly and god willing, she will be able to renovate soon.

Entrance to Hammam El Arbaa...the owner is obviously not coy!

Just a few meters away is the less impressive establishment of Hammam El Talat. Um Mishmish and her son take care of this hammam, which has been in their family for close to two hundred years. The hammam is heavily crowded on Tuesdays, the day of the week after which it has been named, with more than 20 women coming in on that day. Um Mishmish loves what she is doing and has no complaints. She echoes the sangfroid of Um Azza that god willing she shall make repairs to the hammam and points to her masseuse as her biggest ‘challenge’ in jest.

The ritual of going to the hammam has disappeared with the transformation of old neighborhoods to touristic sites and with the withdrawal of the rich from the old districts of Cairo towards the new neighborhoods of Zamalek and Heliopolis. Government apathy has been cited as one of the prime reasons for the disastrous situations of the hammams in Cairo. But Okal is categorical that he does not want any government interference as this would result in them being converted into a ‘museum’ for tourists and cites the example of the Sinaniya hammam.

He does not feel threatened by the mushrooming of spas all over the city and says that a spa can never offer what a hammam does. “The hammam is not built randomly; we are two meters below the ground and the labyrinthine corridors of the hammam are built in such a way that the body cools gradually as one comes out of the hot steam bath.”

Agreeing with him, May Telmissany, co-author of the book “The Last Hammams of Cairo,” says that “the new spas do not provide the beautiful old environment of the hammams, where relaxation and meditation is still possible. The settings on one hand and the type of services offered on the other hand help the client reach this sort of beatitude and serenity that the spa rarely provides.”

But could the growing popularity of the spas be the reason for the decline of the hammams? Telmissany disagrees and says that the type of clients for each facility is completely different and “the transformation of the hammams into spas will ruin the beautiful and specific traditions of the hammams and once again will prevent the poor from the benefits of the establishment.” Okal compares a spa to a fancy restaurant where one has to eat with knives and forks and a hammam to a home where one eats with hands. “A hammam is ‘baladi’, where people are at ease,” says Okal.

the reception foyer of the Hammam

Unlike Morocco, Turkey or even Syria and Yemen, going to the hammams is not a recommendation that one finds in the guidebooks to the country. Telmissany describes her experience in a hammam in Morocco that still respects the old traditions of bathing and massage as “incomparable.” “The spa should copy the hammam, not the opposite! And this is what the Moroccans understood when they renewed the ritual of the hammams by introducing some standard elements from the spa, calling the new spas: hammams.”

Obviously, these countries have been successful in looking after their heritage. Egypt is indecisive about what it wants to do with its rich legacy of hammams; but the scales seem to be tilted towards its complete oblivion. Okal and Mishmish, with their business acumen have added features to their hammam, more suited to the current times but without preserving the aesthetic simplicity that once characterized the Egyptian baths. The government restores the old hammams- only to convert them into government offices and museums. An indifferent population considers the hammams as very unhygienic and debauched places.

So, is the restoration and preservation of the hammams a battle worth fighting for? Especially, in terms of the costs involved, relevance to the present times and impact on the environment? Telmissany has an emphatic ‘yes’ as answer to the question. “The relevance of the hammams is social and historical. They might not generate large income, but they certainly can in the future if they are renovated and re-opened to the public. Their renovation should take into account environmental issues such as pollution and waste disposal, which might be neglected at the time being because of the scarce income they generate.”

She might have a point; after all, Abu Sir, an early Arab historian once said "Your town is only a perfect town when there is a bath in it."

Hammam El Arbaa: 5 Ansary Street, Boulaq Abul Ela, Downtown
Telephone: 0105790760, 29860588
Open: 9AM-5PM for women; 6 PM to 6AM for men

The Best Places for the Water Pipe (hookah) in Cairo

If you have been in Cairo, and not smoked shisha, your experience in the capital city of Egypt is incomplete. Shisha is an intrinsic part of the Cairene culture. Also known as hubbly-bubbly, this traditional smoking device, is said to have originated in India and is also known as the 'hookah' in the Indian sub-continent.

set of water pipes

In Egypt, smoking shisha is intricately woven into the social and the cultural fabric. Politics, sports, domestic and economic woes, are all discussed, over puffs of the water pipe. Shisha joints are ubiquituous in Cairo and each of them provides a different shisha experience. Try these out!

Go for the ambience!

Al-Fishawi

One such cafe that I absolutely adore is the Al-Fishawi Cafe in Khan-el-Khalili. The Egypian Nobel Laureate for Literature Naguib Mahfouz spent time here writing. It is easy to imagine how inpsirational the cafe may have been for him. His books and characters all seem to come alive, when you spend time smoking the shisha here. Sanwiched in a narrow alley at the Khan, its walls are decorated with huge mirrors; giving the place a bigger look. For tables, there are the typical copper tops and the tea is still served in dainty ceramic tea-pots. Of course, the tea pots are chipped and the furniture creaky, but that is part of the charm. Great place for people watching while puffing away at the pipe.

Go for the flavours!

Sequoia

If you are the kind who is serious about the flavours of shisha, then Sequoia in Zamalek is the place to go to. Apart from the fact that the place has a Nile view that can takeyour breath away, you are definitely going to love the shisha flavours here like the Moroccon apple etc.  The waiter will present to you a wooden tray carrying samples of all the flavours-you can pick smell and decide the one you want. Be warned that Sequoia is not going to be easy on your wallet.

Pottery Cafe

The place, also in Zamalek has some of the most aromatic shisha flavours. I have had a very strange combination here-Lemon with Red Bull. But it is a noisy place and the wait for a table may be long. It is easier to get a table indoors, though it can get very smoky.

Arabesque

Some would call it as the best shisha place in town. I would agree with them. Why? Firstly, because  of the exotic shisha flavours that it has. Secondly, for its juice menu-it serves juices that are fresh and delicious and in such exciting combination of flavours. Thirdly, its location on the Kasr Al Aini street, which can get noisy but is a place where you can rub shouders with the old and the young, the hip and trendy, the locals and the foreigners.  

Go for the drinks, the food...and the shisha

Nile Zamalek Hotel
The rooftop of the hotel, overlooking the River Nile offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy a drink with your shisha. It can be chilly in evenings on the rooftop and the combination of a drink with shisha is sure to give you warmth.

Taboula
Located in Garden City, this place has excellent Lebanese food to complement the shisha. So also, the place serves wine, which can make the an outing to this resturant a complete shisha experience.

Go for the baladi experience!

Any of the ahwas on Bursa (stock echange) street will do well for this. Cairo's stock exchange is located here and the area has been cordoned off and made into a pedestrrian only zone. A place to enjoy your shisha without the constant honking and screeching noises.

Rango: Time for Action Replay

(This article , written by me, was published in the 'HORUS' magazine, the in-flight magazine of Egypt Air)

At the last crossing just before the Abdeen Palace, in a poor and unassuming neighborhood in downtown Cairo, is the Tanbura Hall that hosts the last-known exponent of Rango every Thursday evening.

Rango is a musical instrument and its music was brought to Egypt by the Sudanese people- first when they came in as conscripts into the Egyptian army in the 1820s and then later by those who were brought in to work on the cotton plantations in the 1860s. These reluctant exiles settled in the cities of Alexandria, Cairo and Ismailia, bringing their folk melodies and instruments with them, and sought solace from the loneliness and the harshness of their lives in music.

At the Tanbura Hall, we are treated to this repertoire of songs created in exile-songs of longing to return to their homelands, humorous marching refrain and the Sudanese wedding songs.

The Rango ensemble, fresh from their triumphant one-month long tour of UK in July this year, set the mood with their songs performed to simsimiyya and tanbura lyres, with percussion provided by shakers made of recycled aerosol cans.

Their performance has a new exuberance; they have just heard that their debut album, Rango:Bride of theZar, has been selected as one of the 10 best albums of 2010 in the respected London-based Songlines magazine.

But the piece de resistance of the performance is yet to come, when the 190-year-old Rango is unveiled-literally –to an appreciative audience. The instrument deserves the ceremonial unveiling-after all; it is one of the only two that can be found in Egypt.

Xylophone-like, with wooden keys and resonators fashioned out of Sudanese vegetable gourds, the Rango music had faded into oblivion after the death of the last of the old masters in the year 1975.

The Rango was traditionally played along with the tanbura at the soul cleansing and healing Zar rituals and gradually evolved to being performed at wedding celebrations and other social events. However, it could never quite shake off the stigma of being a trance-inducing and spirit-invoking music and was shunned by the Egyptian society.

Ibrahim Zacharias, founder and director of El Mastaba, the Center for Egyptian Folk Music was determined to bring back the Rango into the public realm and to rescue it from the brink of extinction.

“I first heard about the Rango in the year 1994 from my friend, the veteran Ismailia musician El Wazery,” recalls Zacharias. El Wazery had fond memories of the beautiful Rango nights in Ismailia before the war of 1967 and particularly remembered Hassan Bergamon. Hassan had moved to Cairo and taken up playing the more versatile Tanbura. Consequently, no-one knew that that Hassan could play the Rango.

Zacharias finally traced him in the year 1996. “When I met him, the first thing I asked him was whether he still could play the Rango and second whether he owned any,” says Zacharias.

Since Hassan did not own a Rango, the battle was only half won. Zacharias visited the homes of the old masters and over a period of time won the trust of their families who entrusted the last two Rangos xylophones to him.

21 years had elapsed since Hassan last played the Rango, but when he laid his hands on the instrument again, it was like “I had found myself again,”

The Rango instrument and its player secured, the next step was to organize the band. With veteran drummers, Zar singers and ritual dancers wearing mangor belts made from goat horns, Hassan’s rango ensemble made their stage debut in Egypt in 2001. Energetic and frenzied, alternately foot tapping and soulful, the Rango music is a cacophonous symphony.

The efforts of Zacharias and Hassan have revived the Rango in Egypt but the road ahead remains rocky. The gourds out of which the Rango is fashioned can be found only in the south of Sudan and with the passing away of the old masters; knowledge to assemble the Rango has also faded. The old Rangos are fragile and may not survive the relentless pounding for a long time.

However, there is a ray of hope-the El Mastaba has recently discovered an English musician, who is a specialist Rango maker and has commissioned a brand new Rango, likely to be brought to Cairo at the end of November.

But again, the bigger hiccup is manifesting the spirits of the old masters from the gourds of the old Rango into the new one. “The musicians and players of Rango believe that every player who plays the Rango leaves a part of himself inside the gourds and the invisible spirits are moving around the gourds hoping for a communion with the spirits of the old masters,” elaborates Zacharias. And the implications of this belief in an instrument that has been passed on from generation to generation, are huge. 

And what about the next generation of Rango players? Hassan, who is 62 years old today, is extremely passionate about music-he kept at it despite family opposition. In fact, as a child, he stole out of his house clandestinely on a number of occasions to play music.

But, surprisingly, none of his children play the Rango. Quiz him as to why did he not share his talent with his offsprings, he answers simply “I saw the Rango and I fell in love with it; I did not see the same love in my children.’

The Cultural Scene in Cairo

Situated as it is in the Middle East and North Africa region, Cairo’s enviable location makes it a melting pot of diverse cultures. As a newcomer to Cairo, the best way to “take the plunge” is to take advantage of the numerous venues across the city that play host to cultural events. On any given day, you can attend a musical performance ranging from classical, jazz, or Arabic music, lose yourself in an enthralling ballet performance, visit a contemporary art exhibition, dance to live music or watch a new foreign film.

Some of the cultural hotpsots of Cairo are:

Al Sawy Cultural Centre in Zamalek is one of the more interesting venues in Cairo. This “happening” place is tucked away under the 26th of July Bridge and is the scene for everything from plays, movies, musical performances to yoga programs and even painting, photography and arabic classes. No better place than this to serve as the “introductory class” for the cultural scene in Cairo (http://culturewheel.com/)

Also in Zamalek is The Cairo Opera House, the premier performance venue in Cairo. It comprises of a Main Hall, a Small Hall and an Open Air Theatre. The Cairo Opera Company and the Cairo Symphony put up regular performances during the season. The hallowed halls are graced by a number of visiting ballet and contemporary dance troupes. The Main Hall of the Opera is the place to head to if you are in the mood for dressing up-a jacket and a tie are a must to attend performances here. (http://www.cairoopera.org/index.aspx).

Performances that cannot be accommodated at the Cairo Opera House find a platform at the Ghoumariya Theatre in downtown. Also managed by the Cairo Opera House, the Ghoumariya theatre plays host to foreign dance troupes and more recently was the venue for performances under the auspices of the India Culture Week.

Definitely, one of the better musical experiences of Cairo is listening to the Zar songs at Makan in Downtown. (http://www.egyptmusic.org/). Zar music is practiced in Upper Egypt and is distinctly African. The performance area is like a big living room-you can either lounge on the carpets in front of the performers or sit on the chairs to enjoy the sublime music.

The Al Genenina (garden) theatre is a 500- seat open air amphitheatre inside the Al Azhar Park on Salah Salem road. The ambience lends to the charm of the wide range of musical performances that are put up here. Go early before the performance starts to catch the sun setting over Cairo. Admission to the performances is usually free.

Manasterly Palace on Rhoda Island (also called Manial Island) is another inspiring venue and is also one of the finest buildings in Cairo. The International Music Centre holds its instrumental and Chamber music concerts here. If you are early for a performance, you have time to enjoy the pleasant wait on the balcony overlooking the Nile. (http://www.manasterly.com/).

Apart from this, many of the nightclubs like Cairo Jazz Club, After Eight etc also feature live performances, albeit their music is western-influenced. The Whirling Dervishes or the Tannura dancers at the Al Ghouri caravansaray, near the Al Azhar mosque, are mesmerizing to watch. The explosion of colours, the rhythmic music and the passion of the performers leaves you entranced as does the beautiful architecture of the venue Wilkalet al Ghouri is Cairo's best preserved example of a medieval hotel (Wikala in Arabic). At dusk, the lights come on; the lighting only enhances the performance. Entrance is free and the seats fill up fast. But it is worth going early to occupy front row seats.

Movie buffs have never had it so good. Many cultural centers regularly screen foreign films series. They are not always subtitled in English, though. The French Cultural Center (http://www.cfcc-eg.org/), the Cervantes Institute in Cairo (http://elcairo.cervantes.es/es/default.shtm), the Goethe Institute and the Italian Cultural Institute are the most prolific. The Indian Cultural Institute, screens enjoyable Bollywood movies, popular amongst the locals. Most of these screenings are free. Another reason for the movie goers to cheer is the Cairo Film Festival, which takes place around the end of every year. Several theaters participate in this weeklong festival that screens uncensored versions of the films.

Art aficionados are spoilt for choice with many venues spread out across the city. In Downtown is the Atelier du Caire-one of Cairo’s older galleries, bringing together writers and artists. The entrance to the Masrabiya gallery, also in downtown, is to be found in the alley of an ahwa and has some of the finest artworks on display.

The most popular cultural venue in downtown is the Townhouse Gallery located in a “working area” with car mechanics, sign painters, carpenters and coffee shops occupying the surrounding space. The main building is three-storeys high and houses exhibition halls, a library and studios. The adjoining building, the Townhouse Factory was an erstwhile paper factory. The Gallery promotes independent artists by providing an outlet for their work and also provides studios for the resident artists. It also hosts lectures, film screenings, workshops, music and theatre performances (http://www.thetownhousegallery.com/main7.html).

Another culturally wealthy area in Cairo is Zamalek, which has a high concentration of galleries tucked away in the narrow alleys, all within walking distance of each other. The Zamalek Art Gallery (http://www.zamalekartgallery.com/index.php), the Gezeira Art Centre and the Islamic Ceramic museum showcase some noteworthy stuff.

Darb 1718, a non-profit contemporary art gallery, located in the heart of Old Cairo has managed to carve a name for itself as one of the bastions of independent art. The venue is best known for hosting unique art exhibitions and art installations. (http://www.darb1718.com/Pages/ShowPage.aspx?pageid=1).

With its collection of nineteenth century European masterpieces, the Mr and Mrs Mahmoud Mukhtar museum is a must-visit, as much as for its impressive collection as for some stunning views across the River Nile. The huge stained glass window leading upto the second floor is beautiful; so are the antiques that are on display. Photography enthusiasts must check out the Contemporary Image Collective, occupying the second floor and rooftop of a charming villa in Mounira. It focuses on visual images and apart from exhibitions, film screenings and performances, it also provides photography workshops and lectures.

Keeping your “cultural quotient” high is never going to be a problem in Cairo with so many unique experiences to choose from!

My Cake...My Cupcake!

Cupcakes have a way of warming your heart. Their shape and colours pull at your heartstrings. Cairo has surely got onto the bandwagon of cupcakes and is today a cupcake lovers’ delight. With so many shops dedicated to cupcakes, one is spoilt for choice.

To begin with, there was Sugar and Spice, which used to cater lovely cupcakes for parties, even before they started their cafe in Zamalek, in a lane off Brazil Street. Soon, Nola’s cupcake opened on Brazil Street (again in Zamalek!) and was the first outlet in Cairo that was dedicated to cupcakes. Here, the feast starts with the eyes as you look at the rows of prettily decorated cupcakes, arranged in the glass shelf on one side of the shop. Nola sells cupcakes in two sizes and the most delicious ones are the peanut butter and the cupcake with the chocolate frosting. My personal favourite is the red velvet cupcake with the cream cheese frosting on the spongy cupcake.

You can’t have too much of a good thing. Even before it opened its doors next to the iShop in Zamalek, Crumbs had made quite a name for itself catering to baby showers and birthday parties. The signage at its door beckons you indoors. It says “Stay Calm and Have a Cupcake.” But your sangfroid is the first thing that goes out of its doors, the moment you step in and see the moth-watering cupcakes. The Oreo cupcake with the Oreo cookie center is delicious, so is the Crumbs birthday cake topped with M & Ms and filled with chocolate chips. In fact, recently, Crumbs has opened a second branch at Maadi on Road 9.

Dina Cantina does not have an outlet but its website (http://www.dinacantina.com/) offers the opportunity to create your own cupcake. Orders can be placed only through the internet, but the response is very fast, once you have placed the order. Dina Cantina’s cupcakes earn some serious brownie points on presentation; they almost look too good to eat. However, Dina Cantina does not sell cupcakes by the piece; an order of a dozen cupcakes has to be made and they also charge a steep delivery charge of LE 25.

The husband-wide duo of Rasha and Sherif also make cupcakes to order and they can do almost anything with it. “You just have to dream it and we can make it;” asserts Rasha. They can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/chocoravi/. I have found their prices to be the most reasonable and with high quality and personalised service too!So, this Christmas, go ahead and get your cup of cake!

Mapping Egypt's Political Parties

This a beautiful diagram that explains the political parties of Egypt. Post the 25th January revolution, a number of political parties have beeb hastily clubbed together. The diagram at this link gives some idea of their ideologies and and affiliations. And the best part is that it is interactive. By clicking on the name of a party, it is possible to get more information on the background of the party. So go on, educate yourself!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/nov/22/egypt-election-political-parties-interactive

The Anafora Retreat Center

In the middle of nowhere, two hours’ drive out of Cairo is the Anafora Retreat Center. Intended as a place of prayer and silent reflection, this Retreat on the Cairo-Alex Desert Highway offers the perfect sanctuary and haven from the hustle and bustle of life. Anafora is run by the Coptic Orthodox Church and welcomes people from all over the world within its tree dappled precincts.

As soon as you enter, there is the Anamnesis building at the entrance, which serves the day visitors to the Retreat. Some distance away is the main building called ‘Anafora’, which means ‘sacrifice’. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea before going onto the terrace for beautiful views across the Retreat.

Bishop Thomas has designed all the buildings at the Retreat, using materials that people of Asyut use to build their houses. Bricks made of red mud and straw are used as the building blocks and afterwards the whole building is coated in mud and straw. The emphasis is on using natural materials. The thick walls and the natural materials ensure that the inside of the building remains cool, without the need for air-conditioning. In the distance, you can see the conference and training centre –it is called ‘Anastasia’ which means ‘lifting up’ in Coptic. At this training center, girls from the less developed region of Upper Egypt are trained in hairdressing, embroidery etc, thus equipping them to lead better lives. The Retreat welcomes day visitors as well as people who want to stay for a few days to enjoy the nature’s bounty. Individual huts for the accommodation of visitors have been arranged in the shape of a question mark. The dot at the end of the question mark is a chapel-indicating that all answers to the question of life can be found here. A few of the huts are white in colour, amidst the other earth-coloured ones, signifying that people of all nationalities and religion are welcome in the retreat-we may differ from the outside but we are all essentially the same.

The highlight of the Retreat is the meditation center. Beautiful architecture on the outside and aesthetically done up from the inside, it beckons visitors to enter and enjoy the solitude. There are no straight lines here, only curves and this makes for excellent acoustics, doing away with the need for a microphone. The floor is covered with woven multi-coloured rugs. There are benches and chairs along the sides for people who cannot sit on the floor. On the multi-coloured rugs are large pillows made of the same material as the rugs and are woven at the Retreat itself. To provide support while kneeling down, stools have been thoughtfully placed behind each pillow.

There is an opening cut into the ceiling in the shape of an eye through which light streams inside as also seven small plates of coloured glass set into the ceiling to let the light in. The back of the meditation center has brightly painted paintings that look like mosaics. The artist has made these designs using the ‘iota’ –which is the first letter in the name of Lord Jesus.

All visitors are offered free lunch, which is a simple fare of rice, beans, raw vegetables, freshly baked bread and a dip. The visitors have the run of the place and can either spend time in the mediation center or wander around the vast farm. A blue concrete moat runs around the Retreat and surrounds the chapel. Sometimes, the moat is filled with water from the underground springs, lending a charm and coolness to the place. This water is then pumped out and used to irrigate the vast rows of fruit trees and other crops, like the mango and date orchards and the geranium and the hibiscus trees.

Nature is revered at this Retreat and there is a small workshop on the premises where they make soaps and essential oils to cure a number of ailments, including for weight reduction and hypertension. All the products are made using the herbs that are grown on the grounds of the Retreat. The fruits are used to make jams and preserves and all these products are on sale at their shop on the premises. It is a marvel that amidst the aridity of the desert can be found such a flourishing farm. The proceeds from the sales of these products contribute to making the Anafora Retreat Center self-sustaining.

There is also a well-stocked library on the premises, where books in a number of languages can be found. In fact, the library is a nice place to spend time reading or just day dreaming. And if nothing seems to catch your fancy then enjoy the outdoors under the rough shade houses. Let your thoughts drift as you observe the myriad patterns made by the sunlight trickling in through the plam branches of the roof.

for a day visit call Sister Sara on 012 3812604