File:Egypt painted and described (1902) (14760793854).jpg

Identifier: egyptpainteddesc00kell (find matches)
Title: Egypt painted and described
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Kelly, Robert Talbot, 1861-1934
Subjects: Egypt -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, A. & C. Black
Contributing Library: New York University, Institute of Fine Arts Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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e beggar in the street, with his piteous Raboona khalik ya hawaga ana maskin (Godprosper you, gentleman ; I am afflicted), may be quietlyand without ill-feeling dismissed by the single expres-sion, Al Allah (I commit you to God). Taken in the right way, you will find that on thewhole the Cairene is pleasant and courteous, and yourrambles will frequently be agreeably interrupted by apressing invitation to drink coffee in one of the shopsyou are passing. The coffee is always good, and withthe soothing influence of the added cigarette is often agrateful rest from your sight-seeing. The difficulty oflanguage will again suggest itself, but on these occasionsconversation is not essential ; a polite salaam * andsmile of appreciation is quite sufficient to meet the case. You will notice in your wanderings variously coloureddoorways, their surrounding whitewash being gailyornamented with conventional designs in red, blue, andyellow. These lead to the hammam, or bath, and 20 AN ARAB CAFE, CAIRO
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Cairo there are others in whose decorations appear archaicrepresentations of men and beasts, railways and steam-boats. Here resides a hadj, whose pilgrimage toMecca is considered sufficient dispensation from theProphets prohibition, which forbids the picturing ofany form of animal life ; and custom allows this recordof his journey. Colour forms a very important itemin their decoration, and I think the Egyptian dis-plays a wonderful instinctive knowledge of harmony.The various coloured habiliments of man or woman arenever out of keeping or in any way incongruous, andoften you will see blue and green or pink and redtogether without jarring. But then the tone of each isjust and the proportions are accurate. Similarly, in thepainting and dressing of the shops great art is displayed,and I particularly call to mind one shop which wasevidently and intentionally a scheme in red. Thewooden shutters were painted that particularly vividthough rich red you get to know so well in Cairo, theinside

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