CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > From the Rise of Islam to Modern Cairo

From the Rise of Islam to Modern Cairo

November 3-12, 2010

There is still space available in this program.
You may register online or by mail.

When fall breezes temper the desert air, we will take an extraordinary trip to Egypt in the company of Ross Brann, the Milton R. Konvitz Professor of Judeo-Islamic Studies at Cornell, professor of Near Eastern studies, dean and professor of the Alice H. Cook House, and one of CAU's favorite teachers. Ross is a student of Egypt throughout its ages. On a visit to the great pyramids, we will learn about these iconic antiquities of Egypt in order to understand the relationship of the culture that created them to the cultures of the eras that followed.

Our major interests on the tour will be the rise of Islam in Egypt and the complex history evident in every nook and cranny of the extraordinary city of Cairo. In Alexandria we will learn of the fourteen-month siege of 640 that brought that city, historically so great a source of luxury items and income for Byzantium, under the rule of its Muslim attackers. We will discover that present-day Cairo is a kaleidoscope of social and religious history. Everywhere we look, from the city's museums to its public spaces, we will see evidence of cultures from virtually the pre-historic to the contemporary. Nine days will seem scarcely enough time to take in all that Cairo offers. Nonetheless, as we enjoy Ross's lectures and companionable presence, we will absorb these Egyptian riches at a pace that allows us to appreciate her history, her physical beauty, and the kabobs, falafel, and ful medames of her vegetable-rich cuisine. (We are working on an optional four-day post-extension boat trip up the Nile to Luxor and Aswan.

Double occupancy:	$6,995
Single supplement:	$1,280
Fitness scale:	Slightly strenuous. May require extended walking over uneven ground as well as the ability to climb stairs and to stand for considerable periods of time.

Map

How to use the map:

Click one of the map markers to see details of the location.
Click the "+" and "–" buttons to zoom in and out.
Click the arrow buttons, or click and drag the map to move different markers to the center.