|
Monday & Tuesday November 26 & 27
These are my flying days. I
leave Miami International Airport at 5pm but I have to be their many
hours before hand. I stop over in Milan, Italy for about 90
minutes then on to Cairo. It will be 3pm on Tuesday. After
18 hours of flying I will tell you more of this experience. It is
also 7 hours different in Cairo from Miami.
Cairo is a city of contradictions- where the old meets the new. It is
steeped in traditions but it is big on commercial consumption. It
is a land of great artistry and rich in history. Egyptians spend
lots of time to preserve their history and culture but also work hard at
being modern. |
|
click on individual pictures to make larger |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Dr. Banas's friend check out the material for the trip. |
The Swiss Alps as we flew over |
The Nile River from the room 14 floors up |
View of the room of the main city square |
Ahmed Moussa Our Guide & Egyptianologist |
|
Wednesday November 28
We have a professional
orientation and briefing in the morning. Then we meet in our
subject area groups. The afternoon is the opening ceremony with
keynote speakers from Egypt and the United States. Then we
breakout into our roundtable discussion with our Egyptian counterparts. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Dr. Nadia Touba, Senior Standards Specialist
Egypt Education Reform Program |
Vice President of the People to People Ambassador
Program |
Ms. Dalia Khali, Director Egyptian Association for
Educational Resources & iEARN Egypt |
His Excellency Dr. Youssry El Gamal
Minister of Education |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| MJ Saviano (our leader) and translator |
entire science delegation |
|
Egyptian teachers sharing |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Al-Azhar Park restaurant |
entire delegation |
AL-Azhar Park |
dessert! |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Old Building (Baroque style) |
Giza city streets |
coffee shop in Giza |
Giza streets |
Giza streets |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Nile from the bridge from Giza to Cairo |
Nile from the bridge from Giza to Cairo |
Nile from the bridge from Giza to Cairo |
Giza streets |
KFC & Pizza Hut |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| children on the streets of Giza |
walking to school |
|
|
|
|
Thursday November 29
We are to visit local schools.
In the morning was Suzan Mubarak School for girls. It is a secondary
school with about 300 students. The building is old, it is
surrounded by a wall and locked gate. The teachers teach small classes
and work hard at teaching without many supplies or materials. Very
few even have lesson plans. Egypt has not developed a standards
program for students or teachers, so a set curriculum is not found.
The teach general science in middle grades, biology in 10th, then
chemistry and physics. Their entire concept of science is around
learning about yourself, the environment and where you fit in. In
the early grades; science is not taught until 4th grade, up till then it
is an activity book. The afternoon was the Abou Baker Elsedik
Exploration Language School (a prep school up to 8th grade) They
had about 150 students for half a day, then another later in the day.
Egyptian National Museum
after hour tour (no cameras!) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Suzan Mubarak School welcome by head masters |
Suzan Mubarak School Honor Students 12th grade |
Suzan Mubarak School Head Masters |
Suzan Mubarak School School Yard with Reading Teacher |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Suzan Mubarak School School Counselor and Social Studies
Teachers |
Suzan Mubarak School Teachers and Students (11th) |
Suzan Mubarak School with students waving goodbye |
Suzan Mubarak School student in computer lab (see her
iEARN presentation later) |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Suzan Mubarak School textile class work |
Suzan Mubarak School student art |
Suzan Mubarak School student art in window |
Suzan Mubarak School student art |
Suzan Mubarak School art |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Suzan Mubarak School Biology Teacher and her room |
Suzan Mubarak School student work |
Suzan Mubarak School The Heart Diagram in Arabic |
Suzan Mubarak School student work |
Suzan Mubarak School student insect collection |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Suzan Mubarak School biology teachers and delegates |
Suzan Mubarak School student work in biology |
Suzan Mubarak School diagrams |
Suzan Mubarak School diagrams |
Suzan Mubarak School diagams |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Suzan Mubarak School Physic teacher and lab |
Suzan Mubarak School Chemistry Teacher and Arabic
periodic table (presentation later) |
Suzan Mubarak School student atom model |
Suzan Mubarak School chemistry lab |
Suzan Mubarak School diagram |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
| Suzan Mubarak School chorus |
Suzan Mubarak School chorus and band |
Suzan Mubarak School dance and song video (later) |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School welcome
reception |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School welcome
reception of teachers and students |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School 3rd
graders singing welcome |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School teacher
at welcome reception |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School 4th
graders |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School Head of
Science |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School biology
teacher 5th |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School teachers |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School art
teacher |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School student
art work |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School upper
level classarooms |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School lab
calssrooms |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School
students peeking out from class to see the visitors |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School the
library |
Abou Baker Elsedik Exploration Language School primary
students |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Friday November 30
visit to the Great Pyramids
of Giza. The great pyramids of Giza are located just south of present
day Cairo. The three pyramids were built during the 4th dynasty of
Egypt. They pyramids are those of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren), and Menkure (Mycerinus).
The Sphinx of Giza is a symbol that has
represented the essence of Egypt for thousands of years. |
These pyramids were constructed over 4,500 years ago and show us the
power and wealth of the pharaoh in the Old Kingdom. Each had a mortuary
temple and causeway. Above is a basic
map and lay out of the area on which these three pyramids were built. |
 |
 |
 |
| The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is one of the
largest structures built by man even today, 4,500 years later. |
It is estimate that 2.3 million blocks averaging 2.5
tons a piece were used in the building the pyramid. Weight of the block
ranged from 2 to 15 tons. |
The pyramid sits on 13.5 acres of land and is a height
of 480 feet. The length of its sides are 756 feet. It is estimated to
have taken 100,000 men over 25 years to build the pyramid. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Also near the pyramid were five boat pits.
One found in 1954, by archaeologist had the remains of the flat bottom
boat which had been disassemble and placed in thirteen layers in the
pit. The boat was made mostly of cedar wood. The boat was reassembled
and is now displayed in a museum near Giza. The boat measure around 143
feet fully assembled. Boat pits were also found around the pyramid of
Khufu's son, Khephre. |
Around the Great Pyramid of Khufu
(Cheops) there many other small buildings. Some are mastabas which would
have housed the bodies of high official or family of Khufu. |
Dr. Banas is front of the Great Pyramid |
The tomb of Khufu's mother was found near the causeway
and contained evidence of the earliest mummification of a body. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The second largest pyramid is that of King Khephren,
son of Khufu. This originally stood 473 feet high. It appears to be
taller than Khufu's pyramid, because it is built on higher ground. The
pyramids base is about 706 feet long. In front of the pyramid is a
causeway which leads to a valley temple. Near the valley temple the
famous sphinx was carved out of an outcrop of limestone. |
Dr. Banas "The Tourist" See how SMALL the pyramid is? |
Sand stone rock below the pyramid |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| New discovered area where the worker lived.
It is now known that they were not slaves but artisans and field workers
looking for work |
The town in between the pyramids and the Nile River.
Seen from the road |
Looking at the town of Giza from the pyramids |
Bedouin tribesman with his camel |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Carved
from the bedrock of the Giza plateau, the Sphinx is truly a mysterious
marvel from the days of ancient Egypt. The body of a lion with the head
of a king or god, the sphinx
has come to symbolize strength and wisdom |
Because of the changing
desert terrain, the body of the Sphinx has been buried several times
over the past several thousand years. Most recently in 1905, the sand
has been cleared away to expose the magnitude and beauty of the entirety
of the Sphinx. |
The paws themselves are
50 feet long (15m) while the entire length is 150 feet (45m). The head
is 30 (10m) feet long and 14 feet (4m) wide. Because certain layers of
the stone are softer than others, there is a high degree of erosion that
has claimed the original detail of the carved figure |
In between the paws of
the Sphinx is a stela, now called the "Dream Stela", which is inscribed
with a story. The 18th Dynasty story tells of the time that Thutmosis IV
fell asleep under the Sphinx which was covered to the neck in sand.
Thutmosis had a dream that the Sphinx spoke to him and promised that if
he would free the Sphinx from the sand, Thutmosis would be destined to
become king of Egypt. |
Dr. Banas on her camel, she is riding into the desert. |
| |
|
more images click here |
 granite
rock of the Sphinx |
|
|
Closing Banquet in the
shadows of the pyramids at the Oberoi Hotel |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday December 1
Visit to Mubarak City; a
large complex devoted to teacher training. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday December 2
Leave at 4am |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
granite
rock of the Sphinx