Ramadan is
generous… of such generosity is the ample time to read, and to reread what one
has already read before… it happened that due to my study circumstances in the history
department, then post-graduate studies, and after this, working in the research
centre for the middle east, then getting jailed, then my long travel; first to
London, then to the UAE, not to mention that writing became my profession… all
this helped me to stick to books all the time, and to reread the resources and
reference books until my hand reached, I don’t know how many times, to the book
“al-Mawa’az w al-‘atebar bezekr al-Khetat w al-Athar” known as Al-Maqrizi
Plans authored by the great Taqi ad-Din Ahmed ibn Ali Al-Maqrizi…
It also
happened that I came from my residence place in Tagamo’a to my office, I went
through a new excellent road; the one paved between Al-Moshir Axis and the
beginning of October bridge in Ramsis street penetrating – I think – what was
known as the Red Mountain! Every fair unbiased person should be proud of such
road as an achievement itself, also as a part of many roads, bridges, airports,
ports and water canals that were once ideas for projects then turned into a
living reality we witness to ease our life and save time, fuel, economy and
nerves! I believe all those achievements deserve another article that talks of
nothing else but them!
I kept
thinking for hours about the Red Mountain and al-Mokattam, as the one passing in
the very beautiful new road between New Cairo and Abassiya coming from Tagamo’a,
will find al-Mokattam hills standing on his left side; above those heights
reside what I think is called the earthquake housing units.
I was
surprised when I stretched my hand to Al-Maqrizi Plans book; which was among a
pile of books that I put aside for I may read them in Ramadan… I found a title called
“The Red Mountain” in page 354 of the book published by Madbouli bookstore. Under
this title, the great Al-Maqrizi said in his own words and information available
at that time: “this mountain overlooks Cairo from the north east. It is known
as al-Yahmoum[1].
Al-Qada’ai said that al-Yahameem[2]
is the scattered mountains overlooking Cairo from the eastern and middle side. These
mountains stretch until they reach some of the roads in the middle of the city.
They were called al-Yahameem due their different colors. In Arabic, al-Yahmoum
means the dark black.
Ibn Abdel-Hakam
said, citing Saied ibn Ubaid, that when he came to Egypt, he found that the
Egyptians made a praying area along Sakiet Abi ‘Awn that lies in al-‘Askar. He
then said: why have they made their praying area in the cursed mountain, and
left the sacred one (al-Mokattam he means)?
Ibn
Abdel-Zaher said: The Red Mountain. Al-Qada’ai said that al-Yahmoum is the
mountain overlooking Cairo, and I see no other mountain looking over Cairo but
this one.
Al-Bakri said:
al-Yahmoum. Al-Harbi said: al-Yahmoum is a mountain in Egypt. Abu Qubail said,
citing Abdullah ibn Amr: that he asked Ka’ab about al-Mokattam: is it cursed?
Ka’ab replied: No, it is not, but it is sacred from al-Qusair to al-Yahmoum.
Al-Bakri also
mentioned that: it is a mountain in Egypt before al-Mokattam.
And so we can
see that the Red Mountain was cursed by the ancestors while al-Mokattam was
sacred. This point needs more elaboration by the great al-Maqrizi in his own
words and information available at that time (born about 1364 and died 1442 A.D.).
After he mentioned that the whole of Egypt’s land lies between two mountains;
and one of them is greater than the other. The greatest is the eastern mountain
known as Luka Mountain, and the western; a small mountain – meaning of low height
– with some of it not connected, and that Luka Mountain in the east blocks as-Saba
winds from coming to Egypt.
After he mentioned
this, he came to mention al-Mokattam Mountain. That is sacred in our documented
heritage. Here one can find extensive information that cannot prove correct
after the scientific, geographic and geological evidences. For example, he said
that al-Mokattam Mountain starts from the east in China where the ocean sea
lies, and passes through Tatars’ lands, until it reaches Ferghana to al-Yotm Mountains
extending to as-Send River… then this river goes with al-Mokattam along its
course to Iraq where it joins al-Jodi mountain; the stop of Nouh’s Arc after
the flood. Then it continues until it passes with Aleppo, then Homs, then
Lebanon, and then extends to the Levant until it ends at the Red Sea from one
side and connects from the other side; and here it is called al-Mokattam. Then
it goes into branches, and the ends of those branches connect to the end of the
west. It is said that it was known as Mokattam ibn Masr ibn Baisar ibn Ham ibn
Nouh; peace be upon him.
Al-Maqrizi continues saying that al-Mokattam Mountain
passes along the sides of the Nile reaching to Nubia and passes through
al-Fayoum connecting to the west to Maqrawa land then it continues westwards to
Seglmasa, then to the Ocean Sea in a 5-month walking distance!
After this comes what is even more humorously
surprising, as al-Maqrizi cites what Ibrahim ibn Waseef Shah said: (He
mentioned the arrival of Misraim ibn Baisar ibn Ham ibn Nouh to the land of
Egypt): the companions of Eklimon the priest revealed Egypt’s treasures and sciences,
written in al-Barabi calligraphy, and its monuments, minerals of gold, topaz,
turquoise to the rest of that. They also described the art of Chemistry to them.
And so, Misraim assigned this task to a man of his folks called Mokaitam the
sage. This man used to practice Chemistry in the eastern mountain, and so it
was named al-Mokattam after him. It was abridged to al-Mokattam Mountain;
meaning the mountain of Mokaitam the sage.
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This article was published in
Al Ahram newspaper on May 23, 2019.
To see the original article,
go to:
#ahmad_ahmed_elgammal
#al_ahram #Egypt #mokattam
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