Sheesha wa Shai: Visitors

Having old friends come visit you in a new home is a rare treat. There is always the push-and-pull between homes, but when your worlds come together peacefully, and those friends mention how you "fit here," it makes my crushin'-on-Cairo heart flutter.

Walking around the city for 10 days showing around the fresh blood made me stop and notice the markings on the wall; I realized just how complex Cairo's beauty can be. And even more-so, how the conflict itself can add elegant beauty and depth. From graffiti to stunning light in ancient markets, I, once again, was enchanted.

Yellow box: "We're the ones of Al-Tahrir", a play on a famous movie and movie poster "We are the ones of the bus". Underneath: "Those who died, their rights and demands are called for. The revolution continues. January 25, 2012", referring to the preparations for the one year anniversary of the revolution. The V for Vendetta masks on the top left and right are common, showing the Egyptian version of fighting against a regime.

معسل/maasel sheesha is the harsh tobacco flavor of only the most hardcore Egyptian men

The view from the minaret of Al-Azhar Mosque at sunset

Peeking into one of the rooms inside Al-Azhar, from the roof. No, we were not supposed to be up there.

"Drawing through the walls" on Sheikh Rihan Street, just on the other side of the AUC Tahrir campus. This wall was constructed by the military to protect the Ministry of Interior.

Murals on Mohammed Mahmoud Street, the site of the unrest during the month of November and sporadically afterwards. This street, lined with art, serves as an artistic commemoration for the martyrs of the revolution. According to a nice man on the street, this mural depicts the ancient Egyptian ritual for celebrating/mourning the death of a martyr.

An unfinished mural depicting daily life during the current gas shortage. The women are holding canisters of cooking gas, so as to get them refilled.

The veiled woman in red is Samira Ibrahim, the woman who took her military doctor to court for the 'Virginity Tests' that she underwent after being detained during a protest. The doctor was recently found innocent. The line of soldiers around her are all of one face: the doctor. The hieroglyphics say: Nadine is the Queen Ruler of Nutella and All Cute Kittens must Love her.