Anyone who has been to Egypt will agree that it is indeed a land of antiquity. Cairo, its capital may have the glitz and glitter of modernity with high rise buildings and fancy hotels, but underneath it all, just below the surface, it is an ancient land.
In Snap Shots, in one of the stories that was set in Egypt called "Ducks on the Nile," I make mention of the fact that I hunted ducks at a place called "Moses Mosque Village." This rather primitive village was located only a short hour's drive outside of Cairo. Most of the village still lacked electricity and running water, yet it dated back to the time of Moses, or so everyone said. According to local legend, Moses had passed through the village with the Israelites, on his way out of Egypt and had stopped to rest before continuing on the journey. The villagers, it is said, extended their hospitality to Moses and his people, giving them food and a place to rest. For their kindness, Moses is said to have blessed the village, and the villagers (many centuries later) built a mosque to commemorate the occasion. Despite Moses's blessing, the village didn't seem to have fared all that well through the centuries. It is poor, and for all practical purposes, probably no better off than it was when Moses blessed it!
There is another Moses Mosque village that is better known and located in the Judean Desert in Palestine. However, the one in Egypt is not all that well known and I, along with my friends stumbled upon it only because we were searching for a place to hunt ducks. Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) is mentioned in the Koran and is identified as being of the tribe of Israelites. I mentioned this to some Egyptians, asking them why an Israelite was honored by Muslims, when according to everything that I have seen and heard in that part of the world, Muslims hated the Jews! The answer, or non-answer that I got was that "it was different back then." Which is true, I suppose, since Islam was yet to been born. At any rate, Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) is considered an Egyptian by Egyptians, although he was an Israelite. It was a bit puzzling, just as there are many things that are puzzling in that part of the world. Interpretation or definition of victory is different in the Islamic world. It seems that the mind in that part of the world works differently, interprets events and results differently. Remember, Saddam Hussein declared victory after the first Gulf War, and to many Muslims, it was indeed an Iraqi victory, because we did not go into Bagdad and kill Saddam.
In Cairo, there is a large and elaborate "Air Victory Museum" which celebrates Egyptian victory over Israel in the air war during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. That is rather a puzzling bit of interpretation of events, because Israel had completely destroyed Egyptian Air Force during that conflict! Hosni Mubarak, the former President/Dictator of Egypt was the Egyptian Air Marshal at the time of the Yom Kippur War, so perhaps the museum was built to make Mubarak feel better, who knows? During the war that lasted from October 5 until October 25, 1973, the Arab allies which consisted mainly of Syria and Egypt but also included just about every Arab nation in one form or another, Israel suffered heavy casualties and defeats at the outset. However, Israel was able to regroup and after the first week had the upper hand despite the numerically superior Arab coalition, including unspecified number of Soviets, some 200 Cubans and 20 North Korean advisors and trainers. The Soviet Bloc supplied all of the armament, including some of the latest MIG 25s (which were flown by Soviets), although MIG 21s were the primary fighter planes. Ultimately, the conflict ended with the Arab coalition suffering heavier casualties than Israel and a humiliating defeat once again! Although, according to the Arab world, it is Israel that suffered defeat.
North Korea has one of the largest and fanciest looking embassy buildings in Cairo. Considering that North Korea has very few diplomatic ties outside of Russia and China, I was surprised to discover that they had such a large and fancy Chancery in Cairo. I believe Cuba is about the only other country outside of Russia and China that has a North Korean embassy. Yet, Egypt, one of America's supposed strongest allies in that part of the world, has a huge North Korean Embassy. It turned out that Mubarak had a soft spot for North Korea. It seems that Mubarak maintained an embassy in Pyongyang and the North Koreans were allowed to build a large embassy in Cairo. North Korea's favorable position in Egypt dated back to the Yom Kippur War.
The North Koreans were training the Egyptians to use equipment which they sold, including the MIG 21 fighter planes. During the Yom Kippur War, Israel had destroyed most of the Egyptian Air Force by the end of the first week. By the second week the Israelis were masters of the skies, with Israeli F4s flying all over the place and getting nearer to Cairo. When Israeli F4s made the first raid into Cairo, it is said that the Egyptian pilots did not take to the air to fight because they were not prepared. Some say that they simply refused to go up and die, which is what would have happened. The North Korean instructors were infuriated and two of them jumped into the MIG 21s and took to the air. The North Koreans were promptly shot down and one was killed. Mubarak never forgot that. He built a huge monument in their honor. Mubarak also allowed the North Koreans to increase their presence in Egypt, saying that they were always welcome in Egypt.
Egypt, a true land of antiquity, with sometimes very different and puzzling mind set.
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