On the way from the Valley of the Kings to the Valley of the Queens stands this brightly decorated house, close to the street on the foot of the mountains.

“What is this? Is it a Restaurant?” My ignorance was as big as the mountains of the valley, and in hindsight I am quite ashamed of not knowing better. Without showing his disbelieve of how somebody can take this for a restaurant, our guide answered, “No this is the house of  a Hajji .”  And then he went on to explain what a Hajji is.

It is a person who has been to The Hajj  in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Mecca has always been the spiritual center of the Islamic faith for the world’s billions of Muslims.

For all Muslims, the pilgrimage to Mecca is a religious duty that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim, who can afford it, at least once in his lifetime. But many Muslims do not have the means, so one member of a family is chosen to make this holy pilgrimage. It lasts 7 days.

When the man returns home, he decorates his house with the events of his journey,  confirming for all to see that he has fulfilled his religious duty. His family will revere him for the rest of his life, and will seek his advice and guidance.

As you can see from this picture, the owner of this house is the only one in his neighborhood who has been to the HAJJ.

More from Egypt soon

                                       Brigitte