I was fascinated by the homes of the Egyptians.

In the city, you see an endless amount of apartment dwellings. (I’m sure there were individual homes, but I didn’t see them as we drove from one destination to another.) They range in age, style and height but they consistently demonstrate similar characteristics.

Patios are almost non-existent and windows are small and closed.  (I think the extreme heat and the blowing sand discourage patio life as we know it.)  Every structure is made of a similar type of brick and stucco and all are beige, grey or pale red.  Many of the buildings are literally coated in a layer of sand.  Window air conditioning units are a luxury and apparently the responsibility of the tenant.  Almost all the city apartment buildings are unfinished.  (We learned that finishing a building results in higher taxation, therefore, the owner leaves several apartments incomplete.) Continue reading →