On the following morning, the prince went to meet Ibrahim Pasha at his palace on the outskirts of Cairo, accompanied by his two sons. As for Ghareeb, the prince entrusted him to a palace attendant named Ahmad, who had formerly served in Mohammad Ali's army and was now in charge of the palace's service.
Ahmad used to take Ghareeb out on outings whenever the prince was away, and Ghareeb was delighted by this ... since, due to his young age, he didn't enjoy formal meetings.
Ahmad took Ghareeb and a few members of the prince's entourage on a tour around the island, and they passed by the Nilometer. There, Ahmad explained to them how it was used to measure the level of the Nile River.
Then they boarded a small boat, which carried them across the Nile to the Cairo bank, and Ghareeb was greatly impressed by the size and grandeur of the river. Although still young, he was sharp-minded, curious, and eager to understand how things worked. While in the boat, he gazed thoughtfully at both riverbanks, observing the fields of grain and the groves of palm trees.
When they landed on the Cairo side, they disembarked at Old Cairo, and Ghareeb began examining the architecture, asking questions about everything he saw.
Ahmad, in turn, watched Ghareeb with admiration, impressed by the boy's intelligence, alertness, and politeness.
They passed through the narrow markets of Old Cairo, where people began pointing at the boy ... a stranger to them, dressed in Lebanese garments they weren't used to seeing, especially that elegant brocade jacket (al-jamadan al-muqassab) he wore.
The folds of Ghareeb's robe hung down from his shoulders. As they continued walking, he was drawn to a large old building, clearly ancient in construction, with crumbling walls ... more resembling a fortress than a residence. Curious, Ghareeb asked about it.
Ahmad replied, "This is a monastery called 'Dayr al-Nasara' (Monastery of the Christians). It contains many Christian churches and convents."
They walked around it from the outside, passing by its small entrance, which could be reached through a slope. Then they came to its southern wall, where two massive towers stood in ruins, between them the remains of a grand upper doorway.
Ghareeb said, "Uncle, the monasteries in our country are very different from here. I've never seen towers like these in any monastery!"
Ahmad replied, "You are right, my lord. No other monasteries have such towers or anything like this. This structure was not originally a monastery. It was an ancient fortress, said to have been built by the Persians when they ruled Egypt centuries before Christ. They named it after their capital city and it became known as the Fort of Babylon. Later, when the Muslims came to conquer Egypt under the leadership of 'Amr ibn al-'As, the Egyptians took shelter in it. Afterwards, it was inhabited by the Copts, and the name 'monastery' eventually stuck."
Ghareeb wished to enter and explore the building, but Ahmad gently discouraged him, as if he had something even more impressive to show him. So they continued on their way until they passed by Qanater al-Siba' (The Lion Aqueduct), and Ahmad began to tell him its history.
He explained: "The Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Baybars built this aqueduct to carry water from the Nile to the Citadel of Cairo, which you can see at the foot of that mountain."
Ahmad preferred brief conversations and was eager to keep moving toward Cairo.
But Ghareeb, distracted by the beauty around him, turned his attention instead to the fertile fields they passed. He climbed up a ruined mound, from which he could overlook a vast part of Cairo. To his right stood al-Muqattam Mountain, at whose base lay the Cairo Citadel.
They continued on their way and eventually entered the city, passing through its markets. Ghareeb was astonished by the crowds, though the people were even more surprised by him ... his distinctive attire and demeanour, and the Lebanese men who accompanied him.
At that time, Cairo's streets were narrow, with nothing like today's modern wide roads or European-style urban design. Nor were there tree-lined boulevards as seen now. Places like Ismailia, Faggala, Shubra, and Tawfikia, and other such districts, were still mostly gardens, orchards, hills, and swamps, with few houses or buildings to be seen.
Among the busiest and longest streets of that era was the one stretching from Bab al-Husayniyya to door Sa'ada, passing through al-Husayniyya, the coppersmith market (al-Nahhasin), al-Ghuriya, and beyond to al-Saliba. Another street ran parallel, beginning at the door of al-Sha'riyya and ending at the door ...
Sayyida Zaynab, including areas like Bab al-Sha'riyya, al-Sha'rawi, Ma Bayn al-Surayn (Between the Two Walls), Mansur Pasha Street, and Darb al-Jamamiz, etc. — these were the two longest and most developed streets in Cairo.
The areas between them and their surroundings, such as al-Hamzawi, Birkat al-Fil (Elephant Pond), and so on ....