In the year 1909 AD, corresponding to 1327 AH, in January, I was with His Highness the Amir, the aforementioned, accompanied by the Governor of Khartoum, heading to Sudan.

The train stopped in the middle of the road at Boulac, and as we approached the pyramids, I looked towards the pyramids, the Chief of Staff, towards Old Cairo, the necropolis of Saqqara, and towards the Mokattam. As my gaze fell upon these ruins, I remembered the ancient Egyptians, the Pharaohs, their greatness, their power, their ancient palaces, and their claim to divinity. Today, their attire...