CAIRO - A yearning for the past is what some Egyptians have been feeling nowadays, after the January 25 revolution; to them the past represents stability, as well as luxury and entertainment. One of the places in Egypt that symbolises the romanticised past is Qanater. A single visit to this place is enough to let you know that Egypt still has wonderful spots that have not yet been put on the Egyptian tourist map and have also been rather neglected by the old, corrupt regime. It is only some 20 kilometres from central Cairo but feels like another world, another time. ‘Qanater', the Arabic word for barrages, is the name of one of the major towns in Qaliubiya Governorate to the north of Cairo, where the Nile splits into the Damietta and Rosetta (Rashid) branches, marking the beginning of the Delta. The barrages were built during the reign of Mohamed Ali Pasha in 1868. They are admired intrinsically for their elegant structure and function, as well as their surrounding historic buildings, gardens, parks and farms, with their fields of flowers, other crops and livestock. Earlier, the Mohamed Ali Dam had been constructed in 1840 with the purpose of saving surplus water and protecting the Delta from high floods. From the dam, various channels were created to distribute water to the west, centre and east of the Delta. The dam itself was divided into two sections, for the Damietta and Rosetta branches respectively. Subsequently, the area became a favoured resort for both local and foreign visitors, including King Farouq and, later, President Sadat who used to spend time in a palace there. Qanater has always been associated in Egypt with school trips during childhood. The barrages are regarded as an essential place to go to during feasts and any holiday in the Coptic and Muslim calendars, preferably by one of the numerous boats from Cairo. A building to see when visiting Qanater was most recently known as the Presidential Rest House and guarded by members of the Presidential Guard, but was originally named the Mohamed Ali Rest House. After the January 25 revolution, the rest house was closed and people, whether local residents or visitors, are now forbidden to go near the place, as are the fishermen and boatmen. However, the people of Qanater say that the rest house is full of rare furniture and antiques dating back to Mohamed Ali's family and it could be turned into a museum. The last Egyptian leader to visit this place was toppled President Hosni Mubarak, when he inaugurated some projects there. “Before the revolution, residents were allowed to visit the rest house and look at its rare antiquities, other pieces and the possessions of Mohamed Ali's family, but it is now closed,” says Mohamed Mohsen, a 40-year-old fisherman. “There were fears that thieves would break in and steal all these precious treasures,” he explains. However, he adds that the Qanater area and the barrages themselves “are a must-see site for foreigners and tourists for their historical value.” The Morgana Village is located along the road after the public parks to where Egyptians head during vacations, overlooking the Nile where cruisers and other boats wait for visitors. The prices for boarding a Nile cruise there range from LE80 to LE150, while they double for foreigners. However, tickets for the spacious ferry boats with open upper and lower decks from the Nile Corniche near Midan Abdel-Moneim Riyadh in Cairo to Qanater are only LE8. You can get around the area in a horse-drawn carriage, taxi or by bike and you can also ride horses, or donkeys. There are also chalets offered for day use. “The [Morgana] village is a nice place to invest in,” Abdel-Gawwad Ahmed, one of its residents, told the weekly Radio and Television Arabic magazine. He urged the Government to give this place some care and attention and put it under governmental supervision. “The place has rich potential and needs to be discovered by investors; at the end of the day it will be for the best.” Another spot with potential in Qanater is the Children's Museum for Water Science, which regrettably, you will always find closed. There is also Apiary Island, where the islanders live without electricity or even potable water. They depend mainly on fishing as the staple of their diet, as well as a means to earn their bread. They also have land to cultivate and get bees' honey from their apiaries. Residents used to earn money through selling their hand-made products to Egyptian visitors or foreign tourists, but since the revolution, life has become hard as very few visitors show up. Qanater also has other quiet areas that are worth seeing like Geziret el-Chai (The Tea Island), which resembles a Pharaonic garden in design and a half-sunken wooden dahabiya. This valuable and historic boat dates back to Mohamed Ali's reign, when it had its own crew and servants aboard. It was equipped with costly furniture and fittings. Yet four years ago, through lack of care, the boat was destroyed by fire and left half-submerged in the Nile. “I think it's time to make good use of these places and renovate them,” suggests Amgad Aref, an accountant and a Qanater resident, adding that this should be one of the goals of the revolution in rebuilding a new Egypt. “The revolutionary youth with the help of the transitional Government have many duties to fulfil. Firstly, they have to fix what the former corrupt regime neglected,” Aref concludes.
