Faculty, Crew Squad Journey To Egypt for Winter Recess

It seems Egypt was a popular place to spend the winter recess. Though Ted Tsomides '82 who spent his vacation there with the men's crew squad reported that "not too many people spend their Christmas in Cairo," much of the Harvard community was in Egypt.

Oleg Grabar, professor of Fine Arts and chairman of the Department, attended a conference in Cairo on the preservation and restoration of Islamic monuments of the old city of Cairo.

Grabar said last month he attended the conference partly because he is an authority on Islamic architecture, and partly to discuss a proposal by the Aga Khan to restore some Egyptian monuments. During the conference, he met with worldwide authorities and with Gehan el-Sadat, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat's wife, who chairs a committee on the protection of Islamic monuments in Egypt.

Grabar was unavailable for comment after the conference.

Meanwhile, the heavyweight varisty crew raced in Luxor and Cairo on December 23, 27, and 28, finishing third in all its meets. But, returning crew members said, the excitement of their vacation on the Nile eclipsed their disappointment about the races.

Muhsin Mahdi, Jewett Professor of Arabic and chairman of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, said last month he journeyed to Cairo to "relax." He is staying at the city's American Research Center, which is involved in several development projects in developing countries, and with whom he is affiliated. Sanaa Makhlouf, a teaching assistant of Maheli's, is also in Cairo to visit family and relatives.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, assistant professor of Economics travelled with his wife to Cairo and Luxor, touring on donkeys the latter's ancient monuments.

In Cairo they met with Ikram Y. Sayed, a former fellow at the Center for International Affairs (CFIA) and at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and a former Adams House tutor.

Tahseen Basheer, another former CFIA fellow and slated to become ambassador to Egypt when President-elect Reagan assumes office Jan. 20, is vacationing in Cairo before assuming his new post. He arrived after spending three weeks aboard a ship that sailed from Madras, India to Alexandria, Egypt.

While aboard the ship, which regularly offers courses to its passengers, he taught several courses and seminars to the ship's approximately 300 international students.