Saturday, November 25, 2017

Greece | Kavala | Muhammad Ali | Imaret


Muhammad Ali (1769–1849), whose Childhood Home, now a museum, I had visited earlier, was born in Kavala. He went on to became the Khedive of Egypt and the founder of a ruling dynasty that lasted to 1952. In 1817 he established in Kavala an Islamic college for the training of imams. Although called the Imaret, it was known locally as the Tembel Hane, or “lazy man’s home”, since those who attended the school were guaranteed free pilaf daily and were exempted from military service. According to local sources the Imaret also operated a soup kitchen which fed up to 1000 indigent people a day. The buildings of the Imaret have now been remodeling into the five-star Imaret Hotel. It is a little out of my price range: the cheapest rooms are $350 a night; suites are well over a thousand a night. Even so, the place is often sold out. Make your reservations well in advance. Guided tours are offered to those to just want to look around without actually staying in the hotel. 




Courtyard of the Imaret Hotel (click on photos for enlargements)






Courtyard of the Imaret Hotel




Courtyard of the Imaret Hotel




Cheapest room of the hotel ($350 a night) are located on this arcad






Another courtyard of the hotel




The second story of this building is a suite that goes for $1450 a night..




Washing facilites at the Imaret’s small mosque (no longer active). 




Swimming pool of the Imaret Hotel 




Looking out over the roofs of the Imaret Hotel

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