Egypt seems to have forgotten the good points of the sycamore
The trees lining the streets around the Maadi Club once beckoned children to savor their fruit – the sycamore fig, known in Egypt as gemeiz.
Also known as the mulberry fig, gemeiz is an ancient fruit first mentioned in the Bible and common to the Middle East.
The flat pinkish fruit, roughly 3 cm in diameter, begins to ripen from its greenish color in March and by June the fruit begins to rot.
Once a delicacy at fruit stands, one would be hard pressed to find it displayed or sold anymore.
In Maadi, the fruit has already spoiled, hanging in bunches on a mammoth tree with sprawling branches.
It seems that it has been a long time since anyone has taken pains to pay the sycamore trees any attention. The trees are aging and the nets, which once hung across the branches to catch the falling fruits, are worn out.
The fruits are crushed and squashed by human feet and car tires, so much so that they have become part of the asphalt.
“The trees give fruit, but we no longer eat it, says one man who works as a Maadi Club parking attendant.
“It’s rotten and could be infested with worms. The man who used to maintain the trees died and since then no one has been caring for the trees.
When The Daily Star Egypt visited Al-Basateen Agricultural Institute, an official who asked that his name not be used in this report said he had no idea why the gemeiz fruit was being squandered.
“Go and inquire at the fruit dealer. He knows better, said one official.
“I would rather tell you it’s an extinct item. Some 3,000 trees might still exist in the country, but don’t take my word. The tree doesn’t make up even a minimal part of our research, he added.
But for a fruit vendor in Zamalek, the mere mention of the fruit sent him into rolling laughter.
“What! Gemeiz . you won’t find it in these surroundings.
At the Tawfikia fruit market, one vendor said, “It’s out of season but I have one bag in the store, it costs LE 25. Shall I get it for you?
“In fact I have forgotten how it even tasted, but could you tell more about it? said another.
Sycamore trees still exist in several parts of Egypt including Sharqeya, Arish, Ismailia, Menufiya and others, informed some. Many can be also seen around the residential areas of Cairo.
The figs are sold for a short time in the popular markets in Attaba, at some outlets in Tawfikia and in rural areas. But for all intents and purposes, the sycamore tree has become a green relic belonging to bygone times.
Many are ignorant about its medical applications and the fact that it was one of the sources of wood for ancient Egyptians. The sycamore trees are originally native to Nubia, from where they spread to other parts of Syria and Palestine.
But not many are aware that some of the wooden exhibits at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo were made of sycamore woods, mainly statues and wooden boxes used to shelter the royals’ mummified bodies.
The sycamore tree was held sacred by ancient Egyptians, for it was seen depicted on the walls of their tombs – dried sycamore figs were one of the food items left in the food baskets that accompanied the deceased to the land of the dead.
Medieval physicians elaborated on the medical benefits of the milky substance extracted from the sycamore tree. What they referred to as sycamore milk was effective in healing wounds and treating several types of tumors. It was said to have been used as a laxative and a reliever of stomach pains. The leaves, dried and ground, were considered the ideal cure for constipation.
It is no less important in modern medicine. Sycamore milk has come to center stage in international medical conferences on skin diseases. The milky substance has proven beneficial in treating parasitoids, or what is known in Egypt as sadafia, and other skin diseases.
This is a long list of accomplishments for a tree that is obviously on the road to extinction.
