Historic Cairo: A Walk through the Islamic City

by Jim Antoniou (Contributor)

Cairo contains the greatest concentration of Islamic monuments in the world, and its mosques, mausoleums, religious schools, baths, and caravanserais, built by prominent patrons between the seventh and nineteenth centuries, are among the finest in existence. Jim Antoniou takes his readers on a guided walk through the very heart of historic Cairo, among many of its greatest architectural treasures. Illustrated throughout with the author’s own detailed maps and plans and lively sketches, the walk begins at the monumental gates in the north walls of the Fatimid city, follows the ancient thoroughfare of al-Mu‘izz li-Din Allah south past Khan al-Khalili and al-Ghuriya to the Street of the Tentmakers, turns left along the famous Darb al-Ahmar of the Arabian Nights, and ends at the magnificent mosque of Sultan Hasan at the foot of the Citadel. Over ninety historic buildings along the way are identified and described, many of them open to visitors. This is an enthralling walk that everybody can enjoy, whether on foot or in an armchair.

Genres: Travel, Egypt

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

Reviews

[Amgad Muhammad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best "GUIDE BOOK" for Islamic/historical Cairo I've read.

With the simple yet accurate maps drawn in the book, you'll be able to reach some of the neglected yet stunning monuments across Old Cairo. The author took into consideration the different terminologies that were used back then and shaped the urban fabric of the city and explained them within their context and in a separate glossary. The nicely drawn portraits of the ancient streets mixed with how they're being occupied today is magical and gives the reader a sense of continuity from past to present Cairo.

The book starts with a brief history of Islamic Cairo, from Roman walls to the Qata'e city of Toulon. It then lays down a general map of your expected "walk" and takes you through 90 or so places the majority of which are open for visit. The places are discussed in brief and the author writes some historical notes on the margins of some pages.

90 monuments in 100 pages means that the book is not for deep knowledge about these places or about the social, political and religious state of this era. It's a mere guide for an enjoyable walk along a very complicated city. wear your comfy shoes and walk through a 1000 years old city

[Othman Faouri · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best way to describe this book is as a tour guide for Architects . in more detail the book is about 100 pages which should be a quick read especially since most pages are filled with sketchs but because its filled with these beautiful architectural images you cant help but tack time to study and sometimes even sketch them. this book sheds a light on Cairos offen forgotten treasure of Islamic Architecture.

[Emy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is more of a guide book, however is also very rich on interesting and informative stories without being historically overwhelming. The book also uncovers many interesting unknown locations of the medieval city. The book became a longtime companion to my many visits to historic Cairo. I used the maps in the book in guiding tours and have designed scavenger hunts using this book as a main reference. Moreover, the illustrations (more like sketches) are extremely accurate and artistically very beautiful.