Paris along the Nile: Architecture in Cairo from the Belle Epoque

by Cynthia Myntti

Overview

Cairo, 'Mother of the World': its vividly diverse neighborhoods and building styles reveal its cosmopolitan energy and reflect the myriad of economic, political, and cultural forces that have shaped the city over the centuries. So impressed was Khedive Ismail after a visit to Haussman's 'new' Paris in 1867 that he decided to build a modern city along the same architectural lines and aesthetics, and brought European architects to Cairo to initiate Egypt's most dynamic building period since medieval times. The stunning buildings of late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Cairo remain, but they are neglected, threatened by pollution, and are being pulled down for concrete highrises and parking lots. Paris along the Nile captures in 200 black-and-white photographs the architectural jewels of 'modern' Cairo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789774166532
Publisher:	American University in Cairo Press, The
Publication date:	05/31/2015
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Cynthia Myntti, who lived and worked in Cairo in the 1980s, is an anthropologist and architect. She directs the Neighborhood Initiative at the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon.

Table of Contents

Introduction Cairo: The cosmopolitan years The builders and their buildings

Cairo from the streets Grand buildings Homes Metalwork Doors Domes Balconies and Brackets Windows Humans, animals, angels, and sphinxes Fin d’un siècle

Envoi Map Recommended reading