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Cairo since 1900
An Architectural Guide
Foreword by Mercedes Volait
407 Pages, 5.50 x 7.50 in, 330 Black-and-white Photographs
- Paperback
- 9789774168697
- March 2020
- Region: Worldwide
LE900.00
$39.95
£29.99
Where To Buy:
The first of its kind, a substantive guide to over 220 modern buildings in Cairo—and the basis of an exhibition at New York’s Center for Architecture entitled, “Cairo Modern”
The city of a thousand minarets is also the city of eclectic modern constructions, turn-of-the-century revivalism and romanticism, concrete expressionism, and modernist design. Yet while much has been published on Cairo’s ancient, medieval, and early-modern architectural heritage, the city’s modern architecture has to date not received the attention it deserves.
Cairo since 1900: An Architectural Guide is the first comprehensive architectural guide to the constructions that have shaped and continue to shape the Egyptian capital since the early twentieth century.
From the sleek apartment tower for Inji Zada in Ghamra designed by Antoine Selim Nahas in 1937, to the city’s many examples of experimental church architecture, and visible landmarks such as the Mugamma and Arab League buildings, Cairo is home to a rich store of modernist building styles. Arranged by geographical area, the guide includes entries for more than 220 buildings and sites of note, each entry consisting of concise, explanatory text describing the building and its significance accompanied by photographs, drawings, and maps.
This significant compendium is an ideal companion for the city’s visitors and residents as well as an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Cairo’s architecture and urban history.
Contents
Foreword by Mercedes
Volait................................................................................................................17
Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................19
Building Selection........................................................................................................................23
Introduction........................................................................................................................27
Glossary..................................................................................................................................43
Maps.....................................................................................................................................53
Historic Cairo.................................................................................................................69
1. Al-Azhar Administration, 1936..................................................................................72
2. Muhammad Abduh Auditorium, 1946....................................................................73
3. Museum of Islamic Art and National Library, 1903...................................................74
4. Al-Rifai Mosque, 1912................................................................................................76
5. Mustafa Kamel Mausoleum, 1947............................................................................78
6. Hassanein Bey Mausoleum, 1946............................................................................79
7. Al-Azhar Park, 2004....................................................................................................80
Downtown.....................................................................................................................83
8. Egyptian Museum, 1902............................................................................................86
9. Arab Socialist Union (demolished), 1959.................................................................87
10. Nile Hilton Hotel (Ritz Carlton), 1953–58...............................................................88
11. League of Arab States, 1955..................................................................................89
12. Qasr al-Nil Bridge, 1933...........................................................................................90
13. Omar Makram Mosque, 1948...............................................................................91
14. Al-Mugammaa, 1951...............................................................................................92
15. AUC Science Building (demolished), 1966............................................................94
16. Aziz Bahari Buildings (Tahrir Square), 1934.........................................................95
17. Cleopatra Palace Hotel, 1962..................................................................................96
18. Khoury Building, 1941.............................................................................................97
19. Baehler Buildings, 1920s, 1934..............................................................................98
20. Misr Insurance Company Offices, 1950..............................................................100
21. Misr Insurance Company Offices, 1952..............................................................101
22. Ahmed Kamel Pacha Building, 1936....................................................................102
23. AUC Jameel Building, 1989..................................................................................103
24. AUC Library (Greek Campus), 1978.....................................................................104
25. Bab al-Louq Station, 1932....................................................................................106
26. Chamber of Commerce, 1955..............................................................................107
27. Strand Building, 1957...........................................................................................108
28. Al-Tabbakh Mosque, 1931...................................................................................109
29. Awqaf Administration, 1898–1929......................................................................110
30. Alexandria Insurance Company, 1952................................................................112
31. Immobilia Building, 1940.......................................................................................114
32. Central Bank, 1930–47.........................................................................................116
33. Murad Wahba Pasha Building, 1949.................................................................117
34. Ayrout Building, 1937..........................................................................................118
35. Radio Tower, 1954................................................................................................119
36. Church and Convent of Saint Joseph, 1909.....................................................120
37. Banque Misr, 1927................................................................................................121
38. Banque Misr Tower, 1985....................................................................................121
39. Aziz Bahari Buildings (Mustafa Kamel Square), 1938.......................................122
40. Assicurazioni Generali Building, 1939................................................................123
41. Crédit Foncier Égyptien, 1903.............................................................................124
42. Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue, 1905................................................................125
43. Tiring Department Store, 1912...........................................................................126
44. Sednaoui Department Store, 1913.....................................................................127
45. Khedival Buildings, 1911......................................................................................128
46. George and Helal Shammaa Building, 1952......................................................129
47. Misr Petroleum Company, 1948.........................................................................130
48. Arabic Music Institute, 1923................................................................................131
49. Egyptian Society of Engineers, 1923–46.............................................................132
50. Abdel Hamid al-Shawarbi Pasha Building, 1925...............................................133
51. High Court, 1924–34.............................................................................................134
52. La Genevoise, 1937...............................................................................................136
53. Waqf Gamalian Buildings, 1940..........................................................................137
54. Ouzonian Building, 1949......................................................................................138
55. Al-Nasr Import–Export Company, 1964.............................................................139
Bulaq..................................................................................................................141
56. Nefertiti Hotel (proposed), 1962.........................................................................144
57. Ramses Hilton Hotel, 1976–79............................................................................145
58. TV and Radio Administration, 1960....................................................................146
59. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1994.........................................................................147
60. Nile Tower (proposed), 2007...............................................................................148
61. St. Regis Hotel, 2018.............................................................................................149
62. World Trade Center, 1988....................................................................................150
63. Akhbar al-Yom Building, 1948.............................................................................151
64. Al-Ahram Building, 1968......................................................................................152
65. Turguman Regeneration Plan (proposed), 1967...............................................153
66. Maspero Triangle Master Plan (proposed), 2015..............................................154
Sayeda Zeinab & Abdeen............................................................................................157
67. Cultural Park for Children, 1990.........................................................................160
68. Waqf of Raafat Bey, 1940.....................................................................................162
69. Al-Sharq Cinema, 1947.........................................................................................162
70. Dar al-Hilal Printing Press, 1945..........................................................................163
71. Saad Zaghloul Mausoleum, 1931........................................................................164
72. Misr Insurance Company, 1947..........................................................................166
73. Zeinhom Housing Development, 1955–2007....................................................168
74. National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), 1984–2017......................169
Garden City..................................................................................................................171
75. Al Chams Building, 1949......................................................................................174
76. Cairo Center Office Building, 1969.....................................................................176
77. Embassy of the United States of America, 1989...............................................177
78. Egyptian Company for Real Estate Investment, 1940......................................178
79. Petroleum Cooperative Society, 1957................................................................180
80. Mobil Building, 1959.............................................................................................181
81. Serageldin Palace, 1908.......................................................................................182
82. Residential Building (2 al-Fasqiya Street), 1938................................................183
83. Houd al-Laban Building, 1960s...........................................................................184
84. Sabet Sabet Building, 1958..................................................................................185
85. Arab African International Bank, c.2000............................................................186
86. Ibrahimiya School, 1939.......................................................................................187
87. Residential Building (2 Ittihad al-Muhamiyin Street), 1940s............................188
88. Egyptian Medical Syndicate (Dar al-Hikma), 1949.............................................189
Manial..............................................................................................................191
89. Le Méridien Hotel, 1974.......................................................................................194
90. Qasr al-Aini Medical School, 1923–33.................................................................195
91. Manial Palace, 1901–29.........................................................................................196
92. Saraya Ahmed Mustafa Abu Rehab, 1949.........................................................198
93. Ibrahim Mosque, 1945.........................................................................................199
Giza...................................................................................................................201
94. Cairo University Hall, 1937...................................................................................204
95. Al-Shafiq Building, 1948.......................................................................................206
96. Halim Dos Bey Building, 1937.............................................................................208
97. Misr Insurance Company, 1961..........................................................................210
98. Villa Anis Serageldin (demolished), 1934...........................................................211
99. Villa William Habib (demolished), 1933..............................................................212
100. Villa Cassab (demolished), 1940.......................................................................213
101. Villa Dr. Kamal Abdel Razeq (demolished), 1947............................................214
102. Villa Ibrahim al-Kassas Bey (demolished), 1948..............................................215
Dokki & Agouza...........................................................................................................217
103. Aziz Abdel Malik Hanna Building, 1937............................................................220
104. Faisal Bank, 2000................................................................................................221
105. State Council, c.1990..........................................................................................222
106. Goethe-Institut, 2016.........................................................................................223
107. Mohandes Insurance Headquarters, 1999......................................................224
108. Embassy of the Czech Republic, 1980..............................................................225
109. Ahram Beverages Company, 1900...................................................................226
110. National Research Center, 1956.......................................................................227
111. Musaddaq Office Building, 1995.......................................................................228
112. Mahmoud Othman Building, 1955...................................................................229
113. Al-Kateb Hospital, 1946......................................................................................230
114. Bishara Building, 1937.......................................................................................231
115. Agouza Hospital, 1939........................................................................................232
116. Shahrazad Hotel, c.1982....................................................................................233
Mohandiseen ...............................................................................................................235
117. Madinat al-Awqaf, 1948.....................................................................................238
118. Media City Apartments, 1959............................................................................239
119. National Center for Social and Criminological Research, 1959.....................240
120. Sphinx Cinema,1965..........................................................................................241
121. Residential Building (26 Gameat al-Diwal al-Arabiya Street), 1986..............242
122. City Central Premium Offices, 2017.................................................................243
123. Residential Building (16 Lebanon Street), 1980s............................................244
124. Villa Shawky, 1968..............................................................................................245
125. Villa Badran, 1971...............................................................................................246
Imbaba...........................................................................................................249
126. Imbaba Bridge, 1924..........................................................................................252
127. New Amiriya Printing Press, 1973...................................................................253
128. Workers’ City, 1950.............................................................................................254
129. Tahrir City, 1958..................................................................................................256
130. Giza Park, 2013...................................................................................................257
Zamalek..........................................................................................................259
131. Exhibition Grounds, 1936–49.............................................................................262
132. Opera House, 1988.............................................................................................263
133. Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum, 1962.................................................................264
134. 1952 Revolution Museum (unfinished), 1951–2009.......................................265
135. Cairo Tower, 1961...............................................................................................266
136. Nabil Amr Ibrahim Palace, 1923.......................................................................268
137. All Saints Cathedral, 1988..................................................................................269
138. Forte Tower (unfinished), 1976.........................................................................270
139. Islamic Congress Secretariat (proposed), 1957...............................................271
140. Rodrigue Flats, 1945...........................................................................................272
141. Lebon Building, 1950..........................................................................................273
142. Henri and Georges Boinet Building, 1934.......................................................274
143. Ali Labib Gabr Building, 1951............................................................................275
144. Zamalek Tower (Wahbi Mousa Soliman Building), 1953................................276
145. Dar al-Hana (Madame Khayyat Building), 1938..............................................278
146. Villa Umm Kulthoum (demolished), 1936........................................................279
147. Virgin Mary Church (al-Maraashli Church), 1959............................................280
148. Sedky Pasha Building, 1947...............................................................................281
Shubra..............................................................................................................283
149. Corniche al-Nil Towers, 1992.............................................................................286
150. Rod al-Farag Market, 1947.................................................................................287
151. Don Bosco Italian Technical Institute, 1926....................................................288
152. Khazindara Mosque, 1927.................................................................................290
153. Saint Teresa Church, 1931................................................................................291
Daher & Abbasiya........................................................................................................293
154. Church of Collège de la Salle Frères School, 1955..........................................296
155. Al-Halabi Print House, 1937...............................................................................297
156. Residential Building (35 Sabil al-Khazindar Street), 1931..............................298
157. École Alliance Israélite Universelle, 1928........................................................299
158. Waqf Inji Zada, 1937...........................................................................................300
159. October Bridge, 1969–99....................................................................................301
160. Boutros Ghali Memorial Church, 1911.............................................................302
161. Saint Mark’s Coptic Cathedral, 1968.................................................................303
162. 23 July Development, 1962................................................................................304
163. Ain Shams University Lecture Halls, 1969.......................................................305
164. Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, 1933.......................................306
165. Gamal Abdel Nasser Mosque, 1966.................................................................307
Heliopolis......................................................................................................309
166. Waqf Asmaa Hanem Halim, 1948.....................................................................312
167. Heliopolis (Ferial) Hospital, 1955......................................................................314
168. Saint Catherine’s Church, 1950.........................................................................316
169. Le Méridien Hotel, 1987.....................................................................................317
170. Society for Culture and Development, 1997...................................................318
171. Heliopolis War Cemetery, 1941........................................................................318
172. Baron Empain Palace, 1911...............................................................................319
173. Cathedral of Our Lady of Heliopolis, 1910......................................................320
174. Fayza Hanem Owais Building, 1949................................................................322
175. Mahallawy Building, 1949..................................................................................323
176. Residential Building (Sesostris/Mamoun Streets), 1911...............................324
177. Cinema Farouk, 1949........................................................................................325
178. Heliopolis Company Buildings, 1908................................................................326
179. Elias Bey Rizq Building, 1948.............................................................................328
180. Regine Khoury Building, 1934...........................................................................328
181. Fattouh Bey Guinenah Building, 1941..............................................................329
182. Merryland Apartments, 1958............................................................................330
183. Merryland Park, 1963.........................................................................................332
184. Madinat Ghernata, 1928....................................................................................334
185. Debbane Bey Building, 1940.............................................................................335
186. Gamal Abdel Nasser Museum, 2017................................................................336
187. Villa Kamel Bek Abdel Halim (demolished), 1932...........................................337
188. Villa Mrs. Valadji (demolished), 1933................................................................337
Nasr City.......................................................................................................................339
189. Nasr City Plan, 1953...........................................................................................342
190. Al-Azhar University Campus, 1962–65..............................................................344
191. Cairo International Stadium, 1960...................................................................346
192. Expo City (proposed), 2009................................................................................347
193. Unknown Soldier Memorial, 1975....................................................................348
194. Military Parade Stands, 1960.............................................................................349
195. Government Sector, 1960..................................................................................350
196. Nasr City Company for Housing and Development headquarters, 1959....351
197. Housing Model 20, 1959 ...................................................................................352
198. Housing Model 10, 1959....................................................................................353
199. Housing Model 15, 1959....................................................................................354
200. Nasr City Cinema (demolished), 1962..............................................................355
201. Al-Rahma Mosque, 1982....................................................................................356
202. Housing Model 22, 1959....................................................................................357
203. Housing Model 33, 1959.....................................................................................358
Maadi...........................................................................................................................361
204. Residential Building (Road 256), 1962..............................................................364
205. Saint Thérèse Church (proposed), 1950s.........................................................365
206. Maadi Mosque, 1938..........................................................................................366
207. Villa Sayed Karim, 1948......................................................................................367
208. Maadi Garden Villas, 1949.................................................................................370
209. Maadi Palace Building, 1996.............................................................................371
210. Supreme Constitutional Court, 1999................................................................372
211. Maadi Towers, 1987...........................................................................................373
Outskirts.....................................................................................................................375
212. The American University in Cairo, 2008...........................................................378
213. Bank ABC, 2018...................................................................................................380
214. Unity Building, 2015...........................................................................................381
215. Cairo International Airport, 1963......................................................................382
216. Abusir House 2, 2003.........................................................................................384
217. Harraniya Arts Center, 1951–72........................................................................386
218. Farouk Resthouse, 1946....................................................................................387
219. Grand Egyptian Museum, projected 2022.......................................................388
220. Pyramid House, 2009–19....................................................................................389
221. National Cancer Institute, projected 2019.......................................................390
222. Dar al-Handasa Office Building, 2013..............................................................391
223. Designopolis, 2012..............................................................................................392
224. Japanese Garden, 1917.....................................................................................393
225. Studios Misr, 1935...............................................................................................394
226. Skyline, projected 2020......................................................................................395
Notes.......................................................................................................................................400
Bibliography........................................................................................................................402
Index of Architects..............................................................................................................................406
Mohamed Elshahed is a researcher, curator, and specialist on architecture, design, and material culture in Egypt. He holds a PhD from New York University and an MA from MIT. He is the curator of the Modern Egypt Project at the British Museum, founder of Cairobserver.com, and was recently featured on the Apollo: International Art Magazine podcast, “40 under 40.”
Shortlisted for the 2021 Peter Mackenzie Smith Book Prize
Five Books Best Art Book of 2020
"A brilliant guide to this modern age and makes for a perfect walking-tour companion, speaking not only of the buildings and their historic significance but also of that era." —Yasmine El Rashidi, The New York Times
"From grand visions that fail with the departure of a president to everyday buildings knocked down before they can be considered for heritage protection, a new book unpicks what Egypt’s capital might have been. . . It’s a rich buffet."—Oliver Wainwright, The Guardian
"The book is an invitation to remember the city through its urban fabric, but also a call to arms to protect its inestimable heritage; those buildings that each echo back to a moment in time, or at least remind us of its passage."—Gilles Khoury, Financial Times
"Cairo since 1900: An Architectural Guide not only fills an immense gap in the architectural history of the region, but also makes a much-needed intervention into the history of global modernism. The urban fabric of this cosmopolitan and vibrant city is described in rich detail, with information on the architects as well as the patrons who gave shape to it. It will serve as an essential guide to understanding, visiting, and studying modern Cairo."—Kishwar Rizvi, Yale University
“The Egyptian capital, for too many visitors, is a bewildering urban fabric to be traversed in search of antiquity, circumnavigated to reach the pyramids of Giza, or bisected rapidly to reach historic mosques. Yet to the trained eye sprawling Cairo’s modern fabric spells out the fascinating history of twentieth-century Egypt. Scholarly and user-friendly at the same time, this indispensable guide is a veritable Rosetta stone for decoding the various languages in which the quest for modernization and identity was expressed in concrete, steel, brick, and stone.”—Barry Bergdoll, Columbia University
"The abundant architectural production which has dotted Cairo since the early twentieth century with dozens of remarkable structures has never been thoroughly documented. This guide is a revelation and will help, thanks to its clarity and precision, both locals and visitors to discover the astonishing buildings which have crystallized the modernization of Egypt's capital."—Jean-Louis Cohen, New York University Institute of Fine Arts
"Cairo since 1900 is a timely addition to our appreciation of Cairo's urban fabric. With meticulous research and beautiful photographs, Elshahed offers us a unique survey of the city's modernist architectural gems."—Khaled Fahmy, University of Cambridge
"Architectural historian and publisher Mohamed Elshahed is safeguarding the architectural history of Cairo – and the rest of Egypt."—Rima Alsammarae, Architectural Digest (Middle East)
"[A] call to arms, a rallying cry to take another look at the everyday fabric of this richly layered city."—The Guardian
“Mohamed Elshahed gathers and presents source material for critical debate about Cairo’s modern legacy. . .[and] aims to survey an overlooked body of work and to reveal its social and political foundations.”—Gideon Fink Shapiro, The Architect’s Newspaper
"Everything from bridges to gardens, from iconic buildings to unknown residential buildings with a story to be told."—Shaimaa S. Ashour, Maydan
"It not only documents the past but also the future. . . to remind us of where Cairo is and where it is heading."?—N.A. Mansour, ArabLit
"Extraordinary and unreservedly recommended"—Midwest Book Review
"Elshahed has performed a sterling service in putting together his guidebook, which anyone interested in Cairo’s modern architecture will immediately want to have."—David Tresilian, Al-Ahram Weekly
"[A] handsome illustrated guide. . . for the housebound archi-tourist (and that’s most of us right now), it’s the next best thing to a ticket to Cairo International Airport."—Azure (Canada)
"For those seeking architectural armchair travel experiences, I would heartily recommend Cairo Since 1900"—Romas Viesulas, Five Books
"Cairo's modernism—as described by Elshahed—isn't defined by any particular philosophy, whether local or foreign. Instead, its hallmark is an eclectic hybridity."—Marcia Lynx Qualey, Qantara.de
"[T]he book is beautifully designed, as elegant and functional as many of the buildings it documents. It is a small, compact, softcover volume that can be carried along as one explores the city."—Ursula Lindsey, Al-Fanar Media
"Elshahed counteracts the city’s selective amnesia by cataloging the legacy of groundbreaking professionals who shaped the cityscape mainly from the 1920s onward."—AramcoWorld
"Must-read" — L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui
"Comprehensive"—Jane Levere, Metropolis