Egypt
Ahram Online (Farah El Akkad)
- Sca Head Tours Historic Cairo, Demands Clean-up
Ahram Online (Nevine El-Aref) Antiquities czar visits Old Cairo's recently-restored Al-Muizz Street only to find that chaos still reigns Moustafa Amine, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, took an unscheduled tour of Old...
- The Museum Of Islamic Art
Al Ahram Weekly (Zahi Hawass) If anyone were to ever ask me the question, "What is the most difficult project that you have had to work on as the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities?" I would have to answer, "The Islamic Museum."...
- Al-muizz Street Re-opens
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El Aref) From the 10th to the 18th centuries Al-Muizz Street, which runs through the heart of Fatimid Cairo, gloried in its splendid Islamic architecture. In the years following it became badly run down. It has taken almost 20...
- Travel: Medieavel Cairo
Egypt Today (Ethar El-Katatney) Imams, rabbis and priests all frequently crossed paths in Old Cairo back in the day when mosques and churches and synagogues all inhabited the same districts. In a city that has been home to a number of religions and cultures...
- Walking Old Cairo
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref) Visitors to Al-Muizz Street in Fatimid Cairo will encounter an unfamiliar scene in the next few days. They will be able to stroll along the street without having to worry about traffic. Nor will they have to negotiate...
Egypt
Mamluk era arms market falls into disrepair
Ahram Online (Farah El Akkad)
The once bustling Souq Al-Selah Street lies in the heart of Islamic Cairo surrounded now by piles of refuse, as it slowly decays and slips out of the collective memory.
Those who forged, those who sold and those who bought the weapons have long since died, but will the old buildings of Souq Al-Selah Street (Arms Market Street) meet the same fate?
It is an interesting street: a narrow lane only 220 metres long, located to the right of Al-Rifaai Mosque in the heart of Islamic Cairo. Description de l’Egypt (1798) describes its location in a semi-isolated area on the eastern side of Old Cairo, ending at Al-Darb Al-Ahmar and Al-Ghuriya district. The street, which dates back to the 8th century, was first known as Souq Al-Ezzy.
However, over the years, the popular name became Souq Al-Selah due to the numerous workshops that sold all kinds of weaponry. The street saw its golden years during the Mamluk era when it was considered the Citadel’s main source of arms. A famous Mamluk prince, Ezz El-Din Bahdar, dwelt on the street itself and was in charge of supervising the arms industry.
- Sca Head Tours Historic Cairo, Demands Clean-up
Ahram Online (Nevine El-Aref) Antiquities czar visits Old Cairo's recently-restored Al-Muizz Street only to find that chaos still reigns Moustafa Amine, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, took an unscheduled tour of Old...
- The Museum Of Islamic Art
Al Ahram Weekly (Zahi Hawass) If anyone were to ever ask me the question, "What is the most difficult project that you have had to work on as the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities?" I would have to answer, "The Islamic Museum."...
- Al-muizz Street Re-opens
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El Aref) From the 10th to the 18th centuries Al-Muizz Street, which runs through the heart of Fatimid Cairo, gloried in its splendid Islamic architecture. In the years following it became badly run down. It has taken almost 20...
- Travel: Medieavel Cairo
Egypt Today (Ethar El-Katatney) Imams, rabbis and priests all frequently crossed paths in Old Cairo back in the day when mosques and churches and synagogues all inhabited the same districts. In a city that has been home to a number of religions and cultures...
- Walking Old Cairo
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref) Visitors to Al-Muizz Street in Fatimid Cairo will encounter an unfamiliar scene in the next few days. They will be able to stroll along the street without having to worry about traffic. Nor will they have to negotiate...