Cairo

حمدان، جمال. القاهرة. القاهرة: الهيئة المصرية العامة للكتاب، ١٩٩٦، ٢٥٥ص.

 

Hamdan, Gamal. Al-Qahirah. Cairo: al-Hayʼah al-Misriyyah al-ʻAmmah lil-Kitab, 1996, 255pp.

 

ABSTRACT

 

Cairo

 

القاهرة

 

This book may be considered as a geographical elegy by one of Egypt’s most prominent geographers. Hamdan begins his book by condemning the limited number of studies on modern Cairo compared to the literature on its ancient and medieval history and architecture. The author’s thorough knowledge of Cairo’s intertwined relationship with other Egyptian cities assists him in identifying Cairo’s problems. He addresses different problems resulting from Cairo’s circular growth and attraction to inhabitants as a major city along the Nile. He also discusses Egypt’s longitudinal expansion and its administrative complications. After illustrating these problems adequately, Hamdan discusses Cairo’s future and the possibility of changing Egypt’s capital city.

 

Al-Qahira features a comparison between the historical capitals of Egypt. However, Hamdan fails to hide his Marxist inclinations. He links different historical developments to a form of class struggle. For example he links the emergence of a new bourgeoisie with the migration to cities. Furthermore, the author lacks coherence in chapters four and five; in the former he emphasises the historical centrality of Cairo, reducing other cities to being merely border cities, while in the latter he condemns Cairo’s unfair share of the national resources. If Cairo consumes half of the national wealth – produced by other cities – this means they enjoy strategic importance beyond being merely border regions.

 

Hamdan criticises various proposals on finding alternatives to Cairo which are related to the demographic explosion of the city, and suggests different approaches. Moreover, the book’s critical analysis makes it a significant Arabic source on Cairo’s urban planning. However, the book targets a specialised audience whereas it could have attracted a larger readership, had it contained more maps to facilitate understanding. Despite the author’s eloquent academic language there is an emotional undertone to his analysis. The book’s sources are either in foreign languages or the author’s previous publications, which confirms his complaint about the limited sources on Cairo’s urban planning.

 

Mustafa Abulhimal

 

Abulhimal, Mustafa. “English abstract of 'Cairo'". Translated by Mustafa Abulhimal. In Cities as Built and Lived Environments: Scholarship from Muslim Contexts, 1875 to 2011, by Aptin Khanbaghi. 106. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014.

Muslim Civilisations Abstracts - The Aga Khan University