HONORED TO HAVE 275,000 UNIQUE READERS

BLOGGING DAILY – FOR A DECADE – ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION, EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

I am proud to have so many people checking out and sharing the stories on my blog.

It started out as a way to share my travel images and thoughts on urban design.

I quickly added advocacy for people with disabilities – which certainly is crucial to accessible travel and barrier-free urban design/town planning.

Over the years, I have gotten more aggressive about calling out poor design that creates barriers for wheelchair users.

I have pointed out how this nation still lacks affordable, accessible housing – despite living more than three decades under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The stories also have shared best practices for urban design, architecture and transportation mobility – gleaned from my articles in leading publications such as Planning, New Mobility and On Common Ground magazines.

I love sharing images from the backstreets of Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and other locales in Europe, South America and beyond.

I have made more than 3,000 blog posts.

That’s enough to fill four full-length books.

Thanks to everyone for following this blog and sharing its ideas.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 12

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

The Yacoubian Building, a novel by Egyptian author Alaa al-Aswany takes place in Downtown Cairo.  

Published in Arabic in 2002 and in an English translation in 2004, the book is a scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the 1952 Revolution. 

The titular apartment building (an art deco classic that actually exists) serves as both a metaphor for contemporary Egypt and a unifying location in which most of the primary characters either live or work. 

Most novel's action takes place. In the building, where the author, a dentist by profession, had his first office.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 11

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is home to both the splendid, old Egyptian Museum and Tahrir Square.

Tahrir Square (Liberation Square) is a major public town square.

It has been the location and focus for political demonstrations.

The most notable is the Arab Spring gathering that led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 10

  DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is filled with unusual buildings that feature cheap clothing shops or cafes on the ground floor, storage for that retail on the next floor, low-cost apartments next, then a floor or two of tourist class hotels.

All within the elegance of a fading building that, if located in Paris, would have one million dollar apartments, rather than the rent controlled units that go for a few hundred per month.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 9

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Egyptians love their food, and the center of town offers it in abundance.

There are cheap chains and independent holes-in-the-wall that have been kept in the family for generations.

As millennials and hipsters begin to revive Downtown Cairo with their presence, you’ll also find some gourmet gems.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 8

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

A stroll through the district takes pedestrians past buildings that meld Islamic and European motifs, neo-classical columns and ornate decorations.

But its elegance and prestige are fading, as the one-way streets and former palaces fall into ruin and shops selling cheap clothes and odds and ends have moved in.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 7

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Historically a meeting place for the upper crust and intellectuals, it’s no surprise that there are several spots to have a drink in Downtown Cairo. 

Don’t expect mixology and million-dollar interiors, though. 

The charm of downtown watering holes is the wear and tear on the historic spaces and the no-frills experiences.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 6

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown is a shared meeting point for Cairenes of every age and socioeconomic background. 

Built in the late 19th century, Downtown Cairo is still home to architectural gems from Egypt’s ‘belle epoque’ and streets designed with pedestrians in mind.

The area has become a lot more crowded, especially among the city’s younger citizens, who head there to eat, shop and visit art spaces and cinemas.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 5

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is haunted by fading classics such as Café Riche, which opened in 1908 and has been a meeting place for intellectuals and revolutionaries.

Downtown’s cafes witnessed many historically significant events over the 20th century. 

Patrons included the iconic Egyptian Nobel Prize winner and novelist Naguib Mahfouz and the then-future president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 4

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo was once home to the prosperous elite of late 19th and early 20th century.

It is a relic of a bygone era — Egypt's belle epoque and demonstrates the vision for developing Egypt.

Decades of neglect by the neighborhood's landlords and tenants have left the splendor of many its ornate edifices mired in decay.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 3

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Discovering Downtown Cairo: Architecture and Stories is a highly-recommended book about the fading glory and hope for the future. 

The guide presents a detailed survey of the plans and typologies of apartment buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in downtown Cairo. 

It also maps the changes in use of these spaces over time and shares some of the inhabitants' stories.

https://www.jovis.de/en/books/details/product/discovering-downtown-cairo.html

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 2

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

The Radio Cinema was opened in 1948. 

This impressive cinema features a large office block above the entrance and retail spaces on either side. 

One passes beneath a towering original neon-ornamented vertical sign tower and marquee which appears to be partly original and partly a fairly recent Post-Modern Neo-Classical redo. 

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 1

DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo was designed by prestigious French architects who were commissioned by Khedive Ismail during his visit to Paris.

He wanted to make the Egyptian Kingdom capital better than Paris and to be the jewel of the orient. 

He stressed the importance of European style urban planning in Cairo, to include broad, linear gridded streets, geometric harmony and modern European architectural style

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (13)

 ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

The souk, set among fading grand apartment buildings, is a blur of activity from dawn to dusk.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (12)

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Colors take on a magical tone as dusk approaches over the market in the chilly Mediterranean spring.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (11)

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Deliveries are more likely to arrive via mule or horse carriage than by truck or van.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (10)

 ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Pathways are so narrow, you have to watch out – lest you knock over the bounty on display.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (9)

 ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Tourists are rarely spotted at the locals market.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (8)

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Flour, water, salt, heat and love + bake till heavenly.

PRODUCE AND MEAT MARKET SOUK (7)

  ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Give us our daily bread.

This is a whole grain pita-type bread.

It is baked in a fiery oven streetside.