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The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo

Its Fortress, Churches, Synagogue, and Mosque

Sherif Sonbol illustrator Carolyn Ludwig editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:The American University in Cairo Press

Published:29th Apr '13

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The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo cover

A celebration of the history of religious life in the early Egyptian capital, in text and pictures

Just to the south of modern Cairo stands the historic enclave known as Old Cairo, which grew up in and around the Roman fortress of Babylon, and which today hosts a unique collection of monuments that attest to the shared cultural heritage of ancient Egyptians, Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
In this lavishly illustrated celebration of a very special place, renowned photographer Sherif Sonbol’s remarkable images of the fortress, churches, synagogue, and mosque illuminate the living fabric of the ancient and medieval stones, while the text describes the history of Old Cairo from the time of the ancient Egyptians and the Romans to the founding of the first Muslim city of al-Fustat, focusing on the Jewish history of the area (exploring the famous Genizah documents found in the Ben Ezra Synagogue that tell so much about everyday life in medieval Egypt), the early Coptic Christian churches, some of the oldest in the world, and the arrival of the Muslims in the seventh century, their establishment of al-Fustat on the edge of Old Cairo, and the building of the oldest mosque in Africa.

"Cairo is not only the crossroads of civilizations and the cradle of Arab nationalism and of Islam, it is also a multi-dimensional mosaic of religions and religious heritage. Carolyn Ludwig has captured these textured layers of past and present in this delightful book that focuses on Old Cairo. The pictures are magnificent. Each alley and byway comes alive. The scholarly articles artfully explain and envelope the history and majesty of the mosques, churches, and synagogue. Ms. Ludwig draws the reader into the mystery and allure of Cairo."--Daniel Kurtzer, former US ambassador to Egypt "Old Cairo encompasses a rich treasure of history, tradition, and culture and houses the world's most profound collection of ancient Egyptian, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic heritage, representing every historical era. This deeply informative and illustrated volume explains and illuminates the aesthetic and the religious importance of Old Cairo: the authors have crafted a very timely book for anyone interested in Old Cairo's rich religious tradition, an excellent eye opener to a shared cultural history that is seemingly crucial for all of us to be cognizant of."Dr Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt "A wonderful book with lovely photographs that take us into the heart of this special area ... The text is detailed and scholarly, while Sherif Sonbol's photographs and Morris Jackson's design are exquisite, bringing the area and its history alive. This book is truly a collaborative effort, fitting for an area so rich in the history of so many people."--Egypt Today

  • Commended for PROSE (Architecture) 2013

ISBN: 9789774164590

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 2477g

336 pages