A new architectural guidebook, Cairo Since 1900, authored by Mohamed Elshahed, curator and founder of the Cairobserver blog, offers a gripping exploration of Cairo’s tumultuous urban history.
Released in 2020, the book chronicles 226 buildings—some standing, others demolished, and a few never built—revealing a city shaped by grand visions, political upheaval, and rampant demolition.
Elshahed’s work, born from years of sifting through disorganized archives, serves as both a record of Cairo’s architectural past and a plea to preserve its overlooked 20th-century heritage.
The Abandoned Forte Tower: A Symbol of Stalled Ambition
Dominating Cairo’s skyline in the affluent Zamalek district, the 166-meter Forte Tower, unfinished since the 1970s, stands as Egypt’s tallest building—and a stark reminder of unfulfilled dreams.
Launched under President Anwar Sadat, the tower was meant to anchor a “new Manhattan” on Gezira Island, boasting a 450-room hotel, restaurants, shops, and a nightclub.
Sadat’s assassination in 1981 derailed the project, and under President Hosni Mubarak, legal battles over permits left it abandoned. Today, a lone showroom with outdated furnishings haunts the empty structure.
“This building sums up the Egyptian way,” Elshahed said, “A developer gets direct permission from the president, then another president comes in with his own circle of businessmen who want a piece of the cake. The project is abandoned.”
Heritage Under Threat
Elshahed’s book highlights a troubling trend: Cairo’s 20th-century buildings are vanishing before they can be protected.
Egyptian heritage laws require structures to be 100 years old for preservation status, creating a loophole for owners to demolish or damage buildings preemptively.
Elshahed describes a “lucrative clandestine business” where techniques like flooding foundations or injecting acid accelerate decay to secure demolition permits.
With Egypt’s 7,000-year history overshadowing recent architecture, he notes, “The history of modernism has been mostly swept under the rug.”
A Century of Eclectic Styles
Cairo Since 1900 showcases the city’s architectural diversity, reflecting shifting political agendas:
- Early 1900s: European architects crafted Neo-Mamluk designs to align with local context.
- 1950s-60s: President Nasser’s era saw bold modernist and brutalist experiments.
- 1970s: A vernacular revival emerged, followed by postmodern nods to ancient Egypt.
- Unrealized Visions: Sci-fi-inspired projects that never left the drawing board.
Standout examples include Sayed Karim’s Ouzounian Building (1949) and Zamalek Tower (1953), featuring concrete and sun-shading fins, and his playful Merryland park with concrete canopies.
Gamal Bakry’s Villa Badran (1971) resembles a Flintstones-inspired monolith, while Hassan Rashdan’s Al-Rahma mosque (1982) fuses an octagonal pyramid with a dome.
Ahmed Mito’s Supreme Constitutional Court (1999) exaggerates ancient Egyptian motifs with oversized temple columns.
Egyptian Modernism’s Legacy
Elshahed emphasizes that Egyptian modernists, like Karim, who founded the Arabic-language journal Al Emara in 1939, focused on local materials and practical construction rather than Western stylistic trends.
“Egyptian modernists were not obsessed with the idea of style,” he said. Yet, this pragmatic approach has led to their work being undervalued by historians and architects alike.
A Fading Architectural Voice
Despite Egypt’s current construction boom, including a new capital and satellite cities, Elshahed laments the diminishing role of architects.
“There’s almost no presence of architects in public life,” he said, noting that elites now hide behind gated communities, limiting architecture’s societal impact.
This divide underscores a broader challenge: ensuring Cairo’s urban fabric reflects its rich history.
A Call for Preservation
Elshahed’s book is a wake-up call for Egyptians to rediscover their city’s 20th-century architecture before more is lost.
As Cairo grapples with rapid development, Cairo Since 1900 urges policymakers, architects, and citizens to protect the city’s layered heritage, ensuring its chaotic yet vibrant past informs its future.
