Street scene in Cairo

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is estimated to have over 15 million inhabitants, and more people are constantly flocking from the countryside into the city, which continues to expand into the desert like a tumour. While the Mokattam Hills set a boundary on one side, the Pyramids of Giza have long since been reached by the suburbs. In Cairo, four thousand years of history also merge in the most diverse architectural styles into a colourful muddle. Not far from modern hotels and congested main roads, you can still find districts that exude an original, Arabic charm. There is a lively bustle on the muddy streets; children play, busy craftsmen work in their small shops, and in the tea houses, men sit with sweet peppermint tea and the obligatory water pipe. The desert lays a dusty layer of haze and dirt over the entire city, as if marking its claim to the land. The skyline is defined by the minarets of countless mosques, from which the chants of the muezzins swell into a multi-voiced canon five times a day.

All images from the ‘World Images’ edition