Nostalgic Visits

Thursday, as usual, I had Arabic class to start the day.  We had an exam, and then Hassnaa took us to a restaurant where we had to use Arabic.  Also, we were surrounded by children as we walked over to the restaurant.  They followed us and were constantly trying to speak with us.  After class, me, Zack, and Nick went to downtown Cairo to visit some historical establishments.  Our first stop was the Yacoubian Building, which is the subject of one of the books we have to read.  Once a home for elite Cairenes,  the building has since lost its glamor. 

Then, we went to Groppi, which is a famous desert place that used to be among the most elegant and popular establishments in Cairo.  Groppi was also part of one of our books, The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit, and while it was a glorious venue in the early 20th century, it has certainly lost its allure.  Although it is in a prime location, it is unfortunately empty.  Dirty chandeliers that once were beautiful adorn the ceiling, and the marble floor that once had tables and tables full of elites and foreign officers now lays barren.  It was rather sad to see how drastically this establishment has changed in the last 50 years.  As it was a success of the colonial era, Groppi was targeted by the Nasser regime and since the 1950's it has had a steady decline.

We then went to Lehnert and Landrock, a famous bookstore and photo gallery.  It had an amazing collection of old photographs of old Cairo, the pyramids, Alexandria, etc.  After being in the gallery for quite a while, we proceeded to go eat at another Groppi location.  This other Groppi has a large courtyard that is also quite beautiful.  However, once again, the place was empty, the food poor, and the elegance of the past, unfortunately gone.  It is evident that the Cairo of the 1930's and 1940's no longer exists.  The sort of posh elite that frequented Groppi no longer exists.  However, I believe that if someone invested money, and attempted to reestablish it as it was in its glory days, Groppi could become quite popular once again, if only among tourists and nostalgics.

When then went to Midan Opera, where there is a statue of Ibrahim Pasha.  In the days of cosmopolitan Cairo, the statue had the beautiful backdrop of the majestic opera, but now an unattractive and bland government building takes its place.  I also saw a couple of old movie theaters named the Metro and the Miami.  These cinemas were very famous and illustrious, yet now they are look extremely worn.  Overall, I get the feeling that Cairo was an incredibly magnificent and classy city in the early 20th century, but it has lost its grandeur and now only a few vestiges of that eminent past remain.

At night, I went with a few friends and the professors to an Oud music performance.  An oud is a stringed instrument that is common in traditional Middle-Eastern music.  Nassir Shama was amazing in his performance.  The music really reminded me of flamenco music, as there definitely are similarities, and possibly flamenco could have been influenced by this type of Arabic music, as Andalucia was dominated by the Moors at one point in history.  I really enjoyed the show, which was at the Culture Wheel.  This venue is under a main road, but nevertheless, it is a very intimate and lively place. 

The day was incredible as I got to see the remains of once-great establishments that I have read about.  I would love to be able to somehow see Cairo during its glory years, but I feel as though these places at least give you a sense of the city that was once called the "Paris of Africa".