Sounds of Cairo

SOUNDS OF CAIRO

The German University in Cairo Architecture and Urban Design Spring Semester 2016

Ahmed Morsi

The Other Maps of Cairo Under the supervision of Nermin El-Sherif

CONTENTS

Abstract

2

Stage 1: Cairene districts and historical timeline manifested in advertisments

4

Stage 2: Expressions of Cairo

8

Stage 3: Sounds of Cairo

14

1

ABSTRACT Over the past couple of centuries numerous districts in Greater Cairo have been generated in different eras each with very different historical circumstances. These districts are mainly a result of lack of an overall vision for Cairo and rapidly changing governments each with their own political agenda. Today, after years of transformation, Cairo has become a catalogue of city fabrics patched together having immensely different atmospheres and with varying architectural and social undertones.

In my work, I present a subjective portrayal of three of Cairo’s districts: Downtown Cairo (ca. 1900), Nasr City (ca. 1960) and New Cairo (ca. 2000) by means of a layer often overlooked in conventional architectural mapping methods: sound.

Occasionally, walking down a street or simply sitting in a cafĂŠ, I suddenly find myself involuntarily included in very intimate discussions by strangers who at the time think no one can hear. That level of intimacy and sanctuary felt by the users is something I believe is an indicator of successful public space. Not only that but the ambience can be an indicator of the social background of the users as well as the functional nature of the place; aspects that differ immensely as you meander through the streets/ districts of Cairo.

In this project, I map sound experienced in the three focus areas in an effort to expose a layer that is very representative of and a major contributor to the atmosphere of a space. By means of one-minute recordings made in different places in each district, I narrowed the selection down to five recordings in each of the districts which -in my eyes- reflect on the socio-economic, cultural and functional nature of the three districts.

At first glance of the installation, all sounds play concurrently resulting in a chaotic combination of sound, speech, music and even religious chants.

However, on closer inspection -with the use of hearing cones- one can make clear distinctions of each of the sounds unconsciously forming personal judgments on each of the three districts. This, in a way, captures the overall essence of Cairo.

This booklet serves as documentation of my research and progression throughout this course.

2

Egyptian advertisements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries

3

STAGE 1

Cairene districts and historical timeline manifested in advertisments Something I believe is unique to Cairo -among other aspects- is the array of districts patched together offering architectural and atmospheric juxtaposition within minimal travelling distance. I have always found this to be an interesting aspect worth researching and decided it was a fundamental aspect to my research and outcome.

From Downtown Cairo to Nasr City and even New Cairo, each of the districts is linked to a specific mindset whether it be following a political agenda or simply a changing society: Eurocentric view of downtown, Socialist propaganda and social housing of Nasr City and finally the American gated suburban lifestyle of New Cairo.

As a first attempt to explore the differences between these districts, I decided to explore the realm of advertising as I am a firm believer advertisments tell a lot about society whether it be a realistic reflection of what society is or an image of what society aims to be.

In an attempt to make sense of why people were rapidly moving to these new districts (ie. Zamalek in the 1930s, Mohandeseen in the 1970s, New Cairo in the 2010s) I decided to explore advertisments produced in the respective decades in an attempt to link the image of society in these times to the actual architectural quality of these places (ie. elegant lifestyle of downtown Cairo, modern lifestyle of Nasr City, exclusive lifestyle of New Cairo).

4

Linking place and time

MOHAMED ALI STREET

26TH OF JULY

ABBAS AL AKKAD

STREET 9

STREET AS PRIMARY FORM OF PUBLIC SPACE 7

STAGE 2

Expressions of Cairo Something that Cairo generally lacks is designed public space. Over the past few years there has been an effort to change that as well as extensive research done on the public space that does already exist.

Lack of designed public space means there must be an outlet for human expression and interaction and in the case of Cairo, the street has become the stage for public expression.

Following some research about The Situaniolists and a psycheographic mapping exercise in Mohamed Ali street, I decided to shift my focus from comparing districts through advertising to something more related to the actual felt atmosphere in different spaces: dialogue. I believe the discussions one overhears as they maneuver through a street is a major contributor to the atmosphere of a place as well as an indicator of the: social background of the users, functional nature of the place (commercial, industrial...etc.), level of intimacy/comfort felt by the users.

My research was focused on four streets in four different districts I believe are usually marginalized when it comes to research on Cairo: Mohamed Ali street, 26th of July, Abbas El Akkad, Street 9.

In the following page is the result of my recording of expressions heard walking down Mohamed Ali street and then presented is the final outcome of this exercise manifested in the comparison between Mohamed Ali street in Old Cairo and Abbas El Akkad street in Nasr City.

Below are some remarks made following field recording.

MOHAMED ALI STREET

ABBAS EL AKKAD STREET

-Male-dominated.

-Loud obscenities.

-More colloquial expressions.

-Dialogue/expressions related to craftsmanship/furniture making.

-Unvarying social demographic.

-Uninvited attention. (Approached more than once)

-Greater female-male ratio.

-Most dialogue about money/clothing products. (Commercial) -Emergence of beggar, Bawab, Sayes. (varying social demographic) -Presence of more than one social class: service phenomenon -Was not approached/ asked what I’m doing/ stared at.

8

Mohamed Ali Street mapping

9

10

‫ﺗﺎﻟﺖ ﻣﺤﻞ ﻋﻠﯽ اﻟﺸﻤﺎل‬

‫ﺷﻮﻓﻠﯽ ﻣﮑﺎن آﮐﻞ ﻓﯿﻪ ﻋﯿﺶ‬

‫ﺧﺎﯾﻒ ﻣﻨﻪ وﻻ اﯾﻪ‬

‫ﺷﯿﻞ اﻟﺠﺮار ﺣﻂ ﻣﮑﺎﻧﻪ اﻟﻨﯿﺶ‬

‫اﺗﻔﻀﻠﻮا ﯾﺎ رﺟﺎﻟﮥ‬

‫ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽ ﯾﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺘﺼﻮر اﯾﻪﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﻣﻤﻨﻮع‬ ‫ﮐﺎﺑﺘﻦ‬

‫ﻏﻮري ﯾﺎ ﺑﺖ‬

‫ﺧﺎﻟﺪ‬

‫ﯾﺎ رﯾﺲ‬

‫اﻟﺴﻼم ﻋﻠﯿﮑﻢ‬

‫ﻣﺘﺸﮑﺮﯾﻦ ﯾﺎ اﺑﻨﯽ‬

‫ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽ ﯾﺎ ﺑﺖ‬

‫ﯾﺎ ﺑﺖ ﻣﯿﮥ ﻣﯿﮥ‬

‫ﻗﻠﺘﻠﻪ ﻻ ده ﻣﺶ ﺣﺸﯿﺶ‬

‫اﻗﻔﻞ اﻟﺤﻨﻔﯿﮥ ﯾﺎﺳﻄﯽ‬

‫ﺑﺘﻘﻔﻞ اﻟﺒﺎب ﻟﯿﻪ ﻫﻮ اﻟﻠﯽ ﯾﻤﺸﯽ‬ ‫ﺧﺪ ﯾﺎ واد اﻟﻔﺮﺧﮥ‬

‫ﺗﻤﺎم ﯾﺎ رﺟﺎﻟﮥ‬

‫اﻗﺴﻢ ﺑﺎﷲ‬

‫وﻻ ﻣﯿﺎه‬ ‫أﻧﺎ ﻻ ﺷﻔﺘﻪ وﻻ اﻋﺮﻓﻪ ﻧﻮر ّ‬ ‫ﻫﻘﻠﻌﮏ اﻟﺒﻨﻄﻠﻮن ﻓﯽ ﻧﺺ اﻟﺸﺎرع‬

‫اﻟﺴﯿﺪة ﻋﯿﺸﮥ‬ ‫ﻣﺶ اﻧﺎ ﻗﻮﻟﺘﻠﮏ ﺗﺠﯿﻠﯽ اﻟﺼﺒﺢ‬

‫راﯾﺤﮥ ﻋﻠﯽ ﻓﯿﻦ‬

‫ﻣﻤﻨﻮع‬

‫واﷲ اﻟﻌﻈﯿﻢ ﺗﻼﺗﮥ‬

‫ﻃﺎزة ﯾﺎ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ اﻟﺴﻼم ﻋﻠﯿﮑﻢ‬ ‫اﯾﻮة ﯾﺎ ﺑﺮﻧﺲ‬

‫ﻣﺤﻞ‬

‫ﻫﻮ ﻋﯿﺪ اﻷم اﻣﺘﯽ؟ اﻧﺎ ﻟﻮ ﻣﻌﺎﯾﮥ ﻣﮑﻨﮥ اﻋﻤﻠﻮا‬ ‫اﻋﺪي اﻟﺸﺎرع ﺧﺪ ﯾﺎد‬ ‫ﯾﺎﻣﺎ اﻟﺨﺮﯾﻄﮥ ﻓﻨﺎن ﺳﺎﻋﺪﻧﯽ ﯾﺎ اﺑﻨﯽ ّ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﺧﺪ اﻧﻀﻒ ﺣﺎﺟﮥ اﺗﺼﻞ رﺣﺖ ﻗﻮﻟﺘﻠﻪ ﻷ دي ﻣﺰورة ﻣﺎﺳﮏ ّ‬

‫ﯾﻼ ﯾﺎه‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ّ‬

‫ﻫﻮ ﺑﺲ ﯾﻔﺘﺢ اﻟﻤﺤﻞ ده‬

‫ﺗﻌﺮف ﻗﺼﮥ اﻟﺠﺎﻣﻊ ده؟‬

‫وﻟﯿﺪ‬ ‫اوﻋﯽ ﯾﺎه‬

‫ﺑﺘﻌﻤﻞ اﯾﻪ ﯾﺎ ﮐﺎﺑﺘﻦ‬

‫ﻃﺎزة‬

‫‪11‬‬

‫‪Mohamed Ali Street result‬‬

‫ﻋﻠﻲ ﻓﻜﺮة‬

‫ﻣﻦ ﻋﻨﻴﺔ‬

‫ورﻳﻨﻲ ده ﻛﺪه‬

‫ﺑﺲ ﻟﻒ ﺑﻘﻲ اﻟﻌﺠﻞ‬

‫ﻣﺴﺎء اﻟﺨﻴﺮ‬

‫ﻫﻜﺴﺮﻟﻚ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ ‫ادﻳﺘﻪ ال‪ 300‬ﺟﻨﻴﻪ؟‬

‫ﻷ ﻛﺎن ﺷﻜﻠﻪ ﺣﻠﻮ‬

‫ﻳﻜﻔﻴﻜﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺮ اﻟﻤﺮض‬

‫ﻳﺎ ﺑﺎﺑﺎ‬

‫ﺑﺄﻧﺰل اﻟﺸﻐﻞ ‪ 9‬اﻟﺼﺒﺢ‬

‫ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻲ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺎرو‬

‫ﺷﺎرع اﻧﺒﻲ‬

‫اﻟﺒﻨﻄﻠﻮن اﻟﺠﻴﻨﺰ ب‪ 250‬ﺟﻨﻴﻪ‬

‫اﻧﻬﻲ ﺟﺎﻛﻴﺖ؟‬

‫ﻣﺎﻣﺎ ﻋﺎﻳﺰة اﻟﺤﻠﻖ ده‬

‫ﻳﺎ ﺑﻨﺘﻲ‬

‫اﺻﺒﺮ ﻋﺸﺎن ﻣﺘﺪﻟﻘﺶ أﺧﺮ اﻟﺸﺎرع؟‬

‫ﺑﺄﻧﺰل ‪ 3:30‬و أرﺟﻊ ‪ 3‬ﺑﻠﻴﻞ ﻷ ﺑﻴﺤﺮ ﻗﻮي ﺑﻌﺪ اذﻧﻚ ﻳﺎ أﺳﺘﺎذة‬ ‫ﻣﺴﻚ ﺑﺘﺎع اﻟﻜﺎﺷﻴﺮ ﺿﺮﺑﻪ و ﻗﺎل ﻟﻪ اﻧﺖ ﺣﺮاﻣﻲ ‪ 3:30‬ﺑﺪري ﻗﻮي ﻫﺄﻃﻠﻊ و ارﻛﻨﻲ ﻣﻜﺎﻧﻲ‬

‫ﺑﺲ اﻧﺎ ﻛﻨﺖ ﻋﺎﻳﺰة اﺗﺄﻛﺪ ﻣﺶ ﻗﻮي ﻳﻌﻨﻲ واﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ‬

‫واﻟﻠﻪ اﺗﺤﺎﻳﻠﻨﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬

‫اﻧﺖ ﻛﺬاﺑﺔ‬

‫اﻫﺪي ﺷﻮﻳﺔ‬

‫ﻋﻨﺪه ﻋﺼﺎﻳﺮ ﺣﻠﻮة‬

‫اﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺻﻠﻲ ﻋﺎﻟﻨﺒﻲ‬

‫اﻳﻮة ﻳﺎ ﺑﻨﺘﻲ واﻟﻠﻪ‬

‫ﺗﺤﻔﺔ‬

‫ﺣﻠﻮ؟‬

‫ﻣﻌﺎﻛﻲ ﻓﻠﻮس ﻛﻔﺎﻳﺔ؟‬

‫‪12‬‬

‫‪Abbas El Akkad Street result‬‬

DOWNTOWN

NASR CITY

NEW CAIRO

13

STAGE 3 Sounds of Cairo

In an attempt to broaden my research, I decided to map not only dialogue but sound itself as an entity. The overall ambience of a place tells a lot and is one of several elements that engage the senses and helps transform a physical place to a space that is actually experienced.

Realizing Cairo is a city too large to map such a specific component, I decided to limit my research to three districts: Downtown Cairo, Nasr City and New Cairo. These three districts were chosen mainly due to the fact that they are three case studies perfectly representative of three political, economic and architectural ideologies in three different eras. Another reason is simply because they are three districts of Cairo I know best and visit regularly following my belief that mapping has been and always will be a subjective reflection of the author’s own point of view from the choice of what to map to the choice of method of mapping.

By means of one-minute recordings made in different places in each district, I narrowed the selection down to five recordings in each of the districts which -in my eyes- reflect on the socio-economic, cultural and functional nature of the three districts.

At first glance of the installation, all sounds play concurrently resulting in a chaotic combination of sound, speech, music and even religious chants.

However, on closer inspection -with the use of hearing cones- one can make clear distinctions of each of the sounds unconsciously forming personal judgments on each of the three districts. This, in a way, captures the overall essence of Cairo.

14

DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN

Focus Areas

NASR CITY NASR CITY

15

NEW CAIRO

16

Initial Downtown data collection

17

18

19

FINAL OUTCOME

20

Inside Zawya Cinema

1

3/4/16 9:15 pm

El Alfy Pedestrian Street

2

3/4/16 11:42 pm

Souq El Attaba

3

24/4/16 1:23 pm

D-Caf Sha’abi Concert at the Greek Campus

4

15/4/16 11:22 pm

Ahwa Near Mohamed Naguib Metro Station

5 Final selection of 1-minute recordings

3/4/16 8:56 pm

21

DOWNTOWN CAIRO At first glance one encounters the hustle and bustle of Downtown’s busy streets, its numerous pedestrian pathways dotted with hundreds of ‘Ahwa’s and street food vendors playing a loud mix of Arabic music and Qur’an.

Existing harmoniously in parallel are institutions catering to an entirely different clientele: Art-House film venues, art exhibitions, trendy cafés, underground art festivals. This juxtaposition gives way to a unique experience of Downtown Cairo.

Digital mapping method

22

City Stars Mall

6

15/4/16 6:04 pm

Abbas El Akkad Athan

7

8

25/3/16 4:10 pm

Abbas El Akkad Street Fight 25/3/16 4:30 pm

El Serag Mall 19/4/16 2:26 pm

9 Park in the 8th District 19/4/16 2:05 pm

10 Final selection of 1-minute recordings

23

NASR CITY The mall first debuted in Egypt in Nasr City quickly opening a competitive market with newer, bigger and more international malls opening every year (Serag and City Stars as one of the first and last grand malls of Nasr City).

Lack of sufficient stakeholder analysis during Nasr City’s planning has resulted in scarce supply of mosques which in turn resulted in the informal construction of corner mosques. The sound of the Athan is today a distinct feature of Nasr City drowning all other city noises during prayer times. Existing in parallel are the tens of unused gated green parks dotting Nasr City.

Digital mapping method

24

Downtown Mall

11

22/4/16 10:29 pm

Street 90

12

22/4/16 10:40 pm

Seven Stars Mall

13

22/4/16 11:00 pm

Desert Strip Near Petrified Forest

14

21/4/16 4:09 pm

The German University in Cairo

15 Final selection of 1-minute recordings

21/4/16 3:58 pm

25

NEW CAIRO The New Cairo experience is unique to each user simply because unlike the two other case studies, New Cairo was planned on the principle of exclusivity. An array of gated communities and gated university campuses stacked along highways with seemingly exclusive entertainment hubs tucked inbetween make up the general New Cairo experience. However, scattered zones serving the working class of New Cairo serve as a reminder of the increasing class division. Equally expressive are the remaining patches of neglected desert land disclosing the original landscape of New Cairo.

Digital mapping method

26

Installation

27

28