Architects find in doors of Old Cairo buildings historic value

Ayman noted that Khedivial Cairo was inspired by architectural styles from France and Italy. These include Art Deco characterized by precise clear lines and geometric shapes, Art Nouveau showing curved lines and botanical shapes, along with the baroque style, the classical style and the modern Islamic styles, too.

She sought to organize tours in the streets of Cairo, but was unable to do so in light of the spread of the coronavirus. She is planning to issue a collection of the photos taken within the scope of the project. “This collection will not only enumerate the architectural features of each door, but will tell the story of the door by recounting the story of its owner,” Ayman said. She is also planning to organize an art exhibition to display the photos of the project.

Architect Mohamed Nasser told Al-Monitor, “Cairo has witnessed over the past years more than one project of visual documentation of ancient architecture. Artists Manar Moursi and David Puig published [in 2015] a book titled ‘Sidewalk Salon,’ which includes 1,001 pictures of various types of chairs found in front of cafes and buildings across Cairo.”

He said, “Doors are at the entrance to buildings, and they form, with the facade, a painting expressing a certain time period and representing the history of the building since its construction.”

Nasser noted that the old neighborhoods such as al-Khalifah and al-Sayeda Zeinab contain buildings dating back to the 18th century. “The design of the doors of these buildings differs from the design of the doors of buildings built in the modern era,” he said. “Each era has its own artistic and architectural styles. Add to this the writings and inscriptions on the facades of the buildings. Each style expresses the culture of its era, which in turn tell a separate story.”

He added that al-Darb al-Ahmar district in Cairo contains buildings whose facades and doors are adorned by the Star of David, which indicates that these buildings were previously inhabited by Jews. “This shows that the design of the doors sometimes identifies the inhabitants of the buildings. Doors’ designs recount the history of buildings and their residents.”

Salah Adel, administrator of the Historic Cairo Facebook page, told Al-Monitor, “While some like visiting crowded museums and archaeological monuments in Cairo, others prefer touring the streets of Cairo to look at the facades and doors of old buildings.”

He said that the aim of the tours in the streets of Cairo is to document doors, learn about the aesthetic features of each of them and identify the era of their construction. “This is in addition to photographing the facades of the buildings, and posting the photos on social media to motivate others to visit the streets where such buildings are located.”

Adel stressed the need to preserve ancient doors as a national wealth. “They form part of the architectural heritage of the buildings where they are located,” he said. “We must support ideas that allow us to uncover hidden aspects of Cairo that carry numerous aesthetic and historical values.”