Recent book studies the religious dimension of architecture
Walking through the narrow streets of Zamalek or Garden City, I often stop for a moment, taken aback by the architectural detail of an old building. The contrast between the delicate detail of the arched entrances, the balcony balustrades, or the decorated facades of the old architects compared to the straight no-nonsense lines of the newer building, allows one a glimpse of the romance in architectural history.
“Enter in Peace, a recently published photographic book release by the American University in Cairo Press, focuses on one aspect of Cairo’s architectural past: doorways. Author Ahmed Abdel-Gawad chronicles – in surprising detail – the doors and entrances to Cairo’s old neighborhoods.
“In Cairo, Abdel-Gawad writes in his introduction, “doors are an integral part of the entrances of both religious structures, such as mosques, khanqahs, and tikiyas, and secular buildings such as public baths, street fountains, khans, hospital, schools, and residential buildings.
Aside from the photographic examples Abdel-Gawad includes in his book, his thesis is interesting. He explains the role faith plays in architecture. Sunna, he points out, guides Muslims in all aspects of their lives, including architecture; from the construction of buildings to the type of decoration they feature.
“In traditional urban Islamic societies, building and their doorways reflect both a utilitarian and a spiritual vision, and Cairo doorways of the 19th and 20th centuries are clear examples of this synthesis, he writes.
“Doorways have long held special significance in Muslim societies, where homes are entered with the greeting al-salam alaykum (peace be upon you). Years ago it was customary in Egypt to inscribe on doorways lintels (a beam or stone supporting the weight above the door) the Qur’anic inscription, ‘Enter in peace.’
This photographic book is unique in so many aspects. As the author points out, rather than focusing on the building details of Khedive Ismail’s Cairo – as most architectural historians are apt to do – he tackles the doorways of 19th- and early 20th-century homes of the middle class in the older neighborhoods of the city.
Moreover, Abdel-Gawad is a professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cairo University and holds a degree in philosophy, neither of which makes him a typical candidate to write a book on architectural history.
The American University in Cairo Press has released a series of photographic books this year, but they seem to have abandoned their requirement for outstanding photography – which turns out to be the most disappointing aspect of the book.
Page after page of drab, gray photographs fail to grab the reader’s attention. It takes considerable effort to discern the intricate details of the doorways. Given that the publishers felt the topic deserved a book, it seems contradictory that the subjects of the photographs were not given due attention. Rather than cataloguing over 160 photographs, this would have been a good time to chose quality over quantity.
It’s a shame really. Abdel-Gawad’s passion for his subject is evident in the details he uncovers. He includes descriptive comments on the houses’ original owners and dates of construction, which must have been the result of extensive research, digging through archives of tax records and historical documents.
While an architectural enthusiast might flip through the pages of the book, pausing briefly to scan the captions of the photographs, it will hold be of more interest to architectural and design students. The prose reads more like a college lecture, which might be a consequence of the author’s position as a university professor. He does not ease the reader into the subject, but rather begins as if it were a continuation in a series of lectures on architectural history. Again, it’s a departure from AUC Press’ recent publications.
While it is surprising that doorways could garner someone’s interest and efforts, it does provide a photographic record of Cairo’s vanishing architectural history. The intricate stucco crowning doorways survive only as shadows of their former selves on dilapidated buildings. Entrances of buildings and apartments no longer carry the same architectural significance as their predecessors. Today’s doorways feature brass name plaques or ceramic tiles featuring verses from the Quran.
While we can’t hold on to the past in any tangible way, Abdel-Gawad’s documentation of Cairo’s doorways allows us to hold on to the spirit of the city’s fading architectural heritage.
Enter in Peace: The Doorways of Cairo Homes 1872-1950By Ahmed Abdel-GawadThe American University in Cairo Press, 2007
Available at local bookshops.
