Cairo is a city of many treasures; historical sites, ancient places of worship of all major religions and even the last surviving ancient wonder of the world are sprinkled around its neighbourhoods. There are many ways to explore this richness but arguably the best is on foot. A stroll across a section of town can easily lead you to discover hidden gems like tiny workshops that you would have missed otherwise.
One of those walks starts in Ataba and leads to the very end of El-Moez Street. When you bring a guidebook you will find out the history of the many old buildings, mosques and other historically significant buildings. But when you have the eye of a photographer you will find the beauty that is hiding in the smallest of details.
Photos by Bishoy Beshara
Characteristic old street signs and graffiti struggle for space on a wall, as history does with modern times (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah has a large, white marble courtyard that is a favourite place for pigeons to congregate and for little boys to chase them (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
A detail of a lantern that adorns the courtyard of the Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Mosque that features a part of a verse of the Quran that describes the light of God (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
A little antique shop in El-Moez Street (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
El-Moez Street is home to vendors of anything and everything colourful, blinking and shiny (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
Residents carve out a living with the aid of the simplest of tools, such as this man seen carrying a questionable ladder on his head through the alleys flanking the mosque (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
Patterns carved in the minaret wall (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
The walls that make up the outside of the minaret of Bawabet el Metwaly are covered with carved patterns and verses of the Quran (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
Stairs twisting their way towards the heavens (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
While the view on top of the Bawabet El-Metwally is lofty, on ground level everyone is going about their day (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
The towering tops of the Bawabet El-Metwally (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
The tools of the trade of a carpenter who fills his days with carving wooden feet for sofas (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
Several buildings have been renovated, such as this structure, where restored and original arches seemingly jockey for position (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
This carefully gouged out panel has a twin that sports the mirror image. When fastened together molten metal is poured in the top to make a faucet. (Photo by Bishoy Beshara)
