Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide

Cairo’s historic center contains “the most concentrated, the most numerous, the most varied collection of monuments in the Islamic world,” Caroline Williams reminds readers in this updated, seventh edition of her classic guide. This comprehensive and compact edition is easily totable in a backpack or hip pocket. The guide is indispensable for exploring Cairo’s architectural and cultural history, from its founding era in the seventh century CE to the Ottoman period (16th through early 20th century) and beyond. Williams reports that since the book’s last edition was published in 2008, old residences “have been rescued from oblivion,” while the cleaning and restoration of many monuments, such as the 13th-century tomb of Shajarat al-Durr, with its glorious mosaics, have been made “beautiful and delightful” and “visible once more.” Sadly, other sites such as the 14th-century Mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani have suffered neglect or damage. Loaded with practical information and details, this title remains unmatched.