Cairo from Edge to Edge

Rating:
Summary: Nicely captures modern Cairo
Review: Photography books of contemporary Egypt (as opposed to Pharaonic Egypt) are few and far between, and if nothing else this slim volume is an inexpensive and welcome addition. This is not a book for the tourist or Egyptology fan, but rather a book that will best be appreciated by Cairenes, both Egyptian and foreign, and those more familiar with daily life in modern Egypt. The black-and-white photos fail to capture the dazzling colors of Cairo that assault the eye, but this is not a drawback -- they impart the graininess and grittiness of modern, chaotic, polluted Cairo, and capture Cairo's simultaneous awfulness and beauty. The overall effect is as beautiful as it is depressing. Sonallah Ibrahim's introductory essay captures these same emotions well. This book would make a nice companion to Max Rodenbeck's "Cairo: The City Victorious."