Cairo^EG

During four days in Cairo, we follow a chronological timeline that takes us through the different layers of the city. We naturally begin at the beginning: the Giza Plateau, where the pyramids still stand as timeless anchors in the landscape. From there, we make leaps forward in time — to the 19th-century grandeur of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel, and further to the urban expansions that have shaped Cairo into the metropolis it is today, from Islamic Cairo to Downtown and Heliopolis.

But what truly distinguishes this journey is what takes place between these historical landmarks. Thanks to extensive field research, we were able to build local networks, including encounters with architects such as Waleed Arafa (Dar Arafa Architecture), that give us access to a less visible Egypt. We are welcomed by architects and designers, each reflecting in their own way on the city and its evolution. Their stories open doors that remain closed to most travellers.

In this way, we engage with the work and legacy of key figures such as Ramses Wissa Wassef and Hassan Fathy — two architects who, each with a distinct vision, turned to local building traditions in an era of rapid modernisation. Their projects demonstrate how architecture can also be a social and cultural commitment. At the same time, we discover contemporary initiatives such as CLUSTER, where research and urban reality come together in alternative readings of the city.

Art is given a full place in the programme, including a visit to the Adam Henein Museum. The recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum is also part of this layered experience and stands as a contemporary architectural statement. Throughout the journey, we are accompanied by an Egyptologist, who further deepens the historical context and connects it to what we experience on site.