Since last week the first week of the blog, I started readers of with a good introductory book to Cairo. But now we're moving along, and I want to introduce everyone to the most essential book for any explorer to Cairo's Islamic past.
I was first introduced to this book by a fellow explorer and my Middle East history mentor, Joseph Stanik (at that time a visiting lecturer at the US Naval Academy and author of El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War With Qaddafi). It is because of Joe that I am going into Middle East history as a full time profession, and our early walks together in the summer of 2009 really shaped my passions. For anyone who has ever visited Cairo and made an attempt at its Islamic past, they know how extraordinarily overwhelming the depth of the history and its numerous monuments is. To have Joe in those early days of my interest, and continuing until today, guiding me was irreplaceable. Caroline Williams's book, however, is the best alternative for those not lucky enough to see Islamic Cairo with Joe.
Starting with a brief but thorough overview of the city's Islamic past and a matching architectural introduction, Dr. Williams guides her readers through the various historic neighborhoods of greater Cairo. Each of her tours give the reader the choice to choose just the major sites, or all of them!
Once out exploring, Dr. Williams is a personal guide. She points out important features clearly, without leaving the reader searching buildings cluelessly. Important Arabic script is translated and significant art and architecture are explained. But like my mentor, Williams's Cairo is not just brick and mortar, wood and paint; it's stories. And into the guide to Cairo's Islamic monuments, are the stories of their builders, their significance within the surrounding neighborhood, and how they continue to be used and restored.
Other than a general guidebook for first-time visitors to Egypt, there is no other book so essential, especially to history lovers, than this one. Cairo is a treasure trove of the Islamic past, and Caroline Williams's Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide is your treasure map.
Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide by Caroline Williams, The American University in Cairo Press 2008. $24.95
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