Shahd Alhamdan

Saudi Gazette

 

Cairo is an ancient city that is constantly evolving. Perhaps one of the most iconic districts of Cairo is the Abdeen area which has—over time—suffered extreme neglect for several years.



It was in 1807 that Abdeen Bek, an Albanian major-general in the Egyptian army, defeated the British at Al-Hammad.



Bek owned a palace in the city’s Qawala district, which was purchased after his death and rebuilt by Ismail Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt.



The area and its surrounding district was then named Abdeen and the palace became a place where aristocrats used to live.



The entire areas was subsequently built in European style and divided into five areas: Al-Muski, Darb El Ahmar, Nile Palace, Azbakeya and Al-Sayeda.



“Abdeen was very similar to Europe, and next to you there was Suleiman Basha and Qasr El Nile. We would take strolls down Qasr El Nile as if it were the Champs-Elysees,” said Sayed, one of Abdeen’s residents.



“There was a tram that would go through Abdeen. It was then replaced by a trolleybus which was also later removed,” he added.



The area used to be very clean and the municipality used to provide street sweepers. “They used to wash the roads, including alleys and lanes.



The buildings were beautiful. The building used to have one, two or three floors, and they looked beautiful. You didn’t see external pipes or sanitation systems in those days, said Sayed.



One of the things that distinguished Abdeen from other districts was its library, the largest in Cairo. The library was situated on the outskirts of Abdeen and was popular with local residents.



It used to be next to where the current Cairo Security Directorate is but is no longer in use.



Many people still fondly remember Abdeen’s palace and royal gardens. “After the exile of King Farouk, Gamal Abdel Nasser opened the royal gardens to the public.



The area didn’t have any sports clubs or entertainment. So the public would go to the garden,” said Bahaa, one of Abdeen’s residents.



“Imagine that. Imagine this massive and top of the line garden and palace. People would spend the entire day in the royal gardens. It was splendid,” he added.



For many people, Abdeen’s gardens were the ideal place to enjoy yourself. “During the period of the pashas, the king and Abdel Nasser, there were speakers in Abdeen Square.



When you heard Abdel Nasser’s voice through those long microphones, you just felt happy. There was also an old projector there as well and they used to show old movies like Bein El Asrein.



You could just turn up and watch,” said Bahaa, another one of Abdeen’s old time residents.



Although Abdeen has changed a lot, many people cannot leave it. “I was born here and I belong here. Each person belongs to their birthplace,” said Saeed Mohammed.



However, the Abdeen of today is unlike that of yesterday due to people constructing new buildings haphazardly and the government focusing on other areas of the city.



“Back in the day, the government cared a lot more about the district and keeping it clean. It’s different nowadays. The number of residents and building are ever increasing in Abdeen,” said Sayed, one of Abdeen’s residents.



“The area has, as a result, been suffocated. There are beautiful old buildings in Abdeen that now have five or even six additional new floors.



This has completely destroyed the way the city used to be,” he added. Another reason behind Abdeen changing is due to the shift in the economic condition of its residents.



“Many Italians and Greeks used to live in this area. When they left, lower income Egyptians took their place. With that came the transformation of these old beautiful shops into ones selling cheap electric appliances,” said Baha.



However, some residents welcome the modernization of Abdeen. “In the past, windows used to be shut.



There used to be patterns on the outside of the windows. The new windows are more beautiful now. The buildings and houses of today are more beautiful than before,” said Fayza Abdulaziz.



“The only problem is that the area is overflowing with too many people,” she added.



However, Abdeen remains the love of many of its residents. “If Cairo is the capital of Egypt, then Abdeen is the capital of Cairo,” added Baha.