The City of the Dead: A History of Cairo’s Cemetery Communities

Home to some of the most impressive monuments of the Islamic world, Cairo’s City of the Dead is also home to hundreds of thousands of Egypt’s urban poor. This book presents a comprehensive look at this unique informal community, and includes biographies of some of the residents of the cemeteries.

This book presents a comprehensive look at one of the most unusual informal communities in the world. The City of the Dead is a group of vast Islamic cemeteries that have been the primary burial grounds for the city of Cairo for 1200 years. Within its borders are some of the most impressive monuments of the Islamic world. The City of the Dead, however, is also home to the living, as it was always an active part of the community of Cairo.

Qu'ran reciters and tombkeepers have always made their homes among the graves. The cemeteries have also been a popular destination for Islamic pilgrims seeking spiritual blessing, as well as thieves and runaways seeking refuge from the law. In more modern times, given the housing crisis that has plagued Cairo in the 20th century, the cemeteries have become the primary source of shelter for hundreds of thousands of otherwise homeless Egyptians. This community of people includes both rural migrants to Cairo and more established city dwellers. This book takes an in-depth look at these individuals’ lives and introduces the reader to the life stories of some residents. The future of this unique community is also explored. An important work for students, scholars, and researchers of Egypt and the Islamic world.