Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — If you wander around the city of the dead in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, you can be stopped by the domes that top many tombs, and the Islamic decorations that adorn its walls. However, what is the story of this historic cemetery in Cairo, where the neighborhoods inhabit their tombs today?
The City of the Dead has always been a magical and mysterious site that holds a mirror to the intangible heritage of Egypt.
The City of the Dead is part of the historic city of Cairo, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1979.
Interestingly, the site is the embodiment of the ancient idea that death is not the end, as the ancient Egyptians spent the majority of their lives preparing for the followinglife.
The history of the city of the dead dates back to the Islamic conquest of Egypt in the seventh century, and the plain at the foot of Mokattam Mountain, southeast of present-day Cairo, served as an important burial site for the country, and there lie prominent figures such as Amr ibn al-Aas, who led the conquest of Egypt and served as its ruler for years.
From this initial location, the later rulers of Egypt added new territories and expanded the Cairo cemetery to the north and south. The Great Garrafa, also known as the City of the Dead, currently consists of two main areas – the southern and northern cemeteries – which together extend over a distance of 12 kilometers, covering an area of regarding 1,000 hectares.
In her book “Architecture for the Dead: Cairo’s Medieval Necropolis” published in 2007, Jalila El Kady, an architect and head of research at the Institute for Sustainable Development Research in Paris, pointed out that the city of the dead has historical significance, architectural and symbolic value. Sultans, Mamluks, rulers of Egypt, political, artistic and economic figures of the country, in addition to a large number of Egyptians.
And it was the passion for photographing Islamic architecture, especially locations that many professional photographers did not touch on, that prompted the Egyptian engineer Hisham Abdel-Aty to explore the city of the dead in Cairo in order to document it, he told CNN in Arabic.
Abdel-Aty pointed out in an interview with CNN in Arabic, which takes photography as a hobby, that the Mamluk desert or the eastern cemetery in the city of the dead contains many real treasures, which are completely neglected, as he said.
From Abdel-Aty’s point of view, this cemetery, which is located in one of the popular areas of Cairo, is distinguished by its vast area.
The eastern cemetery is one of the most important ancient cemeteries, as the kings and princes of Egypt used it since the end of the fourteenth century AD to establish mosques and gorges, and they added burials to them. At the end of the fifteenth century AD, it had a group of rare items that might be found in one place that represented the splendor and grandeur of architecture in the Mamluk era, according to the website of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
In this cemetery, there are more than twenty burial domes, including nine domes attached to mosques, including five domes for the burial of the sultans, the most famous of which are: the mosque and burial place of the Faraj bin Barquq Khanqa, the Khanaqah of Sultan Inal, the dome of Jani Bey Al-Ashrafy, the Dome of Qorkas, the mosque and Khanaqah of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay, The dome and madrasa of Sultan Qaitbay, according to the website of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Abdel-Aty describes the city of the dead as a mysterious and inspiring place, deeply rooted in the Islamic history of Cairo, in a way that enchants the visitor and evokes both grief and imagination.
During his short visit, Abd al-Ati focused on documenting some Mamluk domes of great beauty even in a neglected state, as well as some mosques that are considered “architectural masterpieces” and the ruins of ancient gates.
Abdel-Aty pointed out how the people of the area dealt with a very nice behavior with visitors.
He says: “I remember that on the day of my visit, it was raining heavily, so I resorted to one of the yards inhabited by a family to take cover from the heavy rain, and they took the initiative to host me, and insisted on serving hot tea, and the available fruits. Despite their modest condition, they are in The utmost generosity and contentment with their simple life in the midst of the cemeteries.
