Cairo: The City Victorious

by Max Rodenbeck

From a noted journalist who has spent much of his life in Cairo, here is a dazzling cultural excavation of that most ancient, colorful, and multifaceted of cities. The seat of pharaohs and sultans, the prize of conquerors from Alexander to Saladin to Napoleon, Cairo--nicknamed "the Victorious"--has never ceased reinventing herself.

With intimate knowlege, humor, and affection, Rodenbeck takes us on an insider's tour of the magnificent city: its backstreets and bazaars, its belly-dance theaters and hashish dens, its crowded slums and fashionable salons, its incomparably rich past and its challenging future. Cairo: The City Victorious is a unique blend of travel and history, an epic, resonant work that brings one of the world's great metropolises to life in all its dusty, chaotic beauty.

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction, Middle East, Travel, Africa, Cities

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 1998

Reviews

[Arwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

No book has fully captured the essence and spirit of Cairo the way this book did. Written with thorough research and an awe inspiring eye for detail that could only come from an insider, this book is a testimony to the author's unsurpassed experience with the city, its history, its people, and his overriding passion for the place. As a Cairene myself, I have to say my eyebrows were raised more than once at the astonishing detail I thought few people could convey with such command, I caught myself laughing many times at the anecdotes and the Rodenbeck's personal observations. And in more than one place I was driven to tears by the passion I could read between the lines. Thanks to this book I believe I have rediscovered my own home and rebuilt my peace with it (because if you read the book you will understand that Cairo can drive many of its inhabitants quite mad). I fell in love with it all over again, and I really needed to; the recent events and the upheaval, the revolution's ongoing struggle for transformation against stagnation, the chaos and the lawlessness have driven many of us to despair. But Rodenbeck reminded me once again that I live in an ancient city that has seen so much more than I can take. He assured me, "Whatever challenges it may face, Cairo will surely endure. By the grace of Allah, for another five thousand years."

I just know it will.

[Yair Zumaeta Acero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno de los subgéneros de la literatura histórica más apasionantes (y favorito de este humilde servidor) corresponde a aquellas biografías de ciudades ancestrales. Tal vez porque en ellas, los protagonistas no son las personas que van y vienen en medio de su intrascendente mortalidad e irrelevante trasegar. La estrella del relato es esa ciudad que como testigo silencioso ha presenciado el auge y la caída de reyes, emperadores, ejércitos e invasores con la misma atención con la que ha contemplado el destino de artesanos, mercaderes, burócratas y ciudadanos anónimos cuyas vidas se diluyen entre calles, murallas, casas, tiendas y ríos.

Aunque cada ciudad tiene sus propios secretos e historias que narrar, por su trascendencia, antigüedad o por el simple hecho de haber presenciado de primera mano acontecimientos que alteraron el curso de la historia humana; algunos de estos centros urbanos se erigen por encima de otros como anacoretas guardianes de una sabiduría ancestral. Atenas, Roma, Estambul, Jerusalén, Bagdad... todas ellas importantes pero eclipsadas por el místico y atávico brillo perpetuo de Al-Qahira "La Victoriosa"

4000 años de historia sobre sus espaldas y múltiples nombres y avatares que la han acompañado a lo largo de ellos - On; Misr al-Fustat; Qahira - El Cairo o "La Madre del Mundo" como la han llamado sus ciudadanos desde tiempos ancestrales, podría por sí sola contar más historias que las de todos los emperadores romanos juntos. Por eso, acercarse a ella a partir de una biografía histórica y eminentemente académica, hundiría el relato por la propia inmensidad de su pasado. Es así como este grandioso libro del periodista norteamericano Max Rodenbeck (quien ha pasado la mitad de su vida en El Cairo) se antoja como el agua de un oasis en medio de las perpetuas arenas del tiempo pasado de Al-Qahira. Con un equilibrio perfecto entre biografía y relato histórico, crónica de viajes y vivencias personales, aderezado todo por anécdotas y cotilleos del ayer glorioso y del presente sombrío de una ciudad que ha soportado y sobrevivido a invasiones, bombardeos, bancaroatas, hambrunas, pestes, golpes de estado y al final, siempre ha salido como lo indica su nombre en árabe clásico, Victoriosa.

Un libro que se lee y se devora con un antojo excepcional. Rodenbeck se aleja del exclusivo relato histórico y de los cambios de dueño que tuvo El Cairo a lo largo de su larga historia (desde manos faraónicas pasando por macedónicos, romanos, musulmanes abasíes, fatimíes, mamelucos, turcos otomanos, franceses a la cabeza de Napoléon y finalmente ingleses); para detenerse en el pueblo raso y sus vidas cotidianas: en sus pobres, en sus cafés, en sus jornadas de shisha, en el Nilo sempiterno que baña y engalana la ciudad mientras desde el otro lado del río, las Pirámides de Giza la guardan como testigos mudos del paso del tiempo; en su caos, su desorden, en su suciedad y en el polvo que se mezcla con su misticismo e inmemorial espíritu y fervor religioso. La biografía de una ciudad orgullosa y antigua y a la vez cambiante y adaptativa, que ha caído y resurgido de entre las cenizas a lo largo de su aún más larga historia.

A tan solo 50 días de entrar -espero- triunfalmente a "La Madre del Mundo", este libro me permitió visitarla antes de tiempo. Leer a Rodenbeck era como estar paseando en los mercados medievales de Jan el-Jalili, meditar sin noción del tiempo en las mezquitas de Al Azhar, Ibn Tulun o Muhammad Alí; escuchar el llamado de la oración en la madrasa del Sultán Hassán o simplemente caminar desde El Viejo Cairo hasta el Barrio Copto con el Nilo y la Pirámides a la distancia; el poder de un libro se puede medir en las emociones que crea en su lector y este definitivamente, lo ha conseguido.

"Entre el ruido ensordecedor, la obsesión por la ostentación pública y la despreocupada miseria privada, El Cairo continúa destilando ese aire de permanencia imperturbable que sólo puede ofrecer una ciudad orgullosa y antigua. Sean cuales sean los retos a los que tenga que enfrentarse, sin ninguna duda El Cairo resistirá, por la gracia de Alá, otros cinco mil años."

[Lucynell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had this been a history book on, say, Cadbury's Creme Egg then maybe its often frustrating narrative would not matter all that much. But this being a book on one of the most important and ancient hubs of civilization in human history it does matter.
Admittedly, the writer states that he is after a fusion of history and descriptive travelogue and furthermore that ''...the writing would be difficult, but, if the story were to loop and tangle and digress, well, that too would be in the character of Cairo.' And he is right.
Painfully so.
But out of all the mess (that's actually harsh, but I can't think of any other word right now) his love for the place shines through. Countless anecdotes and memorable characters bring the story closer to a 'city biography' which is the way the story should begin and not only end as.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, well-paced history/travelogue of Cairo from a man who has spent the better part of his life there. I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is traveling in Egypt -- it's a great read while you're there, experiencing all the things he's talking about. It definitely enriches your experience.

[Rui Valente · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book just before going to Egypt last year. I wanted to get a feel of the place while still getting my backpack ready.
This the book does admirably - it covers the history of Cairo from the days of the earliest Pharaohs, when the dwellings were known as Heliopolis and Memphis (here the author streches himself a bit, as Memphis is considerably to the south of Cairo, but glad he did so, for the story is enthraling) to the last decade of the 20th century, in ever increasing detail.

I have to say that even though I loved my time in Egypt, Cairo really got into my nerves. The chaotic traffic, the incessant and hellish noise, the touts always trying to trick me, the confusing orientation and the large number of persons were really too much. I was almost trampled to death in rush hour subway stampede; had to abandon my taxi a number of times because it was significantly faster to walk around than to be driven around - even though orientation was confusing as signposts were all in arabic. I got this permanent caugh and every time I blew my nose my handkershief turned black. I actually sighed in relief when I got into the train to Luxor after a few days.

When I got back home I continued to read the book. I found it at times as confusing as the city itself, but eventually grew into it. With its many little stories and details, it manages to capture very well the confusion and the spirit of the city: the street vendors are there, as well as the café culture; the ever present cacophony, the seller that will not hesitate to rip you off, the many mosques and shrines and the pervasive presence of religion, of currupt officers. Finally, it pictures admirably its ever-adapting citizens, something that continouslly amazed me.

All in all a good book, that rewards your patience. A very good representation of Cairo and also a very good source for anyone wanting to know Egypt better and why the last years revolutions and present state of affairs should really be no surprise at all.

[Sean Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is close by at first, starting with the intimate pock of the microphone and discreet , would not need to eb all hearing to hear it. An electric cloud of sound accumulates and holds, suspended over the city for a full minute by the loudspeakers of some 15,000 mosques, before dissolving piecemeal into the twitter of the waking birds.

Cairo A City Victorious is a great book. In 267 pages it takes the reader from Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs up to the age of Mubarak. Its honest in its telling, reminding the reader that this it Cairo as seen by a westerner who speaks Arabic, and though the author has lived here for twenty something years, there are parts of the city he is unable to explain or even see. Though I have only been in the city a day, I see the things he talks about everywhere - the insane traffic, the mosques lit in green at night, the pyramids peaking out from behind the city high rises.

There was so much crammed in to so few pages here that I think I will read at least portions of it again after visiting parts he describes my self and I am curious to see what has changed in just the few short years since Rodenbeck wrote this book. I've only read one book so far about Cairo (I'll be reading the Cairo Trilogy soon) but it was a really great place to start to get an orientation on this city.

I wonder, with all the mid east geeks who read this, what are your favorite books about the middle east?

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of anecdotes and history from Cairo's beginnings, thousands of years ago, right up through the end of the 20th century. Rodenbeck's love for Cairo -combined a journalist's curiosity, adventurousness, interest in people and change, along with seeking out the reasons and perspectives about it - give this book a certain warmth as well as being incredibly informative. It is like getting the scoop from some well-traveled friend. My only wish at the end was that it continued on to even more current times; it ends in the late 1990s. Read it anyway!

[Stephen Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book almost got five stars - it is well written, informative, and highly entertaining. The jokes alone are worth the read. It's a window into another culture.

The only reason I shaved a star off is because the author paints a very Western liberal democratic picture of modern Egypt, as if the only people in Cairo who matter are a few hundred Westernized young people who listen to Nirvana. To identify all of the great civilization with a few rich kids makes no sense and spoils an otherwise flawless book.

[Suzannah Rowntree]

Deciding to shelve this - it was great, vivid, and helpful but I just didn't have the time to finish. If I see it in hard copy I will definitely pick it up again.

[SG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Recommended

This is not a travel guidebook, don’t expect to use this book to walk around Cairo and discover ancient sites. Rather, this book is an informal history of an ancient city by a writer with close knowledge of the people and culture of Cairo. Yes, you will learn a lot of interesting historical facts about the various parts of Cairo, but the book is neither a formal history nor a guidebook. But, the author’s prose makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read and evokes much of the quaint imagery of Cairo life.

[Sallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brilliant story of Cairo is neither a history nor a travelog but something in between. Rodenbeck brilliantly weaves together history with personal observations of Cairo, her sights, and her people. The book gives a great background for anyone planning to travel to Cairo and will leave you wanting to go even more! Even if you aren't planning on traveling to Cairo, this book offers a unique, candid, and somewhat romantic view of Al-Qahira - The City Victorious.

[Will Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pharaohs, Abbassids and Fatimids, Mamluks and Turks, European empires, Egyptian monarchies and military regimes—there’s nothing to complain about in Max Rodenbeck’s sweeping history—and intimate portrait—of the ancient and thriving city that is Cairo.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember, this was published in 1998, but dang, what a compelling read of the history of this amazing city.

[ukuklele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sebelum membaca ini, saya membayangkan Mesir--dengan ibukotanya, Kairo, sebagai perwakilan--sebagai tempat yang panas dan padat. Saya tidak mau ke sana. Setelah membaca buku ini, mendapatkan informasi mengenai sejarah kota itu, perkembangannya, berikut segala pernak-pernik dan kekayaannya, saya semakin tidak mau ke sana. Hahaha. Sepertinya Kairo/Mesir bukan tempat yang sesuai bagi hikikomori. (Never heard of any Egyptian hikikomori.) Toh mengherankan betapa banyak orang yang tertarik ke sana, bermukim untuk sementara waktu atau selamanya, termasuk di antaranya teman chat saya yang orang Giza keturunan Nubia berikut para mahasiswa/i Indonesia yang kuliah di Al-Azhar (Fahri AAC, ehem). You need to be quite sociable to live there.

Beberapa hal tentang Kairo mengingatkan saya pada yang terjadi di negeri saya sendiri, meskipun sepertinya tidak begitu layak diperbandingkan. Kairo memiliki sejarah yang sangat panjang, tempat peradaban-peradaban paling maju di dunia pernah ada, dan sangat kosmopolitan. Sementara Kairo seakan-akan terletak di pusat dunia, saya menjadi paham betapa terbelakangnya Indonesia, dengan posisinya yang agak di ujung bawah itu.

Kesamaan itu antara lain nuansa keagamaannya, yang penulis buku ini mengatakannya sebagai "fanatik". Mulai dari tradisi ziarah ke makam orang-orang besar hingga azan yang berkumandang dari mana-mana pada waktunya; kontrol media yang relatif ketat sampai larisnya media-media keagamaan; belum lagi persinggungan antara mayoritas dan minoritas.

Kesamaan lainnya yaitu birokrasinya yang tidak efisien, sehingga menimbulkan praktik percaloan dan sebagainya. Di sini saya justru merasa dipahamkan bahwa agaknya birokrasi yang tidak efisien dan percaloan merupakan timbulan alamiah dari membeludaknya penduduk. Baik Mesir dan Indonesia punya populasi yang besar. Banyaknya orang itu--apalagi jika berusia produktif--tentu membutuhkan pekerjaan. Di samping itu, dengan sistem birokrasi ciptaan manusia yang tentu memiliki keterbatasannya sendiri, cukup sulit untuk dapat melayani sekian banyak penduduk dalam waktu singkat--padahal semua orang ingin cepat, bukan? Maka birokrasi yang berbelit-belit--yang harus melewati banyak meja, banyak orang--yang kalau ingin cepat harus pakai calo, justru menunjukkan terbukanya lapangan kerja bagi banyak orang--entah sebagai birokrat di salah satu meja, atau calo. Orang Barat/Eropa yang berpenduduk relatif sedikit tentu tidak mengerti cara begini, sehingga mencemooh dan menganggapnya tidak efisien, dan sebagainya, pokoknya mereka lebih baik.

Yah, itu prasangka saya saja. Nyatanya, di Indonesia sendiri, instansi-instansi mulai berbenah agar birokrasi lebih efisien serta menghindarkan praktik percaloan, misalnya dengan menerapkan pendaftaran daring. (Meskipun masih ada saja masalah-masalah dan ketidakjelasan, seperti yang saya alami di Kantor Imigrasi baru-baru ini, #eh #curcol)

Buku ini kaya, sepertinya lebih ketimbang bila menonton versi dokumenter saja. Tapi, dengan formatnya yang full of texts, dibutuhkan stamina yang mungkin hanya dimiliki pembaca berdedikasi. Alur waktu dalam narasinya pun adakalanya bolak-balik--tidak begitu runut--sehingga dapat membingungkan. Untuk edisi Indonesia terbitan Alvabet (2013) yang setebal empat ratusan halaman, jilidnya kurang enak dibuka--sehingga ketika membaca saya sambil harus melebarkannya. Terjemahannya baik, tapi buat kurang mengena. Saya sendiri perlu waktu sekitar dua minggu untuk menuntaskan buku ini.

Di samping itu, kebijakan pembaca diharapkan. Buku ini karya jurnalis Barat yang walaupun telah lama tinggal di Kairo dan meliput Timur Tengah, namun memiliki pandangan khas. Katakanlah, caranya memandang kehidupan religius umat Islam sepanjang masa di Kairo tentu lain (: kalau bukan cenderung sinis) dengan cara si muslim itu sendiri--apalagi yang religius.

[Windy]

Max Rodenbeck's Cairo: The City Victorious examines the cyclical nature of Cairo and how it oscillates between vibrant life and supposed ashes, like a phoenix: "It was this resilient fluidity, above all, that I wanted to explain" (xvi). While Rodenbeck stresses that the main focal point is Cairo's cyclical nature instead of solely being an exhaustive history of the city, Rodenbeck still manages to provide a chronicle of Cairo from its mythical and profane origins to the contemporary setting of when the text was originally published.

Cairo: The City Victorious also includes the charm of a travelogue without being limited to that form. Throughout the book, Rodenbeck illuminates Cairo in a way that only a person with deep love and and admiration for the city would be able to: "So it comes as little surprise that the lure of Cairo is almost as old as the place itself" (20). Yet, Rodenbeck consistently grounds this illumination through the relationship of deep historical contextualization.

In fact, Rodenbeck's use of history is incredibly insightful. While reading I often found that I was aware of the many different pieces of history presented within the text, but I have never connected or examined how they were related to the specific history and context to the city of Cairo. This lack of connection ranged from the seemingly obvious- such as Napoleon's campaigns and subsequent entrapment in Egypt to his eventual exile to Saint Helena- to the more obscure- such as the scene of the meeting of the Khedivial Geographical Society that evoked the spirit and racism of the cabinets of curiosities. To expand upon this scene, it was eye-opening to view an instance of racism against indigenous populations within the text. In my opinion, this was one of the most memorable moments of the text. Yet, Rodenbeck also describes this scene as "quaint," which is a weird word choice considering the word's positive connotation.

Another strange element of the text is its fetishization and eroticism of the East. Similarly, Rodenbeck often genders Cairo as a woman. This gendering becomes even more strange when viewed in tandem with how the text is clearly filtered through a Western perspective. Granted it is clear that Rodenbeck has spent much of his life in Cairo. his background does lend itself to the possibility and potential of othering.

Despite these issues, Max Rodenbeck's Cairo: The Victorious City is a deeply interesting text that adeptly balances and provides the best elements of both travelogues and histories into one insightful text that clearly contextualizes Cairo.

[Tamim Diaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic journey through the history and the near present of the city as seen by an outsider. As a local, it is always nice to get this perspective. The Cairo described in the book is the one we grew up in as children in the 90s; a lot of thing have changed since then: the people and their habits, the infrastructure, the look of the city and its urban expansion and of course the politics and the economy. Having said that, the main themes of social and ideological tensions haven't changed, they actually have evolved -to the worse mostly.

One thing I really appreciated about the book is the writer's sympathy with the city and how he could find depth and value beneath the dust and rubble. something a lot of Egyptians don't see and appreciate in their unique capital.

[Sara Razek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely, a must-read that documents the birth of the city of Cairo and its metamorphosis into the megacity it has become. Rodenbeck brilliantly captures the sprawling (and rather bewildering) geography and growth of Cairo over a long stretch of time. I was fascinated by his rendition of the history of the medieval city; the chapters chronicling Mamluk Cairo were scholarly, well-researched and supplemented with relevant data. However, I could not overcome the undertones and overtones of orientalism permeating the rest of the book, especially the end chapters tackling modern Cairo with their hoard of hearsay and anecdotes rather than solid academic research. A mere look at the bibliography will underscore my point, with an inexhaustible list of books and articles on the medieval city, and a few ones on modern Cairo. A personal anti-climax!

[Rian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berangkat dari On dan Memphis yang membentuk Mesir Kuno. Kairo selanjutnya menjadi pusat peradaban, bukan hanya di timur tengah tapi dunia. Beragam etnis dan agama hidup rukun dengan silih bergantinya imperium yang menguasai Mesir. Ngasih gambaran lengkap bagaimana kehidupan di Kairo abad pertengahan dan modern, yang sedikit banyaknya mempengaruhi apa yang terjadi di bumi.
Bahasa yg dipakai begitu jurnalistik tapi tetap gurih untuk dibaca.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and colorful overview of Cairo's history, from the very beginning of record-keeping. While I would have liked a little less focus on its ancient history and more on the last 100-200 years, the author still skillfully conveys his mastery of both. The best sections are toward the end, when he intersperses his rich and interesting lived experience into the story. If only the publisher would issue an updated version with his take on the past 25 years, too.

[Jalen Sowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loaded with fluff and hard to read. It was difficult retaining anything from the book because of the way information was relayed throughout it. Everything jumped around. People and places were introduced without much context, then context was attempted to be given while also chasing 100 other rabbit trails. All in all, it’s just bad organization of the information available to us about Cairo.

[Cristel Verhaegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

een geweldig boek over de geschiedenis van een stad die moeilijk te vatten is en zich niet meteen laat liefhebben. Feit dat ik dit op een drieweekse reis door Egypte las maakte het nog beter...de irritante trekjes....ze hebben ze nog steeds

[Jarno Mehtiö · Rating 5 out of 5]

On kyllä vanha kaupunki. Ja monta historiaa, aikakautta ja sivilisaatiota nähnyt. Faaraoiden sivilisaatiossa olisi jo yhdelle kaupungille, mutta mokoma on vielä yksi islamin tärkeimpiä kaupunkeja ja arabian kehtoja.

[Sara Hussein · Rating 5 out of 5]

An very entertaining read filled with interesting anecdotes, covering a huge time period

[Tom Okner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading. Easy journalistic style.

[Elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome, lots of great history, nice gossip, and interesting facts and stories.

[Paige Kilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure- I needed to read it twice (the second time after touring Cairo) to put it all together.

[Liam Arne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable history of one of the world’s best cities

[Pat Byrd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most engaging of authors, but this book covers the history and psychology of Cairo

[Cathal McGuinness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stirring biography of one of the world's most fascinating cities. A place of many hats

[Saju Pillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in Cairo in the shadow of the Pyramids, in the courtyards of Al-Hakim & Al-Azhar mosques and under the watchful eye of the custodian of a perennially empty english themed bar at my Cairo hotel. This book is therefore special for me.

I enjoyed Rodenbeck's writing style. I personally would have liked a deeper dive into more of the history - especially the Islamic phase (particularly the Arab & Fatimid rule), but this book never claimed to be a history book - it is first and foremost a book on Cairo - that promise it delivers. Only someone brought up in Cairo could have captured the city like Rodenbeck did. Recommended.