City of the Dead

The City of the Dead is a bit of a misnomer, given that it is reputed to house around half a million living inhabitants. Some say this number is a bit high, putting it more around 50, 000, but either way there is a lot of life in this City of the Dead. This neighborhood gets its macabre name from its location in the heart of large cemetaries which house the remains of religious and political rulers, their families, and thousands of others of deceased Cairenes. In between, on top of, and right inside these family tombs are where the living residents of the cemetary live. Like many of the low income families of Cairo, their search for cheap housing has forced them to squat in less than ideal locations. It is better to live in a slum on the outskirts of the city, where there is hope for economic and social support, than to move to other parts of Egypt that are even poorer and less developed than the grave yard. This is the fate of Cairo, and why the city has suffered so from overpopulation within the last few decades. It is hard to tell if it is fact or simply nostalgia when older Cairenes tell me about the past glory of Cairo, when there was no traffic, no pollution, no slums. They ask why has the government not done more to develop the Sinai, to develop upper Egypt (southern Egypt) encourage business growth which would in turn encourage natural migration to these areas, providing much needed relief for the bursting capital.

The City of the Dead is merely one example of the slums which are springing up in and around Cairo. It is probably the most tourist-visted slum, as it is the home of a number of mosques and tombs which are worth a look. I was happy to visit the neighborhood to see these sights, to see the old tombs and the life that now surrounds them. But I was, and still am, wary of falling into "slum tourism". I don't want to be that foreigner, or even local, who boasts about visiting the rougher side of town without actually having any purpose there other than to snap a few photos and come back to a comfortable home. Its important to see how the other side lives, of course, but there are so many opportunities to do that by getting involved with development organizations who work on site and actually make a difference. Or, if you have the opportunity, make friends with Cairenes who actually live there. Speaking Arabic was helpful, and it even got us into a secret tomb and into a conversation about the American election (the man was pulling for Hillary!) but I still felt a little too voyeuristic. It's good to see if you have the chance but remember that the City of the Dead is ultimately more than a rugged destination to check off the list. It's someone's home.