European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                City on the Nile City of the dead the living haunt Cairo a eerie cemetery by Craig Martin staff writer an eerie feeling comes Over one entering Cairo s City of the dead. Thousands of tombs Dot the landscape. But it does t take Long to find the living. The City of the dead gets its name because the great cemetery covers almost 2 Square Miles of Cairo s Southeastern Edge. It Marks the limit of Cairo s Eastern expansion until the Advent of modern building methods this Century. The City of the dead is situated on Cairo s Eastern Border at the foot of the to Skattam Hills. Some Are great architectural beauties like the tombs of the fatimid that Are 1,000 years old. Tombs of the caliphs go Back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Other tombs were erected As recently As the 19th and 20th centuries. Family tombs have been passed Down for generations. The family of King Farouk the last King to Rule Egypt who abdicated his throne and died in 1965, is buried there. The family of Mehemet Ali Egypt s Viceroy from 1805-48, is buried there. Thousands of people have made this their final resting place and people Are still being buried there today. These Are not Ordinary cemeteries with upright tombstones marking burial Sites. They Are real necropolis is with Well regimented streets and rows of solidly built Stone houses with cobweb covered Crystal chandeliers heavy brass Gates , according to Abdul Al defray a Cairo taxi Driver and guide. The tombs Are often in better condition than the Flats and houses of the families who own them says Al defray. These tombs often have caretakers who for about $1, will give visitors a tour. The vaults in these tombs contain separate Chambers for men and women so that the sexual segregation fundamental to islamic Faith can be maintained even after death. The vaults Are lined with elaborate paintings covered with a Century of dust dirt and cobwebs. The tombs Are family properties and Are modelled after private dwellings with an open courtyard and adjoining rooms. The vaults Are usually built under the courtyard. Steps leading Down to them Are filled in with Stone and rubble and will be dug up again for each subsequent burial. Some tombs fall into disrepair if the family income declines. According to Al defray some families Quot rent out the Tomb for people to live in. It helps generate income to take care of the tombs he said As Well As bring in income for the families. Quot if the families Don t use them they give permission for people to live there Quot Al defray said. These tombs Don t have water or restroom facilities he said but in other ways they Are More sound than most Homes in Cairo. Others accept the fact that people live there. It has become accepted Al defray said. With the Ever expanding population of Cairo growing by 1 million every nine month people have been forced to move into these elaborate Tomb houses. Generations of these squatters called Bawab live in these tombs. When a Tomb is vacated someone else moves in. Thus a City of an estimated half million inhabitants has grown up in the City of the dead with grocery stores cafes and markets springing up on the outskirts. The Quality of this housing is often better than most in Cairo since it has spacious rooms and is structurally sound Al defray said. Why Are some of the tombs in better shape than their houses Quot egyptians have duties to their dead Quot Al defray said. There is nothing macabre about this City. No one seems to care that there s no running water or bathroom facilities in their Tomb houses. If nature Calls they simply go outside. Inhabitants seem oblivious to the fact that Bones Are buried beneath their living room. They do care if you take their photograph. Unlike other areas of Cairo dwellers in the City of the dead Don t like to have their pictures taken. Egyptians Don t Bury their dead underground. They Bury them in these types of tombs. Al defray said Quot everyone Dies so they must have a place to be buried. We Don t Bury people  a stroll through the streets nets a dozen children begging for anything they can use or sell to someone else. Visits to the City of the dead by family members of the deceased usually Are done on the anniversary of the person s death. There Are certain Days on the Muslim Calendar that Are reserved to visit the dead. People who live in these tombs know when those dates Are. An overview of the City of the dead which covers almost 2 Square Miles of Cairo s Southeastern Edge and contains thousands of tombs. A Vendor turns her Back after spotting a camera carrying stranger in Quot town. An egyptian Man and his son Are escorted to a Tomb by a self proclaimed guide. Standing among the family Tomb of Mehemet Ali a self proclaimed guide declares Quot Ali was the  a Quot Busy Quot Street scene in the City of the dead As women emerge from the Tomb at right. This Man was the Only person in the City of the dead who knowingly allowed his photo to be taken. Opp c a Wpm psf Druif 14 stripes Magazine december 10, 1992 december 10, 1992 stripes Magazine 15