How would you describe Cairo’s contemporary design scene?

Cairo is currently undergoing a revival in fashion, the arts and culture. In the last few years alone the scene here has been shaping into a dynamic movement to rival anything going on in London or New York. There is a lot of local talent beginning to push notions of fashion and design forward by establishing their own labels, as well as creating retail spaces that defy traditional concepts. It’s an exciting time to be here.

Are there any local designers reinterpreting tradition in unique ways?

There’s a new generation of designers tapping into traditional crafts to create modern pieces. Nadia Zarkani, the name behind handbag label NuniZ, designs seductive evening clutches from supple ostrich leather and mother of pearl inlaid clasps. Another label I’ve had my eye on is Amina K. by Amina Khalil, a graduate of the London School of Fashion. She reinterprets traditional kaftan silhouettes for the modern girl, inspired by local textiles and patterns found in traditional Egyptian tents.

Where can visitors head for a one-stop shopping experience in Cairo?

Amuse in Zamalek is Cairo’s answer to Colette. The brainchild of Viviane Abdel Messih, Dina El Batal and Gailan Fahim, the large loft-like space (occupying a former film studio) boasts a chalkboard with handwritten quotes by Coco Chanel and YSL, as well as a curated selection of fashion, books, and accessories. The upstairs loft is an in-the-city outlet for Articulate Baboon, an art gallery in Designopolis that exhibits urban and street-themed art. There is also a corner dedicated to furniture and products by Karim Mekhtigian, head of design firm Alchemy. My personal favorite is his Soheimi lounge seat with its geometric detailing lacquered in bright white.

What about Cairo’s past?

El Muizz Street in Old Cairo, which was immortalized in Naguib Mahfouz’s trilogy “Palace Walk,” has become the must see area to visit. Its winding historic streets and mashrabiya-clad mansions have reemerged from extensive renovations. Recently “+20 Egypt Design,” the Cairo counterpart to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, was held in three adjoining 17th century monuments; Beit El-Suhaymi, Hamam Inal and Beit Silihdar. Curated by famed Italian designer Paula Navone, the exhibit showcased the work of cutting edge Egyptian furniture designers as well as international names. It was an amazing experience to walk through the spaces, where one felt the past rubbing shoulders with the 21st century.

Do you have any favorite dining spots in the Egyptian capital?

I’m a fan of La Bodega’s Bistro and its newer restaurant Aperitivo, which has practically become my second home. Part of La Bodega’s allure, lies in its familiarity and cozy atmosphere. It’s the closest Cairo has to a neighborhood restaurant, where you are never quiet sure who you’ll bump into, from Egyptian movie stars to your old college professor. It’s housed in a 19th century mansion that has interesting architectural features, such as a working wrought iron elevator from the 1930’s. The pasta with black truffles, as well as the leek and potato soup are my current favorites on the menu. When it comes time to burn off those extra calories, I recommend hitting the dance floor at Tamarai, Cairo’s chicest nightspot. The music is fantastic and its outdoor terrace boasts breathtaking views of the Nile.

Any hidden Cairo gems you would like to share with Dia readers?

If you want to catch a whiff of Cairo’s Belle Epoque past then head to Bajocchi, arguably Egypt’s oldest jeweler. Located steps away from the site of Cairo’s old Opera House on Abdel Khalek Tharwat St., its historic art deco interiors glitter with the kind of exquisite heirloom jewels one would find in Paris or Rome. It was established in 1900 by an Italian family whose descendants still run the business today. Over the decades the jeweler has catered to the whims of both Egyptian princesses and members of high society, including Empress Farah Diba of Iran and Jehan El Sadat, who selected her wedding ring there in 1953.

Image of Heba ElKayal by Joe Kesrouani
All other images courtesy of Amuse, Karim Mekhtigian, Amina K and Nuniz, La Bodega and Tamarai.

In recent years Nile cruises have been experiencing something of glamorous makeover, as both old and new yachts are being restored and transformed into luxurious floating boutique hotels. Fitted out with the latest amenities and chic interiors by world famous designers, this new breed of cruises are reinventing the Nile experience (as well as attracting a new hip clientele). Dia opens up its little black book to reveal four of the most luxurious and intimate Nile cruises.

La Flâneuse du Nil
A secret amongst international jetsetters, this seven-bedroom sailboat carries a mere 14 passengers, yet each one is treated like a pasha. The canopied top deck has been fitted out with parquet floors, spacious lounge chairs and antiques; the perfect setting to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of homemade jams and freshly backed breads as you watch the gold flecked dome of the Aga Khan Mausoleum drift by before your eyes.
The airy rooms are no less luxurious with their beamed ceilings and walls painted in warm shades of grey and ochre. Some also boast cozy reading nooks decked out in a cosmopolitan mix of modern furnishings and antiques. Of note are the hand-woven carpets from the famous workshops in El Haraniya.
http://www.la-flaneuse-du-nil.com/vie_a_bord.html

The Sudan
Nothing on the Nile quite matches the old-world elegance of the Sudan, precisely because it has been a witness to history. It was in the intimate setting of the Sudan’s panoramic lounge bar that AGATHA CHRISTIE was inspired to pen one of the most famous scenes in her novel “Death on the Nile”.
Built in 1885, this steam ship was once the private yacht of the late King Fouad of Egypt; who decked out his prized possession in Belle Époque splendor. Interiors boast exotic wood wall paneling and moldings, while antique Venetian chandeliers twinkle from the ceilings above. Most of the furniture in the cabins is original; with one room boasting a faded wedding portrait of KING FAROUK and QUEEN FARIDA. Last year the Sudan underwent a meticulous restoration (including the addition of several modern amenities). Yet its social scene undoubtedly revolves around its upper deck, which has been converted into an elegant outdoor lounge.
http://www.steam-ship-sudan.com/en/the-cruises-on-the-nile.asp

Alexander the Great

A former 60-cabin boat that has been stripped and refitted as a 30-cabin floating boutique hotel; the Alexander the Great is a study in understated elegance. Attracting a sophisticated mix of world travelers, one never knows who will be bunking in the cabin next door. Past guests have included designer Diane von Furstenberg and Italian fashion photographer FABRIZIO FERRE. Each one of its spacious minimalist rooms comes individually decorated with quirky touches such as op-art cushions and ostrich-shell lanterns. The elegant upstairs lounge and multi-tiled swimming pool offer some of the most breathtaking views of the Nile.
http://www.alexander-yacht.com/home.html

The Sun Boat III

When Abercrombie & Kent wanted to remake the Sun Boat III into a luxurious and intimate floating boutique hotel, they approached SAHIRA FEHMY; a young and talented Egyptian interior designer who has lived all over the world (thanks in part to her diplomat father).

The result is 14 luxuriously appointed cabins and 4 suites, invoking a mix of colonial glamour and Egyptian artisanal savoir-faire. The public spaces are no less inviting; giving the feeling of being in someone’s well-appointed home. In the Sahara Lounge, Fahmy wanted to invoke the “hunting tents of Egyptian royalty.” This translated in art deco lounge chairs and gleaming brass lanterns, beams sporting hand carved Nubian designs, hand-woven Bedouin carpets and colorful embroidered throw pillows from Sinai.  While on the upper deck Fahmy transformed the pool area into a desert oasis surrounded by miniature palms, blooming papyrus and canopied daybeds that invite guests to lounge and soak in the scenery.

Visit http://www.abercrombiekent.co.uk/Egypt/EMAH2307

Images courtesy of www.vdm.com, www.travelinstyle.com, www.liberty-international.org, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk,

FOUAD, who has written two books on OUM KALTHOUM (the first of which was published in 1952), snatched the brick in a fit of anger and frustration from the ruins of KALTHOUM’s villa the day after it had been stealthily reduced to rubble by bulldozers in the middle of the night. It was a poignant moment for FOUAD, who recalled visiting the singer in her luxurious villa, which had played host to a succession of heads of state, artists and intellectuals. They often sat in her living room beneath a rare carpet hanging on the wall; a gift from the late King of Iraq.

Everyday at sunset OUM KALTHOUM would step out of her home to walk for an hour along the far end of the island of Zamalek, wearing a scarf and sunglasses. The residential island in the middle of the Nile wasn’t as crowded then, and those who passed her by never dared to interrupt her brisk walk.

FOUAD, who had led a campaign with other writers and intellectuals to preserve the legendary soprano’s home as a national museum, was dumbfounded by the way in which KALTHOUM’s legacy had been erased in a matter of minutes to make way for a high-rise building. It took some thirty years after her death in 2001 for a museum to be dedicated to her memory, in a pavilion on the grounds of Cairo’s Manesterly Palace. In an ironic twist, much of her personal paraphernalia (scattered amongst family and friends), were now deemed national treasures worthy of intense public contemplation.

Yet for those who had visited KALTHOUM at her famous villa by the Nile, the museum paled in comparison to what had been lost. Weak lighting, inferior display cases and the lack of a visionary curatorial approach, had rendered a once vibrant and artistic life into a static display of yellowing manuscripts and dusty gowns. Lacking was a compelling narrative to string together these mementos from a bygone era and bring them back to life.

“A new museum is no consolation for the loss of the house,” says FOUAD. “I remember queuing up with countless others to see VICTOR HUGO’s home in Paris. On the other side of the road stood one of Louis XIV’s finest buildings, and there was no one there to see it. Everyone wanted to see the poet’s house. Everything in it was very basic… and yet, at every step, there were security guards watching over the house’s contents, as if these simple things were priceless treasures.”

“Can you imagine what OUM KALTHOUM’s house would have been like,” she says, “full of genuine treasures as it was, all the gifts she was given from all over the world, the jewelry and the medals and everything? They’re all gone now, scattered all over the place. How much of what’s been lost could this museum possibly gather?”

Oddly enough it took a Parisian institution to raise the bar and give the legendary singer a retrospective worthy of her renown. OUM KALTHOUM: The Fourth Pyramid opened last June at the Institut du Monde Arabe to sold out crowds, many of whom were Western. No surprise when one considers the Egyptian artist’s universal appeal; CHARLES DE GUALLE referred to her as “The Lady”, while her contemporary, the opera singer MARIA CALLAS described her as the “Incomparable Voice.” She also had a far reaching influence on a number of artists, many of whom one would have never stopped to consider as fans. BOB DYLAN, SALVADOR DALI, NICO, BONO and LED ZEPPELIN have all cited OUM KALTHOUM in their work at some point in their careers.

A few days before she passed away, Egyptian newspapers made the mistake of announcing her death before it had actually occurred; resulting in millions of people gathering around her Villa in what amounted to a rehearsal of her funeral procession.

“People die and never know what their funerals are like,” she told journalist MUSTAFA AMIN on the phone as she lay on her deathbed. “As for myself… I am confident of people’s love.”