logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
27m 21s

Cairo in comics

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Modern Cairo is a crowded metropolis. The city’s ‘thousand minarets’ are now dwarfed by a new skyline of slick tower blocks. Modern highways fly over bustling kiosks where residents gather to smoke and buy soda drinks. Inspired by the lives of their neighbours, playing out among mosques, high rise buildings and on busy streets, Egyptian writers and graphic artists, including Deena Mohamed, Shennawy and Mohamed Wahba bring their thousand-year-old capital to life.

Up next
Today
Brazil's Miracle: an Indigenous disaster
During the Brazilian military dictatorship, the Krenak indigenous people were banned from speaking their language, imprisoned in reformatories and forcibly displaced from their land. In 2024, the State asked them for forgiveness. Can it be granted? Journalist Pūlama Kaufman trave ... Show More
49m 32s
Yesterday
Tackling loneliness in India
India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative ... Show More
26m 28s
Yesterday
Trump and autism: People affected speak out
President Donald Trump recently addressed what he described as the “horrible crisis” in autism, and rapid rise in reported cases over the last two decades. Previously, he has suggested a link between some vaccines and autism, and in his latest remarks, he warned pregnant women to ... Show More
22m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
MOHAMED ELSHAHED & RAMI ABOU-KHALIL | Cairo Modern | Conversations
Mohamed Elshahed talked about Cairo Modern. The exhibition showcases works by Egyptian modernists from the 1920s to the 1970s, half a century of rich architectural production that complicate our present understanding of global modernism. The exhibition introduces audiences to key ... Show More
32m 24s
Nov 2009
World Book Club: Alaa Al Aswany
Harriett Gilbert talks to acclaimed Egyptian writer Alaa Al-Aswany about his bestselling novel The Yacoubian Building. It was the Arab world’s number-one bestseller for five years running after it was published in 2002. The Yacoubian Building interweaves the stories of a group of ... Show More
53 m
Sep 2019
Humphrey Davies and Lesley Lababidi, "A Field Guide to the Street Names of Central Cairo" (AU in Cairo Press, 2018)
Guides have been written to the city of Cairo for generations. Whether they’re for foreigners who’ve come to the city or its residents. However, it might be safe to say thatA Field Guide to the Street Names of Central Cairo (American University in Cairo Press, 2018) is a beast un ... Show More
58m 49s
Feb 2024
Damanhur
A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground temple covered in intricate paintings, mosaics, trippy colors and images inspired by Roman, Greek and Egyptian mythology. READ MORE ... Show More
18m 1s
Aug 2022
The Divas of Cairo's Roaring 20s | Raphael Cormack
Raphael Cormack discussed his new book Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt's Roaring 20's.Midnight in Cairo tells the thrilling story of Egypt’s interwar nightlife and entertainment industry through the lives of its pioneering women. Introducing an eccentric cast of characters, ... Show More
58m 16s
May 2024
This is 'Imshi Imshi'
This is 'Imshi Imshi,' the podcast that brings you closer to the Arab diaspora's most compelling stories. Join us on a journey through the lives of individuals who bridge worlds, defy expectations, and inspire change. From the heart of the Middle East to the streets of the Wester ... Show More
2m 28s
Nov 2023
Manet's 'Olympia' Comes to New York
What does it mean to a painter of modern life? Helen & Steve Locke discuss artistic rivalry, leisure, and labor politics in Manet/Degas, a historic exhibition pairing two giants of the 19th century, on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 7, 2024. 
26m 17s