A visual journey through the streets and the history of the Mother of the World Cairo is an exploding modern metropolis of eighteen million people that nevertheless preserves within its heart the finest medieval city in the world, its alleys, mosques, and caravanserais the original setting for the Arabian Nights, whose atmosphere is palpable still for the visitor wandering through its bazaars, while at sunset the Pyramids glow gold against the Western Desert as they have done for one million seven hundred thousand evenings past. The monuments of pharaohs and sultans lie within the city’s reach, making Cairo and its environs an unequaled storehouse of human achievement. In this guide to the largest city in Africa and the political and cultural fulcrum of the Arab world, Michael Haag explores Cairo’s past and present in word and picture, from Saqqara to the Citadel of Saladin, from the ancient synagogue and churches of Old Cairo to the skyscrapers along the Nile, from Khan al-Khalili, the vast bazaar as intricate as inlay work, to the Belle Epoque façades of the downtown streets, and introduces you to the treasures of three great civilizations at the Islamic, Coptic, and Egyptian Antiquities museums.  Beautifully illustrated with 150 color photographs, this is a fascinating armchair tour of Cairo in all its variety. PRAISE FOR MICHAEL HAAG: “Haag vividly evokes the time and the place with sumptuous descriptions”— Daily Express  on  The Durrells of Corfu “Well-written, copiously illustrated, and solidly researched book. Highly recommended."— Library Journal   on  The Templars “Haag's account sparkles”— Publishers Weekly   on  The Tragedy of the Templars “A balance of infectious enthusiasm and solid practicality"— Michael Palin  on  Cairo, Luxor & Aswan “Thought-provoking”— Kirkus Reviews   on  The Quest for Mary Magdalene “[A] fine and deft interweaving of the personal and the political.”— Financial Times  on  Alexandria: City of Memory Michael Haag   (1943–2020)   was a London-based writer and photographer. He is author and photographer of  Alexandria Illustrated  (AUC Press, 2004) and  Cairo Illustrated  (AUC Press, 2006), and author of  Vintage Alexandria: Photographs of the City, 1860–1960  (AUC Press, 2008) and  Alexandria: City of Memory   (2004). His other books include  The Templar s  and  The Durrells of Corfu.