Die Midaq-Gasse

More about the book

Once, Midaq Alley shone like a star in the history of mighty Cairo. Now, the arabesques of the famous Kirscha café have become crumbling and rotten. Uncle Kamil, the candy seller, the old poet no one wants to hear since the advent of radio, the proud head of the trading company, and even the grim Zita, who maims people to make them beg better—all feel the new era's rhythm taking over the city. Each seeks their own path into the future. Umm Hamida, the chronicler of all news and a walking encyclopedia of all misdeeds, has more to tell daily about the secrets of this alley, as a world has fallen into disarray. In this novel, an old city alley in Cairo becomes a microcosm of a world in upheaval.