The used books market in Al-Azbakeya, one of Cairo’s most prominent cultural districts, has reopened after undergoing renovation.
Although it is considered one of the oldest in the city, the book market has transformed and relocated several times in its 100-year-plus history.
It has now moved to near its original location, with 133 shops that better categorise the books on sale by author and genre. The labyrinthine market is also divided into alleys named after famous Egyptian writers, including Taha Hussein, Naguib Mahfouz and Tawfiq al-Hakim, all of whom used to frequent the market and looked upon it as a source of inspiration.
The selection is vast, with magazines and books in Arabic and English. According to a video by Cairo Scene, the books start at less than five Egyptian pounds ($0.10)
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A bookseller at Cairo's recently renovated Al-Azbakeya book market, which dates back to the 19th century. All photos: Reuters -
Books of myriad genres in stalls of every colour draw bibliophiles to Cairo from around the world. -
Sellers at the used book market can be as much of an attraction as the goods they sell. -
Book lovers in Cairo will find more than 130 stores at the market's latest outing at the city's Azbakeya Garden. -
About 10 years ago, booksellers complained the market's spirit was at its lowest ebb. 'The book industry is dying here,' one said. -
The renovation, announced in 2022, brings years of unhappy speculation about the fate of the market to an end. Many businesses now operate from kiosks provided by the government. -
In May 2024, Egypt was guest of honour at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and a resurgent Al-Azbakeya book market was there to bring a taste of Cairo tradition to UAE readers. -
The market was consolidated around 1907 and some family-owned businesses have endured for generations. -
The book market has an enduring folk memory shaped by Egypt's history. Some stories reveal how the 1952 revolution heralded an end to the harassment of book sellers there and a recognition that traders had a right to be there.
The market dates back to the 19th century, when sellers congregated around the Azbakeya district, often moving between coffee shops to sell their wares. The area was already a bustling cultural hub by then, with an opera house and art galleries nearby.
According to a 2011 article by Ahram Online, which quotes Lesley Lababidi’s Cairo Street Stories, sellers began establishing themselves firmly in the early 20th century, piling their books along the garden wall, which led to its colloquial name, Soor Al-Azbakeya or the Azbakeya Fence.
Sellers faced challenges, however, and were routinely chased away with water hoses. They gained government backing in 1957 as permits were distributed, and the market came to be frequented by the city’s literary figures and intellectuals.
As the urban fabric of the area changed, the market had to move. In 1991, it briefly shifted to El Darasa due to the construction of the metro station before relocating back to Azbakeya in 1998.
This move back to its original venue was positively received. An Al Ahram Weekly article from the period, as cited by a 2012 piece by the website Arablit, quotes Gamal Al Ghitani, author of the 1974 book Zayni Barakat, as saying: “Azbakeya has greatly affected my career. More than half of the books in my library are from here. As a young man, I used to save money and go to the second-hand book market every evening to browse for valuable books.
“Even now, browsing through the old, rare books of Azbakeya is a special treat. I was one of those who fought for the return of the vendors to their original site. This was only an expression of gratitude for them.”
However, the market lost its footfall over the years, relocating repeatedly as more metro lines were constructed. Sellers often lamented the market's overlooked status.
“People come to visit us from all over the world looking for our old and rare books, hoping they will find a great place where Arabic literature pioneers were raised, but they come to find the wall surrounded by street vendors and piles of rubbish,” bookseller Alaa Abdel Haq told The Egypt Independent, as quoted by the 2012 Arablit article.
As such, the market's renovation addresses many of the concerns that both sellers and patrons had over the years, perhaps ushering in a new, more stable chapter for Soor Al-Azbakeya, and inspiring a new generation of Egyptian writers and readers.
