Sunday, 11 January, marked the launch of the newest book in the Memory of the City series, published by the National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH).
The event was held at Al-Hanagar Cinema at the Cairo Opera House and attracted a full audience celebrating Maadi: The Green Suburb.
Among the attendees were Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, and NOUH Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Abu Seada, who delivered the opening speech. The event was also attended by the book’s contributors and a wide range of cultural figures.
The publication is the latest addition to the Memory of the City series, which has previously documented Zamalek, Heliopolis, Garden City, and Siwa Oasis.
A comprehensive record of Maadi
The book review began with a presentation by the book's editor, Nezar AlSayyad, professor of Architecture, Planning, and Urban Design/History at the University of California, Berkeley
He discussed the history of Maadi as a “green suburb” and explained that the book covers its development from multiple perspectives, including urban, architectural, and social history.
Consisting of nine chapters, the book provides a detailed record of one of Greater Cairo’s oldest districts.
The origin of the name Maadi
My chapter focuses on Maadi before Maadi — the area’s prehistoric civilization,” said researcher and historian Hassan Hafez. He added that excavations by Cairo University uncovered fossils in Maadi dating back around 5,000 years to the prehistoric period.
During the Islamic era, settlements developed in Al-Fustat, near present-day Maadi, in the eighth century. Nearby stood a small village known as Al-Adawiya, where people crossed the Nile. According to historical accounts, the village was named after a woman called Adawiya, who built a church there during the Fatimid period in the 10th century. Over time, the area came to be known as Maadi.
In 1930, Maadi entered a new phase of development when the Delta Egyptian Railway Company established a railway line and a planned, green residential suburb. The area soon attracted foreign residents and affluent Egyptians.
Maadi after 1952 Revolution
Professor of Heritage Conservation Heide Shalaby, head of the Central Technical Administration for Technical Affairs at NOUH, explained that the urban fabric of Maadi was directly affected by sociopolitical changes after the 1952 Revolution.
New laws issued in 1956 established the coalition of Maadi residents, the first district to have such a guidebook.
"This shows how close the people of Maadi are and their strong sense of community, known as Maadi Al-Sarayat,” said Professor Happy Hosney, expert in Restoration and Architectural Preservation.
He explained that in the late 1970s, new laws allowed high-rise buildings. The first of these was constructed by actor Hussein Sedky, who demolished a villa to build a 15-story building in its place.
The railway amid the garden suburb
Professor Amir Gohar, head of the Urban Planning Department at West London University, explained how the new urban fabric affected the garden district, including its trees, public spaces, and access to the Nile.
A chapter by urban planning expert Amr Essam explored the close relationship between the railway and Maadi residents, showing how it shaped the district’s development from the late 19th century through the introduction of the subway.
Architecture of Maadi villas
Moreover, researcher and photographer Karim Badr explores the unique architecture of Maadi villas, the vision of their designers, and what remains today.
Maadi in cinema and television series
Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and cultural activist Heba Safey Eldeen reflected on how Maadi has been portrayed in Egyptian films, television series, and even teen novels.
“Maadi is part of the Cairo we lived and cherish,” she said. “Through black-and-white films, we see how Maadi reflected the high class and elite, with its rich cultural life. It is also a romantic district, full of trees, gardens, the sounds of birds, and wooden bridges, as shown in the film Banat El Youm (Modern Girls), starring Abdel Halim Hafez."
She noted that Maadi served as a refuge for many movie characters and later became a model of socialism after the 1952 Revolution, reflected in its architecture. She also highlighted the portrayal of Maadi women as strong, active, independent, and free.
Maadi’s bicycle bells
“I have lived in Maadi since the early 1950s, and I wonder why I feel lost when I am away from it,” said Professor Mona Zakaria, architect and historian specializing in heritage and rehabilitation. “I discovered the sounds of Maadi: trees, frogs, the air, and the bicycle bells people from all walks of life used to greet each other on the streets. The bells created a connection among residents.”
She recalled the sound of the steam locomotive trains. “Maadi had two parallel railways, one for luggage and one for transporting workers from Qalaa Square to Maadi at 7am, where they started work in military factories. These factories shaped daily life in Maadi. When we were at school, we would hear the loud noises and know they were from the factories, which also enhanced our sense of patriotism from a young age.”
Zakaria added that the sounds of Maadi, from trains to the trumpet of Tura prison marking the day, and the water canals drawing water from the Nile, regulated daily life and connected people to their surroundings.
“Each season had its own smells. The Sycamore trees were part of daily life. I remember riding my bicycle, and my mother would give me 5 taarifa (pennies) to buy gemeiz, but today such trees are no longer common. We owe thanks to the women of the Maadi Association who protect these trees,” she said.
She also recalled Maadi’s role in the 1956 war. “One morning, we woke to find a cannon in front of our house, and tanks in the gardens. People covered their glass windows with deep blue Zahra so the enemy could not see inside. My mother and neighbours used garden hoses to bring water to those in need and shared the telephone to communicate with family. The cannon in front of our home in Degla even managed to hit an enemy aeroplane.”
Zakaria concluded by questioning whether modern architecture continues to engage human senses as effectively as the Maadi she remembers.
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