The Lure of Islamic Cairo: A Lecture by Caroline Williams - A Memorial Event

The Lure of Islamic Cairo: A Lecture by Caroline Williams
A Memorial Event

We are honoured to present a lecture by Caroline Williams that she was planning to deliver herself but sadly passed away just a couple of days earlier. Thanks to her family, we received the text of the lecture and all photographs she had intended to show. The talk, titled The Lure of Islamic Cairo, will be read by Agnieszka Dobrowolska, director of ARCHiNOS Architecture.

Caroline Williams first visited Egypt in 1961, and after obtaining a graduate degree in Middle Eastern history from Harvard, she returned to Cairo to study its Islamic architecture at AUC. In 1985, she published The Islamic Monuments of Cairo: A Practical Guide, which remains a key reference on the city’s architectural heritage. The book has been revised and updated multiple times, with its 7th edition appearing in 2018. As an independent scholar, she wrote extensively on 19th-century Western artists who painted Cairo’s life and people, as well as on conservation projects in the historic city.

The Lure of Islamic Cairo tells the story of how an American foreigner discovered and fell in love with Umm ad-Dunya. Through words and images, Caroline Williams reflects on a love affair with the city that began in 1961 and only deepened over the years.

📅 Date: Saturday, 24 May 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 -- 6:00 PM
🌐 Language: English only
📍 Venue: Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbey, Desert of the Mamluks, Cairo
📍 Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/K26Uy3KKX1RmqS6X6

🎟 Free entry – No registration required.

Part of the Cairo, My Love series, celebrating the city through art, architecture, crafts, and music.

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Also check out other Arts events in Cairo.