This artwork was a mini-series from below — where the skyline tells stories if you just look up.
Orosdi Back
It’s hard to believe that this quiet giant was once the heart of elegance in Cairo’s retail scene. Now, it stands like a ghost of good taste, topped with a dome that looks out across the square like a memory that refuses to fade. I drew it in the fading afternoon light — the kind of light that flatters everything.
The details felt both grand and intimate, like the building was trying to tell me: "We used to matter. And maybe, we still do".
Abdel Hamid El Shawarby Building
I noticed it by accident. Isn’t that how it always goes in Cairo? You’re looking for a sandwich shop and suddenly find yourself face-to-face with an architectural gem. The rooftop — layered with texture and time — felt like the flourish at the end of a forgotten poem.
Named after the former Minister of Justice, this building is often overlooked, though it anchors one of the busiest corners in Downtown. Built during the Khedival modernization era, it blends neo-Islamic motifs with early 20th-century European detailing.
Canadian Hostel (Davies Bryan Building)
Constructed during the British colonial period, with a distinctly Edwardian look, Over time, it has become the Canadian Hostel, a low-cost stay for travelers with a curious soul. What’s magical is how it has kept its top-floor ornaments and historical grace, even while the ground floor bustles with cafés and phone shops.
There’s something charming about buildings that have outlived their labels. Once British-owned, now a humble hostel— but look up. The rooftop still carries itself like it belongs to a Cairo of diplomacy, train stations, and handwritten letters. I included this sketch in the series not for its fame, but for its persistence.
A quiet survivor of Cairo’s shifting identities.
In the background, Here comes Tiring !
Tiring Department Store
This building wears a crown of contradictions — part Ottoman fantasy, part European ambition. In its heyday, it was where Cairo came to feel cosmopolitan. I stood on the opposite sidewalk, dodging foot traffic and sketching upward. What struck me wasn’t just the architecture, but the intention. This building wanted to impress. And even now, with its worn facade and closed shutters, it still does.
Built in 1913 for the Austrian-owned Tiring company, this was once Cairo’s ultimate department store — the Harrods of its time. Designed in a Viennese-influenced neo-baroque style, it housed imported goods from across Europe. Its rooftop dome and decorative finials are still intact, if weathered by time.
Sketching it, It felt like time travel — imagining the flâneurs and fashionistas of old Cairo stepping out in tailored suits. Even in decay, it commands attention. Like a dowager who once ruled the room.
Speaking of "Tiring", I want to recall a moment, in 2020, when I first got to explore the rich history of Tiring and Ataba Square through this spread.