Imaginary, culinary, sensory or cultural journeys… We portray the landscape, the character, the context… it’s up to you to dream and imagine what happens next…

I have a real passion for the views from the rooftops and terraces of the world. I like to contemplate daily life from the heights of cities. Today, I take you on a journey of discovery of these minute details captured at random, these traces of daily life, these traces of history that intrigue us, that seduce us, that attract us, that fascinate us…

Here we are on the rooftops of the famous Ibn Touloum mosque. It is the oldest mosque in Cairo, still in its original state: a real pearl of architecture. Scanning the roof just below, I see a red pedal car, lost in the middle of an unspeakable bazaar, which plunges me into deep reflection. Who did it belong to? When did it seduce a young child? Which child, now an adult, spent happy hours at the wheel of this pedal car? Who decided one day to abandon it on this terrace, certainly thinking that perhaps it could be used again sometime?

Beyond the dome of the mosque in the foreground, I discover a palm tree emerging from the ambient pollution. What human genius decided one fine morning to bring a little greenery back to the heart of the megalopolis? And what do you see on the horizon?

Below, in the inner courtyard of Ibn Touloum, I can see the large green carpets on which we pray. I can barely make out the dome of the ablution room in the middle of the courtyard. And you, what are you sensitive to?

I am struck by the astonishing floor surface of the mosque, by the symmetry and the number of vaults surrounding the interior corridor. I am amazed by the contrast between this harmonious building dating back several centuries and the modern buildings around it. How about you?

Behind the spiral-shaped minaret, I admire the city swarming below. The permanent spectacle is now breathtaking.

Beyond the first minarets, I can see the minarets of the great mosque completely enclosed in the distance in the mist. A glimpse of the astonishing architecture that one encounters in this extraordinary and vibrant city.

In the foreground, my gaze remains for a while clinging to the finely chiselled and worked crenellations of Ibn Touloum. My view then turns to the oversized city on the horizon. And you, where do you look?

Back in the neighbourhoods near the Nile, I am surprised at the abundance of constructions. I catch a glimpse of a red curtain that draws my eye to the fourth floor of the third building just down the street. Have you discovered it?

Of course, like all Westerners who come here, I am impressed by the number of air conditioners and satellite dishes all around. Aren’t you?

Once my eyes have gone beyond the tangle of threads everywhere, I can see in the distance the immense constructions that defy the sky and the city. And I begin to dream…

Par Nathalie

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)