Mural Arts in Historic Cairo: A Critical Review

In recent years, mural arts have secured a place within the urban space of metropolitan cities around the world, including Cairo. These murals, created by numerous artists, appear in different areas throughout the city. The literature shows that they have an impact on the social and physical aspects of urban space. This paper investigates the murals located within the boundaries of Historic Cairo, focusing on the higher concentration within Al-Khalifa neighborhood. The paper discusses the messages conveyed by them and their addressed audience: either the local community or a different audience all together. It critically analyzes eight murals through an urban design lens, using visual and architectural methods including mapping, annotated photographs, and architectural diagrams. In between the envisioned purpose of these murals and their realized outcome, the paper questions the murals’ interaction with streetscape, community, and time. The first question discusses whether the streets act as the murals’ canvas or background or are shaped and identified by them. Simultaneously, it questions whether these murals represent the community’s identity or if the artists impose their artistic vision through them. Lastly, whether these murals are ephemeral and disappear over time, or leave traces that mark the urban space.