Old Cairo city plan, 1937

Alexander Nicohosoff’s New Map of Cairo and Environs, published in 1937, is a fascinating twentieth-century city plan documenting Egypt’s capital during a period of rapid modernization and profound political and social transformation. The map provides a detailed portrait of Cairo as it appeared in the years immediately preceding the Second World War, when the historic Islamic city was expanding into a modern metropolitan center.

Centered on Cairo, the plan extends beyond the dense historic core to encompass the surrounding districts and approaches, illustrating the complex relationship between the ancient city and its rapidly developing suburbs. Streets, avenues, public buildings, railways, waterways, bridges, gardens, and important landmarks are carefully identified, making the map useful not only as a decorative historical document but also as a valuable record of Cairo’s urban development.

One of the most important features of the map is its representation of the Nile River, the fundamental geographic and economic axis of Cairo. The river and its islands divide and connect different parts of the metropolis, while bridges and transportation routes demonstrate the increasing mobility of the city's population. The plan also provides a visual impression of the expansion of Cairo toward areas that would become increasingly important during the twentieth century.

The map captures a remarkable meeting of historical periods. Medieval Cairo, with its mosques, markets, narrow streets, and historic quarters, existed alongside broad modern boulevards, administrative buildings, railway infrastructure, hotels, and European-influenced neighborhoods. This combination reflects Cairo’s unique position as both an ancient Islamic capital and an increasingly modern international city.

Dating from 1937, the map is particularly significant because it records Cairo shortly before the dramatic geopolitical changes of the 1940s. Egypt remained formally independent but was still closely connected to British political and military interests, and Cairo was already an important diplomatic, commercial, and cultural center of the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.

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