Our latest literary travel guide is focused on... Cairo! We asked Yasmine El Rashidi, a journalist and novelist, to guide readers through the city, whose presence is so powerful it is “the subject, the object and the main character” of many of its writers. “The face of my city is changing fast,” El Rashidi writes. “Highways are replacing centuries-old cemeteries with their mazes of alleys, old neighborhoods are being razed to make way for shiny new skyscrapers, and, on the banks of the Nile, concrete walkways and flashy cafes are uprooting the gardens and trees that have long framed the river. As the Cairo in which I grew up is erased in the name of development, I seek out the parts and pockets that remain untouched all the more: the alleyways, the historic homes now turned into cultural centers, the traditional craftspeople — the carpenter, the weaver, the bookbinders — nestled in ancient courtyards and lanes, holding onto a way of life that is disappearing. It was that Cairo, with its layers of history and character, that shaped the literature of Egypt.” Tap the link in our bio to learn more about El Rashidi’s recommendations on what to read in Cairo. 🎨: @raphaellemacaron