A Stroll through Cairo and Time

Strolling through different neighbourhoods in Cairo during months, I collected around 80 photographs of the car model Fiat 1100. All these cars are approximately 50 years old. Some of them are still in use and in a very good shape, painted with fresh colour, looked after down to the smallest detail whereas others are completely neglected and left to the growing rust patina. 

Fiat 1100, Al-Hayatem, Cairo 2003/06

Due to Gamel Abdel Nasser’s negotiations with Fiat Turin, an assembly hall was built in Cairo to manufacture the Fiat 1100 from the mid fifties till the beginning of the seventies.
The assembly-factory in Egypt was named after the president, «El-Nasr», the Arabic word for «victory». The Fiat 1100 was also called E-Nasr and became the first affordable family-car in Egypt. 

Fiat 1100, Al-Nasreyah, Cairo 2003/06, by Niemann

In the vernacular the Fiat 1100 is called «el-kerda», which is a female monkey. In Egypt car mechanics tent to give cars a female name, because the word car in Arabic is female. E.g. the Mercedes model 1978 is called «el-khanzeera», sow, whereas the later Mercedes model built in the early 80ies is called «el-temsaha», a female crocodile. Sociologists assume the reason for giving animal names to cars can be traced back to the former means of transportation, such as camels, donkeys and horses still used in the country side and can also still be seen in some parts of the cities. 

Fiat 1100, La Zoghly, Cairo 2003/06

The photographic collection of the Fiat 1100 in various neighbourhoods in Cairo is not only a strictly conceptual and ongoing piece, but also offers a different view to the multi-layered mega city of Cairo, which serves here as a background, as a stage for the cars. 

Fiat 1100, Manial, Cairo 2003/06

The images cover Cairo from A-Z , from Agouza to Zamalek. With the focus on the main photographic object, the car, places of no attention become perceptible, non-places are to be discovered - telling different city-stories than the conventional images from a rather exotic perspective and orientalistic angle of vision. 

Fiat 1100, Road to Saqqara, Cairo 2003/06, by Niemann

Text and Photographies by Rayelle Niemann, Zurich & Cairo © 2006/07 

FEATURED THEME ON CITY SHARING

MORE CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE FOLLOWING