"On a small pedestrian street behind Cairo’s iconic Al Azhar Mosque, the Abdel Zaher binding shop stands out with its elaborate signage. As one makes their way through the alley, they are met with everything that is modern day Cairo: centuries-old structures are juxtaposed with a modern day market selling fruits, vegetables and ‘Made in China’ goods. Closer to the shop, the products on sale transform to paperback books, and established shops with wooden fronts begin to appear. Abdel Zaher's shop has a modern full-glass front, with the shop's name elegantly engraved. The shop boasts two parallel stacks of handmade paper-based products: notebooks, photoalbums, sketchbooks, calendars and paper boxes and file holders. The designs vary, from leather-bound pieces to cloth and marble paper hardcovers of different shapes and sizes. The two other rooms in the shop host a workshop space full of materials and metal engravers, and a regular touristic bookshop selling novels, academic and coffee-table books. ..."
Atharna
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