Cats of Cairo: Egypt's Enduring Legacy [Hardcover]

Lorraine Chittock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Far from being pampered house cats, these feisty creatures roam freely through the streets of Cairo. They were so beloved in ancient days that they were portrayed in statues and, upon the death of a cat, a lavish funeral was held. According to folk tradition, the prophet Muhammad cut off his coat sleeve because he had to stand up for prayer and did not want to disturb his cat who was napping on his sleeve. Today, as the photographs display, the mystique of the cat lives on. During her seven-year stay in Cairo, Lorraine Chittock pursued cats throughout the city, taking intimate portraits of these wary inhabitants. She portrays their lunar eyes coolly scanning the relentless bustle around them and their long bodies slinking through souks and down alleys. The intriguing images and the fascinating introduction and quotes paired with them trace the timeless bond between people and cats in Cairo revealing the rhythm of life there, its joys, sorrows, and deep sense of religion. This is the quintessential cat book, featuring the quintessential cat.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A captivating portrait of street-smart survivors whose ancestors in ancient Egypt were revered as gods.

From the Author

"It may seem that my first book (Shadows in the Sand-Following the Forty Days Road, see About the Author) and second book have little in common, but they do. People ask me when I’m going on my next big adventure. What next after walking through the Libyan desert for six weeks? But working on Cats of Cairo was often much more exhausting. Walking across the desert, I was surrounded by 200 enormous camels that sent other animals scattering for miles around. Often, I just put one foot in front of the other without thinking about anything. And I trusted the camel herders implicitly. I had to. But while photographing in the middle of Cairo, I was the one who had to be constantly alert while dodging cars, donkey carts, and all the other complexities of Cairene life."

"Egyptian cats can be very elusive creatures. Instead of having overgrown beasts posing for me like puppy dogs, I had to become more like a wildlife tracker in an urban environment. Which in a strange way served as an introduction to Kenya, where I’m living now."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 94 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789207079
• ISBN-13: 978-0789207074
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,652,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully clever book, August 6, 2006

By 

Barbara N. Fudge (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cats of Cairo: Egypt's Enduring Legacy (Hardcover)

I have bought a number of Cats of Cairo now for friends everywhere and all have found this book to be insightful, entertaining and endearing. The photographs are special but the thoughts and insights that accompany them are both appealing and informative and offer a glimpse into the lives of the amazing felines that stalk the streets and alleys of Cairo.

Barbara Fudge
Cairo, Egypt

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality & the cat, August 1, 2006

By 

Mohja Kahf "Ph.D., Comparative Literature" (U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cats of Cairo: Egypt's Enduring Legacy (Hardcover)

My cat-people friends are FLIPPING out over this book; photos of heaven for cat lovers. From pagan cattitudes to sufi dhikr-purrs, a divine celebration of the feline. How felicitous! Lucky Lorraine, too, to have landed what has to be one of the last essays of the late Dr Annemarie Schimmel (may she rest in mercy), and such an essay of sweet profundity, all about the place of love for cats in Islam: Hadiths on kittens, cat-loving Egyptians, these are a few of her favorite things.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone who has looked into the mystery of a cat's eyes, June 6, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cats of Cairo: Egypt's Enduring Legacy (Hardcover)

Cats Of Cairo: Egypt's Enduring Legacy is a splendidly presented photographic presentation and testament to the savvy, street-smart felines of Cairo and the result of photographer Lorraine Chittock's seven year residence in this fabled Egyptian city. Here we see intimate portraits of these predatory survivors augmented with quotes derived from a spectrum of historical and modern sources tracing the timeless connection between people and cats in a never ending cycle of life. Cats Of Cairo is a fitting testament and "must" reading for anyone who has ever looked into the mystery of a cat's eyes, watched the stalking of a perfect predator, or felt purring vibrations under a caressing stroke.