Overview
Region
North Africa
Egypt
Era
Post-colonial
Language
Arabic
Genre
Fiction
About This Work
Set in a forgotten alley in medieval Cairo, the novel follows the interlocking lives of its residents—a café owner, a matchmaker, a dentist, and a young woman dreaming of escape—as they grapple with ambition, desire, and the collision of tradition and modernity.
Literary Significance
Regarded as one of Mahfouz's finest works and a defining portrait of Egyptian urban life