There is a whole breadth of literature on cities across the world. This is one attempt to capture the different relationships people have with the cities they live in.
- A view of Old Cairo
Amitav Ghosh writes in In an Antique Land
“To most Egyptians outside Cairo, their metaphor stands for the entire city: the whole of it is known as Masr — the city’s formal name al-Qahira is infrequently used. But Cairo, like Delhi or Rome, is actually not so much a single city as an archipelago of townships, founded on neighbouring sites, by various different dynasties and rulers.”
Have a look at The Polis Blog for more such quotes on the cities that we live in.
We will be posting more such quotes in the coming weeks to show the rich perspectives on life in the cities. Do keep an eye out!
(Image source: Greater Archeology)