Briefly Noted

Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide

Caroline Williams (Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2002) 276 pp., $22.50

Cairo’s medieval mosques, madrasas, mausoleums, forts and private homes are often overlooked by tourists in their rush to view Egypt’s pharaonic wonders. As the author of the fifth edition of this useful guidebook points out, however, no other city offers a richer taste of the development of Islamic architecture. The book’s maps, drawings and sidebars will inform many a stroll through Cairo’s back alleys.

David Hockney: Egyptian Journeys