Kiss and Tell
Overlooking Cairo, the Muqattam Hill offers a view like no other.
Some might say that it’s windy and dangerous upon the craggy cliffs, the site of drifters and no-gooders. The criminal-protagonist of Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs took refuge in a nearby necropolis. The now banned Muslim Brotherhood once battled protesters outside of their hilltop headquarters, and others have told stories of criminals and djinn causing trouble up there.
But it’s also tranquil and private, which is why it has been dubbed Cairo’s make-out spot par excellence.
The Egyptian illustrator Omar Hazem renders an unforgettable kiss from high above the megalopolis. A newcomer to Cairo’s bustling scene of inkers, Hazem works for an advertising firm. He has distinguished himself with a knack for composition and color in his hyper-realist street scenes of the Egyptian capital from above and below.
The whimsical postcard image is reminiscent of the French artist Golo, who over the past four decades has developed a singular approach to capturing Egyptian scenes and personalities. Golo has drawn political cartoons, movie posters, and graphic novels, including adaptations of Albert Cossery. But his cityscapes are enough to steal one’s breath.
Golo, 1994. Image courtesy of the artist.
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Golo’s oversized panorama of the Muqattam Hill was on display at his 2014 retrospective La Nouvelle Description de l’Egypte, hosted by Institut Francais and the comic zine Tok Tok at downtown’s La Viennoise Hotel.
The drawing shares much with Hazem’s homage to Muqattam—the rich colors and vast expanses, and of course the couple canoodling.
And if you were to sneak away to Cairo’s natural, limestone watchtower at sunset, you’ll likely stumble across just as romantic of a scene.