Cairo in Chicago. Cairo Street at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. EtudUrb 11.
IFAO| N° d'inventaire | 23846 |
| Format | 24 x 32 |
| Détails | 472 p., 1 plan, 168 illustrations, publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Cairo, 2021 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782724707663 |
Built as a temporary structure and made from ephemeral materials, “Cairo Street” had a dual function. On the one hand, it was a purely scientific installation, a work of anthropology. On the other, it became the most popular entertainment venue at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition: a place where “people went wild with excitement.” Far from being a copy of a currently existing street, it was rather an assemblage of authentic architectural elements, assembled in such a way as to evoke the atmosphere of the Arab-Islamic metropolis, the city of the Arabian Nights. The presence of the local inhabitants of Cairo, who plied their trade there, some with their camels, donkeys, monkeys, and even snakes, made an even greater impact. In the streets of Cairo, belly dancing caused a huge sensation: many people claimed it was immoral and demanded its immediate suspension; others considered it a performance of important scientific and ethnological value. It was never banned, and people came to see it. The Universal Exhibitions have been the subject of numerous publications. This monograph constitutes an innovative approach in that it proposes a single subject, the streets of Cairo, for detailed analysis, placing particular emphasis on its interpretation in the context of the Exposition as a whole. What was the great uproar surrounding belly dancing like? What motivated it? In order to answer these questions, this monograph attempts to provide a complex and multifaceted interpretation in the context of the society of the time.
Built as a temporary structure and made from ephemeral materials, “Cairo Street” had a dual function. On the one hand, it was a purely scientific installation, a work of anthropology. On the other, it became the most popular entertainment venue at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition: a place where “people went wild with excitement.” Far from being a copy of a currently existing street, it was rather an assemblage of authentic architectural elements, assembled in such a way as to evoke the atmosphere of the Arab-Islamic metropolis, the city of the Arabian Nights. The presence of the local inhabitants of Cairo, who plied their trade there, some with their camels, donkeys, monkeys, and even snakes, made an even greater impact. In the streets of Cairo, belly dancing caused a huge sensation: many people claimed it was immoral and demanded its immediate suspension; others considered it a performance of important scientific and ethnological value. It was never banned, and people came to see it. The Universal Exhibitions have been the subject of numerous publications. This monograph constitutes an innovative approach in that it proposes a single subject, the streets of Cairo, for detailed analysis, placing particular emphasis on its interpretation in the context of the Exposition as a whole. What was the great uproar surrounding belly dancing like? What motivated it? In order to answer these questions, this monograph attempts to provide a complex and multifaceted interpretation in the context of the society of the time.