Near her grave, she would sit and pray under the date palm and among the flowering plants, a few hours of peace in Cairo ’s historic City of the Dead. It has encouraged the growth of gated suburban compounds outside the city while building a giant new capital in the desert. But the cemetery destruction sparked an outcry that is unusual in an Egypt, where dissent has been squelched for years under el-Sissi. The City of the Dead, covering nearly 2 square miles (5 square kilometers), has been a unique space in Cairo for centuries. Omar’s extended family has five mausoleums in the cemetery, two of which are slated for destruction.

Source: Ethiopian News September 11, 2023 05:33 UTC