Cairo: Tucked in a narrow alleyway in the Islamic section of the Egyptian capital, Al Feshawi coffeshop has been a major hangout for many people for more than two centuries.
It sets itself apart from other coffeehouses that have sprung up over the years across Egypt with its evocative history, latticed woodwork, large framed mirrors, and aromatic traditional drinks.
The café takes its name from Haj Fahmi Al Feshawi, who started the business in the 18th century by serving coffee and tea to friends in a small corner in the famous Khan Al Khalil bazaar in Islamic Cairo, according to his descendants.
His professionalism soon earned him more customers, prompting him to expand the corner into a café that has since attracted millions of Egyptians and foreigners, including big-name personalities.
Late Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the winner of the 1988 Novel Prize for Literature, was a regular patron of the café. The walls of the bustling location carry a portrait of Mahfouz. A corner inside is also named after the pre-eminent writer.
Al Feshawi had apparently inspired Mahfouz, who died in 2006, to write several novels set in coffeehouses.
“Naguib Mahfouz used to come to Al Feshawi and wrote parts of his [Cairo] trilogy here,” Akram Al Feshawi, a descendant of the café’s founder, said, referring to Mahfouz’s three-volume masterpiece that traces political and socio-economic changes in Egypt from 1919 until almost the end of the Second World War.
“We feted him [Mahfouz] when he won Nobel. He is a symbol of this place,” Akram told Egyptian newspaper Al Masri Al Youm recently.
Another Egyptian laureate, Ahmad Zewail, went to the café, a visit that earned him a place among the many photos of personalities illustrating the interior of the place.
Other well-known visitors included late Egyptian UN chief Boutros Boutros Ghali, ex-head of the Arab League Amr Moussa, incumbent Algerian president Abdul Aziz Bouteflika as well as several Egyptian and foreign celebrities.
US actor Morgan Freeman dropped in the café and strolled along Khan Al Khalili when he came to Egypt in 2015 to film a documentary. His visit is also remembered in a photo gracing the time-worn walls of the coffeehouse.
Late Egyptian poet Ahmad Rami, renowned for composing dozens of songs for legendary diva Um Kulthum, has a corner named after him inside the cafe. Rami, who died in 1981, penned several poems at Al Feshawi.
The cafe is located a few metres from a big mosque named after Al Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
On the other side of the street stands Al Azhar Mosque, a centuries-old seat of learning in Sunni Islam. Therefore, the area is a hub for Egyptian and foreign visitors, and many of them do not miss the chance to sit at Al Feshawi and bask in the aura of the past.
“Every year, I come to attend the mawlid [birthday celebration] of Al Imam Al Hussain,” said Hatem Shawqi, a native of the Nile Delta province of Sharqia. “My joy is not complete without coming to Al Feshawi to drink its distinct mint tea and smoke the fruit-flavoured shisha [water pipe],” the 45-year-old accountant told Gulf News.
“In this place, you smell the real Egypt and its past. This is particularly great during Ramadan when the whole area pulsates with spirituality and festivities associated with Ramadan,” Shawqi said, referring to the Muslim lunar fast month of Ramadan. “If you want to experience the real sense of Ramadan in Egypt, you have to come to this area and this cafe.”
Waiters at Al Feshawi briskly move back and forth, carrying enamel teapots and coffee kettles served on traditional copper trays. Clients that are in groups can sit together on long elaborately carved Arabesque seats inside.
Other patrons prefer to sit outside, following the stream of life in the historic alleyway.
“Since I came to Egypt two years ago to study Sharia [Islamic law] at Al Azhar University, I have been interested in visiting Al Feshawi and enjoying its magical atmosphere, especially in the month of Ramadan,” Khalil Ebrahim, a Malaysian student, said.
“I admire the place with its authentic decoration that challenges the time” Ebrahim told Gulf News in classical Arabic. “After I perform the ’Isha [evening] prayer in Al Hussain Mosque, I come to Al Feshawi where I can listen to an oud [lute] played by a performer inside the cafe while I sip my favourite drink, karkade [hibiscus tea].”
Accounts vary on when Al Fishawi was exactly set up. A brass plaque inside the coffeehouse puts it at the year 1710.
Some historians say Al Feshawi the founder started his business in 1773. Others say it was in 1797.
Having been a witness to dramatic changes in Egypt over the years, the café has stood the test of time. Its owners persistently resist succumbing fast-paced modernity embraced by its competitors.
Al Feshawi’s descendants have refused to furnish the cafe with a television set or other latter-day amenities.
“Introducing television will bring a type of customers who do not appreciate the asthetic value of this cafe,” Akram Al Feshawi said. “I am eagerly keen to keep this coffeehouse intact without development lest it should lose its historical distinction.”
