Cairo Book Market Soor El Azbakeya Participates in Abu Dhabi Book Fair

The 33rd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is currently underway, running until May 5th, and this year’s session is playing host to an exported exhibition from Cairo’s famous historical book market Soor El Azbakeya. The bustling second-hand and vintage souq has been selling works of literature from all over the region, and the world, since 1907.

2024 marks the first year that the market has travelled to the Abu Dhabi Book Fair; no coincidence, seeing as Egypt is the guest of honour for this year’s exhibition, which centres on the works of Naguib Mahfouz, who remains the only Arab writer to win a Nobel Prize for literature.

The version of the market at the book fair echoes the design of the Cairo original, with the seven book shops participating to emulate the real Soor El Azbakeya displaying over 15,000 books and magazines. Amongst the oldest vintage pieces include the first issue of Cairo’s Al Ahram newspaper, published in 1876, as well as some early editions of Mahfouz’s most famous works.