Cairo According to: Karim Chater

Karim Chater, the Moroccan artist, stylist and founder of Beldi Production House, grew up on the other side of the Sahara from Cairo, in Casablanca. There, he channelled the multi-layered Moroccan styles of the 1970s and 80s into his work as a model and fashion photographer, using the aesthetics of nostalgia as a window into the past and a mirror unto the present. Based now in Cairo, the Moroccan’s work marries the two cities together - and it’s a match made in heaven.

Here, Chater breaks down Cairo’s most memorable moments from the perspective of a Casablancan, tells us his favourite Shaaban Abdel Rahim song, and explains why he finally understood what people mean when they say ‘Ramadan fi Masr haga tanya’.

What’s a place that means Cairo to you?

Corniche El Nile will always have a special place in my heart.

I remember my first walk there. I felt Cairo in a way I hadn’t before, made me feel the city differently. Raw, chaotic, romantic, alive.

Complete the following: Cairo is…

Cairo is my second home

.بيتي التاني وإلهامي

It’s my inspiration, my chaos, my comfort. A city that feels like family, even when it isn’t. Somehow, Cairo always brings me back to myself.

What’s your favourite neighbourhood?

My favourite part of Cairo has to be Downtown Cairo, especially Talaat Harb Square. There’s something about the movement, the life, and the old Cairo that still lingers there. It feels like stepping into another era, one I’ve always felt strangely connected to. Maybe that’s why it naturally finds its way into my work. The 70s and 80s, the characters, the textures, the colours, and the stories of this era have always shaped the way I see and create. Downtown feels like my kind of Cairo. The Cairo I remember, imagine, and keep creating.

Your go-to food spot?

Koshari Abu Tarek is an icon and definitely one of my favourites. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t try too hard. Just pure Cairo, completely authentic. It was the first place I ate when I landed in Cairo, right in Downtown, so maybe that’s why it stayed with me.

Your go-to café/bar?

El Horreya in Downtown.

Your go-to date spot?

Olivo in Zamalek, I love it.

What isn’t a Cairo landmark but should be?

The Cave Church should absolutely be a Cairo landmark.

It’s unlike anywhere else in the city. Carved into the Mokattam mountain, it’s raw, monumental, and deeply rooted in Cairo’s history and people. I love places like this because they feel untouched by time.

Tell us a song that feels like Cairo.

Habatal Al Sagayer by Shaaban Abdel Rahim is my favourite hit every time!

What's a place in Cairo you wish you could revisit for the first time?

Khan El Khalili especially during Ramadan. The first time I went, I finally understood what people mean when they say Ramadan fi Masr haga tanya. The lights, the noise, the cafés, the music, people dancing in the streets – I even remember these huge gorillas dancing in cafés. Completely chaotic, completely magical. And honestly, that’s exactly the kind of Cairo I love.