Devoid of the grand scenery of typical big cities, but bursting with creativity brought along by the many visually enticing patterns and colors, photographer Nour Kamel (@nourikam) photographs the many interesting sights found in the nook and crannies of Cairo, and coupled with poetic one-liner captions, she presents us a unique brand of street photography that also evokes a simple yet overpowering narrative. Developing a habit every Saturday mornings, Nour combs the streets and alleyways of Cairo looking for random places that shows the real character of urban Cairo; colorful, spontaneous, homey, welcoming and even charming amidst the frenzied vibe of the surroundings.
After living for a couple of years in Spain and France, Nour Kamel was introduced to a new culture and a more diverse group of people. Coming home to Egypt with a new set of perspective, she made it a passion to re-discover her own city with a probing eye and through her camera lens, she is able to re-introduce herself and vice versa to her home city which is populated by around 11 million souls. “I suddenly started to notice the bits that are unique to us — the colors, the windows, how we hang our laundry,” she tells Instagram blog.
Documenting the hidden gems of the cities as opposed to the usual sights one is accustomed to in a city like Cairo, Nour peppers her Instagram feed with images that screams of an intimate setting – meeting the residents at the doorsteps of their own homes, taking their portraits and composing painting-like images of house facades that glitters with colors and unusual patterns which all point to the real scenario of living in Cairo. “I like to find the sense of serenity that still exists,” she says. “I want people to see the Cairo that is least known to the world. That means a Cairo that is apolitical, a Cairo that lives in peace — where day-to-day activities happen smoothly, where there is charm and kindness and an extreme sense of home and hospitality.”
Proving the headlines of mainstream media wrong, which cites cities such as Cairo being embroiled in violence following the Arab Sping revolt, the Instagram feed of Nour tells a different story where peace reigns and a varying set of people from different backgrounds and religions co-exists with harmony. Just by viewing her images, one is instantly jolted by a desire to grab the camera and hit the road to roam a random city, or better yet rediscover your own home city just like what Nour is doing right now.
To see more of Nour Kamel’s fascinating discoveries in her home city of Cairo, follow her @nourikam on Instagram.