Cairo According to: Kafrawy

If Omar Kafrawy knows one thing, it’s how to find the cool, and make it even cooler. Crafting his path from within the city’s rap scene, the photographer and filmmaker once shot a portrait of Wegz for Dazed, a video of Ziad Zaza for GQ, and a video portrait of Abyusif for… the hell of it, really. And like the artists he documents, Kafrawy’s work is rich with the pulse of the city, teetering between surrealism and gritty, grimy reality. So that left us wondering: what’s Kafrawy’s Cairo?

Here, he tells us about the time he crashed his car trying to photograph the sunset on mehwar, makes the case for a statue of Abyusif, and wonders aloud if CairoScene is trying to take him on a date.

A place that means Cairo to me:

I don’t know if there is one place in Cairo that means Cairo to me. I wanna go against the grain and reclaim a shopping mall or something, but I’m so weak against the filth of Downtown. if one place means Cairo to me, it would probably be my car. 

My favourite memory of my car was when I crashed it trying to film the sun set behind the palm trees on the mehwar. I hope those palm trees stay forever.Complete the following: Cairo is special because…

It’s where my homies live.Tell us about your neighbourhood.

I full-time live off a highway somewhere and it kinda sucks.

My favourite neighbourhood is currently El Hayy el Tamen in Nasr City, but I’m trying to gatekeep.Your go-to food spot?

Lucky House, Maadi. Never misses.Your go-to café?

Amor Perfecto always hits. The seats gave me sciatica, but the coffee is too good so I can’t be mad.  

Your go-to bar?

I’m one of those that end up at the Greek Club in the weekend but it’s been a while. Maybe summer will take us back there.  

Your go-to date spot? Why?

Are you trying to take me out?  

What isn’t a Cairo landmark but should be?

Probably Abyusif. Give this guy a square somewhere.Tell us a song that feels like Cairo.

Man Don’t Care - JME  What's a place in Cairo you wish you could revisit for the first time?

Probably the Greek Club. I miss being impressed by it.