By Gihan Shahine A few hours before its official inauguration on Sunday night, the downtown Azbakiya Park and the fence surrounding it were buzzing with activity. Workers were everywhere, installing seats and plant pots and adding the final touches of decoration to the 2,800 square metre garden. Many people wore broad smiles. Why not? The garden's fence was once again to serve as the site of Cairo's most famous second-hand book market. The market had been removed to a desolate area at the foot of the Moqattam Hills and the park temporarily shut down in 1992 because of construction work on the capital's subway, which has now been completed. The park contains a water-fountain, originally constructed by Khedive Ismail in 1872, and a bandstand where concerts and cultural events took place in Azbakiya's heyday. A recently-restored statue of freedom-fighter Mohamed Farid towers over the place. "We haven't slept for days," said Ahmed Fawzi, a Cairo Governorate official. "It took us two months to refurbish the park and the result is very rewarding." Before the park was shut down, strollers had to battle past an endless line of street vendors and a bus terminal thronged by hundreds of commuters. "All this has changed now, and the garden will provide a free outing for those wishing to escape the tension of living in a big city," Fawzi said. Avid readers were also happy because vendors of second-hand books have returned to their original place. But they no longer have to display their wares on the garden's fence. The Cairo Governorate has allotted the vendors 132 kiosks. "This second-hand book market is a cultural landmark," said vendor Fathi Taha, who has been selling books along the fence since the 1950s. His father was also a book vendor. The excited Taha spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly as he arranged stacks of dusty books on four shelves, one for science, another for literature, a third for religion and a fourth for children's titles. Like the other vendors, Taha was too excited to be bothered by the heat. "We are very happy to be back," he said. "The other place was practically inaccessible and our sales had dropped to almost nil." Readers were also delighted. "We all missed the Azbakiya market, for where else could we get valuable books at bargain prices?" said Adel Hafez, an engineer. Hafez is such an avid reader that he could not wait for the market's official opening. "In bookshops, one can only buy new books at high prices," he said. "But old is gold. It's only here that I can get valuable books and reference works at affordable prices." In the past, the Azbakiya fence used to be frequented by such important literary figures as playwright Tewfik El-Hakim and novelist Naguib Mahfouz. "It has always served as an open university," said Mohamed Ahmed, 61, the oldest vendor. "Azbakiya is part of history." Ahmed's face lit up as he reminisced over the good old days. "Book vendors used to roam the streets downtown and then get some rest at the Azbakiya fence," he said. "Police would chase them down in the days of King Farouk. It was only after the 1952 Revolution that vendors were given permits to sell books at the fence. And we have been here ever since, until we were evicted in 1992." For novelist Gamal El-Ghitani, the restoration of Azbakiya is an important cultural event, conjuring up happy memories. "Azbakiya has greatly affected my career," he said. "More than half of the books in my library are from here. As a young man, I used to save money and go to the second-hand book market every evening to browse for valuable books." El-Ghitani added: "Even now, browsing through the old, rare books of Azbakiya is a special treat for me. I was one of those who fought for the return of the vendors to their original site. This was only an expression of gratitude for them."
