7 Things To Know About Cairo's Oldest Jewish Cemeteries
A historic Jewish cemetery in the heart of Egypt
Basatin Cemetery (2020-09) by Luke HollisAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#1
Basatin is a neighborhood in southern Cairo and also the name of an area of burial sites used by Egypt's Jewish community for centuries.
Overview of Basatin Cemetrey (2020-09)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
There is one large main Basatin cemetery, and several smaller plots of wealthy 19th and 20th century families including Capusi, Cattaui, and Mosseri, Ventura, as well as the Karaite cemeteries of Menasha and Leishaa.
Overview of Basatin Main Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#2
The Basatin cemetery has been used since at least the 9th Century CE. The earliest documentary proof of this usage is an Ottoman court document dating to 1649 CE that reaffirms the right of the Jewish people to bury their dead at Basatin.
Modern Graves in Basatin Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
In fact, it has continually been used by the Jewish community up to the modern day.
Overview of Basatin Main Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#3
The Basatin cemetery originally occupied a space approximately 2 km by 1 km in size. Since then, it has been fractured by population growth and urban encroachment. In the 1990s, Cairo’s main highway, known as the “Ring Road” was built, severing the site in two.
Damaged Graves (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#4
Not only was the original cemetery even larger than what you see today, the cemetery is actually much deeper with many layers of burials. In some places, there are up to 7 layers!
Samy Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Drop of Milk Association, explains why the main cemetery is such a challenge to protect and conserve.
Building in Basatin Main Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#5
The buildings and mausoleums in the Basatin cemeteries encompass many architectural styles with elements of pharaonic...
Building in Basatin Main Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
...Fatimid...
Building in Basatin Main Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
... and Art Deco influence.
Burial of Rav Haim Capusi (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#6
The Capussi cemetery is named after Rav Haim Capusi, a charismatic spiritual leader of the 17th century, who is buried at the site.
Grave in Capusi Cemetery (2020-09) by Tessa LiteckyAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Eighty-five individuals are interred around the Rabbi's grave. There is also a synagogue in Cairo named for him.
Retouching Marble Inscriptions (2019)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
#7
The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) recently initiated a conservation project, funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, to preserve the two Karaite graveyards, Menasha and Leishaa.
Leishaa Cemetery After Conservation (2020-08) by Ahmed ShafiqAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
ARCE is also collaborating with the Drop of Milk Association, which is focused on preserving Jewish heritage in Egypt, to create site management plans to ensure the ongoing protection of the sites, and make them available for visitors.
Wall and Gate of Leishaa Cemetery (2020-08) by Ahmed ShafiqAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The next step in landscaping and building a visitor’s center in the empty plot between Menasha and Leishaa. With additional funding, ARCE and Drop of Milk will be able to restore the other small cemeteries and preserve Egypt's Jewish heritage for future generations.
The Preservation of Jewish-Egyptian HeritageAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Jonathan Cohen, the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, speaks on the importance of preserving sites like the Basatin cemetery.
Discover More:
Rescuing Cairo's Leishaa Jewish Cemetery
Tour Leishaa Cemetery
Take a Tour of Menasha Cemetery
Restoring Cairo's Menasha Jewish Cemetery
Uncovering Egypt's Jewish History
This conservation of the historic Jewish cemetery of Basatin was conducted by the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) in collaboration with the Drop of Milk Association and funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
Story created by Tessa Litecky, ARCE
Learn more about ARCE at arce.org
