Gabriel Lekegian (1853–1920) Cairo Street, Egypt, Circa 1875, Albumen Print, Photograph

Vintage albumen print signed on the plate.

Nahassin Street, near Khan Khahil, Cairo, Egypt

Street scene in Cairo, Egypt, in the heart of the Nahassin Street neighborhood, near Khan el-Khalili. Local figures, dressed in traditional costumes, bring this shopping alley to life, offering an intimate glimpse into daily life at the time. The building facades, adorned with wooden balconies and mashrabiya screens, reflect the city’s historic architecture.

The Khan el-Khalili district, founded in the 14th century, was by 1870 a major center of commerce and craftsmanship, with its narrow alleys, caravanserais, and market stalls. The souk remains an iconic site, surrounded by historic mosques such as Al-Azhar and Al-Hussein, and bustling with intense commercial activity. At that time, the Islamic quarter, where Khan el-Khalili is located, was already the city’s historic and cultural heart, with its medieval architecture well-preserved.

Gabriel Lekegian (1853–1920) was an Armenian photographer and painter, active primarily in Egypt between the 1880s and 1920s. He first trained in painting under an Italian artist before turning to photography, a medium that allowed him to combine realism with artistic sensibility.

Lekegian settled in Cairo in 1887, where he opened a studio and quickly became a renowned photographer, particularly for his work on Egyptian archaeological monuments, which he captured with great technical mastery and a sensitive artistic eye.

- Photo size: 21 x 26 cm
- Mat-mounted, 40 x 50 cm

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