Who is Amer Wagdi from Miramar and what is their importance?

Amer Wagdi, the novel's first and last narrator, is an octogenarian, a former nationalist, and a journalist. He returns to his beloved native Alexandria upon his retirement, where he takes up residence in the fondly-remembered Miramar Pension, which is still owned by Mme. Mariana. Amer often complains of his dimming eyes, stooped body, colitis, and prostate troubles. Never married, he claims that Mariana is his only friend. Amer is sometimes called Amer Bey, using the honorific Turkish title that by the 1960s is long outmoded, but more often is addressed in the French fashion as monsieur.