Palace Walk / Bayn al-Qasrayn

The street in Cairo, Egypt, where the Abd al-Jawad family has lived for a quarter century, the northbound Palace Walk intersects Coppersmiths St. (al-Nahhasin ) within view from the upper stories. To the left the street is narrow, twisting, and gloomy when viewed from upstairs. At street level, light from handcarts and from vapor lamps outside coffeehouses and shops that stay open until dawn, alleviate this. To the right, the street is engulfed in darkness because there are only large stores that close early. The minarets of the ancient seminaries of Qala'un and Barquq stand like ghostly giants.

The Abd al-Jawad house has a wide courtyard with a covered well at the far right. To the left are the women's quarters and two large chambers, one for baking and the other for storage. Amina spends much happy time at the oven. The three brothers share...