What Diwan is known for
Opened in Zamalek in 2002 by sisters Hind and Nadia Wassef with Nihal Schawky, Diwan was Egypt's first modern bookstore and stocks Arabic, English, French and German titles alongside a café, stationery and Arabic music. Its branches carry curated fiction, children's books and Egyptology sections, and the founders published a memoir chronicling the shop's beginnings.
How ORBIS reads this city
Best for — Arabic and English books
Egypt
Your atlas
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Hand-curated for ORBIS · no paid placement