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Nikolai Linares / Building New Cairo Together

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Photos
It’s five o’clock in the morning and entrepreneur Mohamed Ali just turned on the lights in one of the rooms where five of the young men are sleeping. Time to work.
It’s five o’clock in the morning and entrepreneur Mohamed Ali just turned on...
All of the young men from the appartment are from the village of Beni Suef. A city 150 km south of Cairo. They all know each other through family and parents' friends. They rarely work in the same building for several days, but are hired when some are missing a team to cut, carry and set up steel for the foundations.
All of the young men from the appartment are from the village of Beni Suef. A ci...
The area of New Cairo is 700 square kilometres. Many of the houses being worked on will become villas, which means that those who will live here belong to the upper class. None of the workers think that they will ever have the opportunity to live in such a house.
The area of New Cairo is 700 square kilometres. Many of the houses being worked ...
It's just after six o'clock in the morning and the young men from the apartmentare are eating breakfast together in the apartment's largest room
It's just after six o'clock in the morning and the young men from the apartmenta...
Walid(right) and Nadi Miled are fooling around on the top of the building they are working on today. They are cousins. They earn between 10 to15 USD a day. It makes them really proud that every month they can send money to their parents. Both boys have girlfriends in their hometown and Walid is sure it's her he will marry. And his parents knows this.. If everything goes well, he will have earned enough money to get married within a year. He reckons that it will cost around 5.000 USD.
Walid(right) and Nadi Miled are fooling around on the top of the building they ...
Nadi Miled (right) is 20 years old and is the only man in the appartment that prays every single day. Walid also pray sometimes, but today he is too tired.
Nadi Miled (right) is 20 years old and is the only man in the appartment that pr...
The wardrobe of five of the men.
The wardrobe of five of the men.
After a long day of work, the young men are back in the apartment. They take turn on going to the shower.
After a long day of work, the young men are back in the apartment. They take tur...
Nadi Miled is ready to get to work. It's early morning.
Nadi Miled is ready to get to work. It's early morning.
One of the building that the group from apartment are working on.
One of the building that the group from apartment are working on.
Today there was no work for five of the men, so they whent back home to relax.
Today there was no work for five of the men, so they whent back home to relax.
En route to the next building that needs the help of Mohamed Ali’s ten workers.
En route to the next building that needs the help of Mohamed Ali’s ten workers...
Walid puts on his best looks after taking a shower, even though the evening is not going to offer anything exciting.
Walid puts on his best looks after taking a shower, even though the evening is n...
Two of the men from the apartment have just been out for a walk before eating dinner.
Two of the men from the apartment have just been out for a walk before eating di...
The workers have started to sort the various pieces of steel from each other. It doesn’t take long before the sweat shows. During the afternoon the temperature is hits close to 40 degrees. The steel is straightened and used to build the constructions. They have worked in New Cairo approximatly a year now, but none of them can remember how many buildings they have worked on. "Several hundred" says Nadi.
The workers have started to sort the various pieces of steel from each other. It...
Many of the young men in the apartment think it's great to live together. Even though they are eleven. And there is always somebody ready to joke around with each other. "We fit well together and share everything. But we are young men, so our temper can go up. Usually once or twice a week some get in a little fight "says one of the men.
Many of the young men in the apartment think it's great to live together. Even t...
"I talk to my girlfriend about twice a day. The others tease me a little when she calls, but I do not care. I tell her how much I love and miss her. I dream one day to marry her and live in an apartment with a garden and space to have two children and two horses. And fruit trees."
"I talk to my girlfriend about twice a day. The others tease me a little when sh...
The plan is that in 2020 four million people will live in New Cairo.
The plan is that in 2020 four million people will live in New Cairo.
Building New Cairo Together
Project Date:
October 10. 2010 --> October 16. 2010
If you drive out of Cairo in an easterly direction you will hit the desert. But it won’t take many minutes before constructions sites with nice villas rise as far as the eye can see. It is New Cairo.
Here many young men have there daily work with building houses, that they them-selfs will never be able to afford. In a small three-room-appartment in the workers living area lives 11 of the workers.

Printed in Berlingske December 2010

Printed in Piel De Foto #10 January 2012

Exhibited in Cairo December 2010, Copenhagen (Den sorte Diamant) January-April 2011, Aalborg (Nordkraft) May 2011
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