YMCA Cairo Map

[Jeff Pickerd]

Many years ago I was gratefully given access to this YMCA map by the son of a Light Horseman, and it seems that it has never been published on this forum previously. As it is of importance to the use by troops stationed in Cairo 1914-1915, I reproduce it here.

The original document was too large to scan in full, both front and back, so had to be done by four segments.

Jeff

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

The YMCA has all way's been a interesting conection to our Armies in Egypt.

I come across them all the time as a rep always traveled with each LH Bde HQ

Or the fine work done by men like 

AUSTIN    Albert        LtCol     YMCA
who's conection to the 8 LHR is well known.

If you come across a map of the many bases along the Suez, like the rest camp at Port Said, I would be very interested in them.

S.B

[Macnab]

That's fascinating, Jeff.

Thanks very much for sharing it.

Steven

[Jeff Pickerd]

There is one aspect of the YMCA Cairo map, which in retrospect is not that strange in that it was a Christian organisation; that being the absence of any reference to the well frequented street of the red light district, Haret El Wasser (Wass’ah, ,Wazzir, Wozzer, Wosser, etc.) the site of the famous “Battle of the Wasser” Good Friday, 1915 where Australian and New Zealand troops wrecked and set fire to the brothels.  Since most of the modern day street names of Cairo have no resemblance to the old Ottoman street names, it is extremely difficult to try and place the exact location of Harte El Wasser to the YMCA map. From what can be established the street was within the area bounded by the Esbekiah Gardens, (Esbekiah Street), Sharia Kamel (Sheperd’s Hotel), Clot Bey Square (Sharia Clot Bey) and Kasr El Nil Street (third street up from Esbekiah Gardens. My best guess at the moment would be the Street second up, what on the modern Cairo street map is named Ali Al Kasar, but I may well be totally wrong with that suggestion. It is a very frustrating dilemma. Some of the photographs of the aftermath of the riot would seem to indicate that it was not very far from the Esbekiah Gardens.

I wonder if anyone has a more accurate location for the Wasser Street?

Jeff

[michaeldr]

Jeff,

Try this and see if it works out for you - From http://mideasti.blogspot.com/2011/03/historical-note-for-april-2-first.html

quote:-

"The fight began with an attack on a house at Number 8, Darb al-Muballat,... … … …

… … ...The large street with a tramway down the middle at the right is Clot Bey. The street running westward and intersecting Clot Bey at the lower right corner, today the extension of Naguib al-Rihani Street east of Gumhuriyya St. was the old Wajh al-Birkat street. Gumhurriya (then Sh. Kamel) and Clot Bey reach the northwest and northeast corners of Ezbekiyya a couple of blocks south of the lower edge of the map. The big building complex in the right centre of the map is the Coptic church of Saint Mark, formerly Cairo's main cathedral, now replaced by the big one in ‘Abbasiyya. The north-south street through the middle of the picture, running from Naguib al-Rihani to Clot Bey, is Al-Kanisa al-Marqusiyya, named for the church which is on it. If you'll look between Naguib al-Rihani (Wajh al-Birkat then) and Qabila street to its north, you'll see a small back street, the third to the right counting from Al-Kanisa al-Marqusiyya. The print here is too small to read, but it is Darb al-Muballat. The original brothel attacked and burned in 1915 was at number 8, Darb al-Muballat. I don't know if the street numbers have changed; today's number 8 is on the west side of the street."

regards, Michael

[above cropped from https://cartotecadigital.icgc.cat/digital/collection/africa/id/806/]

Edited 12 March , 2023 by michaeldr

[Jeff Pickerd]

Very many thanks Michael, much appreciated,

Those maps and the link to the Charles E. Goad Insurance plan of Cairo (Harvard Mirador Viewer) have been of great assistance to my search for the location Haret El Wasser, plus your thoughts as to the location. From the Goad map No. 1 there is 'Darb El Wassa' running from Chareh El Kobela through to Chareh Clot Bey, it has Darb El Boghadi intersecting from Chareh Wagh El Berka to Chareh El Kobala to almost opposite Darb El Wassa. If as you have identified, the brothel was actually No. 8, Darb El Meballate, the Battle of the Wasser was a term related the general area know as the Wasser, not the street by that name. Just goes to show how the captions and street names of the various photographs that depict the scene are very misleading to pin point the location.

Jeff