ABSTRACT
In spite of his many years of devoted service in the capital, the fellah bowab considers himself an outsider to city life. He is obliged to work in Cairo for a spell until he is ready to return again to the bosom of his simple life in the fields. The new lease business also attracted less wealthy Egyptians. Unable to afford the construction of new buildings, they hired out the furnished flats they lived in, and moved into smaller apartments. Either because Egypt has never stopped welcoming foreigners, especially Arabs, or because the Egyptians have established a lasting bond with their doorkeepers, porter-mania shows no sign of flagging in this country. In the big cities, but especially in Cairo, it's still a pre-condition of construction that a prospective bowab as well as a simsar be found. A wooden stool remains an essential piece of furniture at the entrance of every apartment building.
