Tucked away in Sayed El-Bakry Street near 26 of July in Zamalek is the relaxing cafe Sufi Bookstore.
While it might be a little strange at first entering an apartment building to find the coffee shop, once you climb the stairs in the lobby of the old building, you will notice the busy bookstore on your right.
After you enter Sufi, you make your way through a narrow corridor of the apartment-turned-bookstore where you will find a wide range of stationery on display that includes notepads, postcards, coasters, and even comic, “get well soon” and “Happy Birthday” cards, in Arabic.
Look at the ceiling in Sufi and you immediately notice the antique chandeliers that give the bookstore its warm dim lighting.
Photography enthusiasts might enjoy the bookstore’s selection of black and white photo that are offered in different sizes and prices. Many of the black and white photos are from Egypt, though you can find a few from neighboring countries. It appears at first the pictures the pictures that don Sufi’s walls are simply decoration. Take a closer glance and you will find a price tag; each picture is available for purchase.
In addition to the stationery, Sufi offers books for sale, priding itself with its rare and interesting literary selection. While bookstore also includes an impressive collection on Sufism and spirituality, you can also find English classics, contemporary English novels and contemporary Arabic novels. Sufi also buys used books in English, Arabic, French and German.
Café guests can choose to sit one of the many rooms found throughout Sufi. Each room offers a unique and different feel, each telling a different story. One of them has a large bookshelf; you can pick any one of the books in it and turn the pages while you enjoy your drink or meal.
Osama Mostafa, the manager of the bookstore said Sufi’s guests are largely foreigners and youth. “Around 40 per cent are foreigners, 40 percent are youth and the rest include older people, like college professors or journalists,” he said.
The waiter set up a table for us in a dimly lit room with bright red walls, where we enjoyed our drinks. Along with a variety of drinks including coffee and juice, the menu also includes food like appetizers, sandwiches and pastas.
Sufi is just the place to enjoy a book while listening to the relaxing oriental music, played inside the bookstore.
Mostafa said, “The idea behind the bookstore was to provide the youth everything they need.”
He said usually bookstores will be a place for people to read or buy a book but Sufi also provides food and drinks.
“They can even come to practise a hobby like drawing, singing, or playing music… they can have their own concerts at Sufi,” he added.
The full schedule of the concerts and movies screenings is published on the bookstore’s Facebook page at the beginning of every month. The bookstore also hosts open mic nights to support young talents. You can even pick up a few of the music CDs the bookstore offers.
Sufi is part of a growing trend of stores in Egypt that combine the bookstore and coffee shop experiences. However, Sufi might be the only one of these where you can find clutches, handbags and accessories along with books and stationery for sale.
