Life in the City of the Dead

The City of the Dead lies below the Moqattam Hills, in the Arafa necropolis, on the southeastern edge of Cairo. The cemetery stretches for more than six kilometers. As many as half a million people live within its tombs and mausoleums. It is considered a slum. Some of the residents have chosen to live here so they can be near their ancestors. But most of the people who call the City of the Dead home moved here when the cost of living in central Cairo became too expensive. Others migrated from rural areas, in search of a job and the cheapest place to stay in Cairo. This story is about the hardships faced by two families living in the City of the Dead. Fathi, 31, is a gravedigger and tomb keeper. He has worked in the City of the Dead for 15 years. He lives alongside two tombs in a room with his wife and two-year-old daughter. Sherifa, 36, suffers from breast cancer. She lives in the City of Dead for financial reasons. It’s where she can afford to pay rent. She lives with her husband and her two children in a single room. This story was produced for the World Press Photo 'Reporting Change' training program.