Khotout West El Balad

Arabic Script arabic typography arabic calligraphy downtown cairo cairo egypt art fonts massar egbari rock band Headline Al shorook Newspaper

Nefertari: a geometric typeface inspired by the signage of a tourism company called Nefertari

Madinet Al-Bat: a typeface that is profoundly and intensively used on the streets of Downtown Cairo, in street signage, storefronts, and ads.

There’s a vibrant new typography in Cairo, for Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, who are restoring the classic grandeur of Downtown Cairo and preserving its architectural heritage.

The project is called Khotout West El Balad, which means the typography of Downtown Cairo.

While Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment continue their restoration of several buildings in Downtown Cairo, they’ve also tackled the onslaught of plexiglass-mounted, LED-lit signs which are obscuring some of the most beautiful architecture in the city.

To keep the typographical heritage of the hand-painted calligraphy on street signs and storefront signage alive, a series of typefaces promoting the use of Arabic type and encouraging young designers to reconsider the importance of calligraphy and its aesthetics, was created by transforming the handmade craft into digital craft.

Each of the six fonts was inspired by an iconic neighborhood shop sign and named after elements of Downtown Cairo’s culture. The newly designed fonts have been transformed into scripts and made available to download for free here: http://khotoutwestelbalad.com/

Credits List:

Advertising Agency: J. Walter Thompson Cairo

Executive Creative Director: Mohamed Hammady

Design Director: Ibrahim Islam

Senior Art Director: Nardine Shenouda

Senior Copywriter: Adam Mourad
A/V Director: Karim Fanous

Managing Director: Mai Azmy

Executive Director, Business Development: Mostafa Shady

Account Executive: Malak El Nahas

Kebab: a type family generated by the experimental process of brush lettering, and inspired by the fluidity and spontaneity of the signage often used around the streets of downtown Cairo

Downtown Fonts’ typefaces have transcended signage and found their way into Egyptian rock bands, news headlines, culture, and gorgeous jewelry collections

Al-Shorouk, one of the top three online newspapers in the entire Middle East, used the typefaces to celebrate the project on April 25, 2016.

Prominent Egyptian rock band, Massar Egbari, found the font so popular with their fans, they included it in the music video and during their sell-out concerts.

Khalini gambak khalini is a famous line from iconic Arabic songstress, Oum Kulthom, and it means “Keep me close to you”. Young Egyptian jewellery designer Dido Embaby, lovingly carved the words, using a Downtown font, into beautiful silver earrings and ring, for a contemporary client.

Noha Abbassi, another famous Egyptian jewellery designer, created a bespoke line with the Madinat el Bat typeface, inscribing Ana lak alatoul into a woman’s bracelet. The phrase means “forever yours” and Noha plans to use other fonts, in her upcoming collections.