The guard's seat

A lot of apartments in Cairo, especially in the more middle class suburbs have a bowab who sits outside. They're also known as guards and doormen. They're paid a small wage by the inhabitants of the building. Mine is old and grumpy but occasionally he makes a joke and talks to me in Arabic which I can't understand.

Their role is to keep out unwanted visitors, collect the rubbish which we leave outside our front door and generally keep the building clean. Some will run errands etc for tips. I also tip him with cash and biscuits - my rubbish gets collected more often if I do - and for festivals like Ramadan.

His son and daughter in law and grandchildren live in the building too. He's often seen washing the cars in the street late at night and he keeps us safe in the late evening.

Rumour has it they were spies in the Mubarak era.