From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life

Egypt's capital, Cairo, is now synonymous with protests and sometimes violence. Late at night, the once-bustling downtown streets are largely empty these days. People worry about getting mugged or caught up in a mob.

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"Cairo is a city that needs a lot of dusting," says Ahmed El Attar, director of the Downtown Cairo Arts Festival. Efforts are underway to try to restore the city's past cultural glory.

But the recent Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival is an attempt to revitalize the area with music, art and culture in the old and forgotten venues of downtown Cairo, like the Qasr El Nil Theater.

Its candle-shaped lights and dusty red velvet curtains hint at it glorious past — never mind the curtains' missing tassels or the smell of smoke and urine in the lobby.

After years of sitting unused, the Qasr El Nil Theater echoes once again with music. It was the site of the art festival's final concert. The decision was deliberate: to breathe new life into Cairo's decrepit architecture.

"Cairo is a city that needs a lot of dusting," says Ahmed El Attar, the festival director. "It's almost an unloved city."

He chose the venues to highlight Cairo's trove of theaters and hotels that languish dusty and unused.