Bab el fituch, ein Thor zu Kahira. Illustration til Niebuhrs "Reisebeschreibung nach Arabien ", 1. del 1773

Georg Haas created this illustration of Bab el fituch, a gate in Cairo, as part of Carsten Niebuhr’s “Reisebeschreibung nach Arabien,” or “Description of travels to Arabia”. The black-and-white print presents a symmetrical, almost theatrical composition dominated by the monumental gate. Haas employs linear precision to define the architectural forms, with hatch marks modulating the light and shadow across the stone surfaces. The structure's imposing scale, rendered with attention to geometric detail, embodies a sense of power and permanence. Yet, the figures scattered in front of the gate introduce a human element that disrupts its rigid formality. This contrast invites us to think about the relationship between the individual and the monumental. Haas’s emphasis on linear structure and spatial organization underscores a concern with the rational ordering of space, a key theme of Enlightenment thought. The gate, both a physical and symbolic barrier, can be interpreted through semiotics as not merely a point of entry, but also as a marker of cultural and political boundaries.