Demolition deadline about to pass for Cairo’s historic houseboats

Cairo’s houseboats have long lined the green banks of the River Nile since the 1800s, but have dwindled in numbers [Toka Omar/Al Jazeera]

Cairo, Egypt – Egypt’s historic houseboats have lined parts of the River Nile’s banks in Cairo for generations.

In their more glamorous days, they played host to some of the city’s most important political and cultural chapters.