Fata Morgana

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project © Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project © Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project View all images ↓
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"Fata Morgana" unveils Egypt's New Administrative Capital, exposing its grandeur and controversy through clandestine lens. It navigates restrictions to explore social stratification and architectural spectacle, challenging documentary norms.

The New Administrative Capital, planned on the drawing board and emerging from the desert sands, is set to become Egypt's new seat of power, accommodating an estimated 6.5 million residents upon the completion of its first phase this year. Since its 2015 announcement, the project has intermittently made headlines with its grand construction feats, including the "Iconic Tower" and a towering flagpole surpassing 200 meters as well as a 1000 meter high obelisk shaped building. However, media coverage has diminished partly due to tightening press restrictions.

Critics view the project as a strategic maneuver to shift the political center from Cairo's turbulent streets to a more controlled environment. Additionally, the exorbitant cost of housing raises questions about the city's intended demographic and its viability.

Despite prohibitions on professional photography, I documented the city's development through three trips, employing various disguises, posing as an investor or architecture student to navigate restrictions,while my official permit requests with a german newspaper were only met with "No anwsers from the superiors yet". In my photography, I highlight empty cityscapes, blurring the line between reality and conceptual designs. The architecture, reminiscent of ancient monarchies and modern dictatorships, evokes a sense of grandeur and control, catering more to vehicular transport than pedestrian accessibility.

My images also delve into the city's social stratification, drawing parallels between its landscapes and portraits. With Fata Morgana, I want to provide images of the New Administrative Capital that are not yet available and touch on the aspects that make it so controversial, while also exploring my own approach to documentary photography.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Irrigation worker - A worker, checking the irrigation systems for leaks along the rose-lined streets of the New Administrative Capital every day.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Skyline of the New Administrative Capital - As most residential units remain uninhabited, the burning lights show where constructions continue at night.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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R3 Residential District - The first partially inhabited district comprising a gated section with single-family homes and a more loosely guarded area with apartment buildings. Roughly 2000 to 3000 people have moved in at the time of the photograph, according to the egyptian state media.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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City gate I - One of three gates to the new capital. The limited number of access roads allows the city to be fortified against portesters, marching from Cairo or other intruders if necessary.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Youssif - Together with fellow students, Youssif takes part in an international innovation fair in the St. Regis Almasa Hotel, to present himself to future emoployees.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Marly-Mena square - A roundabout 25 metres high monument sits on a traffic isle In the center of the Financial District and is surrounded by banks. Information about the meaning of the structure is not publicly available.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Steps to Masjid Misr - The largest mosque in Africa with a capacity of 107,000 worshippers has broken several world records in building limits. It sits mostly empty now.

© Louis Roth - Masjid Misr Model - A shiny glass model is held inside a part of the grand mosque that is yet restricted to visitors.
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Masjid Misr Model - A shiny glass model is held inside a part of the grand mosque that is yet restricted to visitors.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Cooling station - The screen on the façade of a building that houses large cooling arrays was installed during the initial construction phase. In a later visit, a slideshow of selfies of the builders, promotional videos, and pictures of the president in military salute was displayed.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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D05 Residential Tower - One of nineteen skyscrapers in the Central Business District, built by the Chinese State Construction Company. D05 is set to be used as a hotel and residential building.

© Louis Roth - Jessica - Working as a model, Jessica was invited to the new capital for an event.
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Jessica - Working as a model, Jessica was invited to the new capital for an event.

© Louis Roth - Skyscrapers under construction - The first phase of the project, initially set for completion in 2020, remains unfinished.
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Skyscrapers under construction - The first phase of the project, initially set for completion in 2020, remains unfinished.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Billboard with a rendering - The Capital Diamond Tower is currently under construction by an Emirati firm specializing in skyscrapers.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Marble store office - Marble slabs of all sizes are sold near an unfinished housing district. I was only able to speak to reception staff in my two visits.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Pool of a showcase house - In an otherwise half-built residential area stands a fully finished house with a pool, furnishings and artificial lawn, where the estate agents shoot advertising videos.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Worker on his way home - Thousands of workers stream in and out of the new capital every day, sometimes commuting for several hours from neighboring towns and cities. Others often live in temporary accomodation for months at a time.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Monorail bridge - Through the installation of a monorail train backed by chinese funding, the Egyptian government hopes to make the New Town more accessible and ultimately more attractive to investors.

© Louis Roth - Image from the Fata Morgana photography project
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Cleaners in a hotel complex - Workers clean the huge pool area and the facades of an unopened restaurant in the first and only hotel to have opened in the new capital as of 2023. Frequented almost solely by high-ranking military and government officials, the St. Regis Almasa is already being maintained by a large number of workers.