Mirhan Damir | Bauhaus-University-Weimar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Mirhan Damir
Urban Planning
The establishment of phosphate mines and processing plants by Italian entrepreneurs in el-Quseir ... more The establishment of phosphate mines and processing plants by Italian entrepreneurs in el-Quseir in 1912 revitalized a town that had faced a steady decline after the opening of the Suez Canal and re-linked it to the world economy. To this day, the now defunct industrial site occupies a large section of physical el-Quseir and plays a key role in its identity. In this article, we explore the impact of the company’s successive industrialization and deindustrialization based on archival research, interviews, and mapping. By tracing physical changes on-site and in the city of el-Quseir from the founding of its phosphate industry until today, as well as the historical and current interactions of citizens with the industrial facilities, we hope to better understand the “cluster value” of the industrial plant in quotidian life and the effect of the vacuum left behind after the termination of production. As machinery and buildings are slowly eroding in the absence of expressed interest by th...
The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent mo... more The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morphological transformation since the ancient era until present. Each historical period had a physical impact on the city’s urban structure that in turn struggled to survive its successive one with its different urban conception. However, the sinuous streets of this area, which probably date back to the late Egyptian Medieval period, are characterized as the only surviving organic fabric intra–muros that was not altered during the Egyptian Modern period. This paper elaborately investigated the chronological history of the historical residential area since the ancient era until the mid—twentieth century. Based on in–depth investigation of historical maps and memoirs, it revealed the possible reasons behind its extant sinuous urban form and postulated reconstructions of its urban morphology through sequential phases.
TICCIH Bulletin 93 - 3rd Quarter 2021, 2021
TICCIH Bulletin 93 - 3rd Quarter 2021, 2021
TICCIH Bulletin (The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage), 2019
Heritage — Open Access Journal of Knowledge, Conservation and Management of Cultural and Natural Heritage, May 9, 2018
The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morpholo... more The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morphological transformation since the ancient era until present. Each historical period had a physical impact on the city’s urban structure that in turn struggled to survive its successive one with its different urban conception. However, the sinuous streets of this area, which probably date back to the late Egyptian Medieval period, are characterized as the only surviving organic fabric intra–muros that was not altered during the Egyptian Modern period. This paper elaborately investigated the chronological history of the historical residential area since the ancient era until the mid—twentieth century. Based on in–depth investigation of historical maps and memoirs, it revealed the possible reasons behind its extant sinuous urban form and postulated reconstructions of its urban morphology through sequential phases.
Denkmal - Erbe - Heritage: Begriffshorizonte am Beispiel der Industriekultur. Monument - Patrimony - Heritage: Industrial Heritage and the Horizons of Terminology, 2018
Along the years the recognition and valorization of historical industrial witnesses emerged where... more Along the years the recognition and valorization of historical industrial witnesses emerged where their perceptions are being discussed until today. This is done –in many countries by governments, professionals, media and the society, either on a parallel discourse or separately. Terms such as Industriedenkmal and Industrieerbe have their synonyms or equivalent meaning in other languages yet not necessarily with the same implication. Accordingly, it sometimes leads to misinformed understandings of the translated equivalent term itself. In Egypt, terms such as Denkmal and Erbe have their conceptual equivalence more than a verbatim synonym. Egypt's monument and heritage recognition is generally defined as Āthār or Turāth. Each has its official definition and means of identification and classification. The industrial heritage in Egypt suffers from extreme undermining of its categorical identification. Witnesses to Egypt's industrial history are individually listed due to their architectural significance rather than their industrial manifestation. Some are therefore listed as Āthār, some as Turāth where most stay at a terminological grey-zone. This paper studies how the Egyptian monument and heritage discourse is recognized officially and publically. It investigates its perceptive perplexity through an example of the Gabbari Railway station to inquire whether similar witnesses of the 19 th and 20 th century are considered as Denkmal, Erbe or conceived differently.
REHAB 2015 - PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PRESERVATION, MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES, 2015
Since the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Egyptian heritage has been facing challenges due to the po... more Since the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Egyptian heritage has been facing challenges due to the political state of flux which has been affecting it physically. Among those is the example of the historical area of Kōm ad-Dikka which is deeply threatened by the demolition of its significant historical physical environment characterized by its shared-built heritage. This paper investigates the current condition of Kōm ad-Dikka which has been tremendously vandalized by city cement residential blocks through a site investigation. It explores the sociocultural prominence of the ensemble with its residents who have been living in it for generations, carrying on the sense of belonging, valuation and attachment to their area. This sociocultural significance is now facing a big dilemma due to the functional inability of the historical buildings to host its current residents. The paper also presents the results of a field study examining the current condition of the historical buildings and the reasons of the sudden phenomenon of the devaluation and depreciation of the residential ensemble.
Drafts by Mirhan Damir
The museum of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser-inaugurated in 2016-is considered ... more The museum of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser-inaugurated in 2016-is considered a unique museum of its kind dedicated to a former Egyptian ruler. A national competition was announced in 2009, to curate and design the museum within the spaces of the house in which he lived and ruled. The museum aimed to focus on both Nasser's personal life and the socio-political history of Egypt and the region under his governance. Despite several calls since the year 1970 – following the death of Nasser – it wasn't until 2009 that a museum documenting this significant era of the Egyptian and Middle Eastern modern history was permitted. This paper investigates accordingly the period between 1970 and 2009, the political changes and the perception of Nasser's successors to the idea of a museum dedicated to their charismatic ancestor, that went through complete oppression and neglection towards what can be described as allowance rather than willingness. This paper also elaborates the challenges and difficulties which the museum makers had to overcome post to the 2011 Egyptian revolution – where Nasser photos were raised by revolutionaries in public squares – in order to maintain independency and neutrality and avoid polarization by any political group, specially that Nasser beside being clearly against radical Islamists, was of a military background leading a coup against the Egyptian monarchy, the fact that can easily transmit a misleading message and be perceived as a provoking propaganda during the comparable current political era. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the museum placed its stories in their original historical contexts without falling into the trap of the exaggeration and the glorification in which these stories were told at their time, nor falling into the trap of the disregarding and the undermining in which it was labeled afterwards. And since Nasser's legacy was transformed into an ideology, the paper finally examines the means that were adopted to deal equally with different types of visitors including fanatics, whether admirers or haters. The methodology carried out relied on: criticizing historical and contemporary literature regarding Nasser's era, investigating the ethical boundaries a museum should respect while treating a subject that still affects the socio-political life and assessing the museum exhibition level of success. The results of this study reveal the sensitive role of museums in shaping public awareness and the ways in which museums possessing similar difficulties and challenges can be treated.
Urban Planning
The establishment of phosphate mines and processing plants by Italian entrepreneurs in el-Quseir ... more The establishment of phosphate mines and processing plants by Italian entrepreneurs in el-Quseir in 1912 revitalized a town that had faced a steady decline after the opening of the Suez Canal and re-linked it to the world economy. To this day, the now defunct industrial site occupies a large section of physical el-Quseir and plays a key role in its identity. In this article, we explore the impact of the company’s successive industrialization and deindustrialization based on archival research, interviews, and mapping. By tracing physical changes on-site and in the city of el-Quseir from the founding of its phosphate industry until today, as well as the historical and current interactions of citizens with the industrial facilities, we hope to better understand the “cluster value” of the industrial plant in quotidian life and the effect of the vacuum left behind after the termination of production. As machinery and buildings are slowly eroding in the absence of expressed interest by th...
The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent mo... more The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morphological transformation since the ancient era until present. Each historical period had a physical impact on the city’s urban structure that in turn struggled to survive its successive one with its different urban conception. However, the sinuous streets of this area, which probably date back to the late Egyptian Medieval period, are characterized as the only surviving organic fabric intra–muros that was not altered during the Egyptian Modern period. This paper elaborately investigated the chronological history of the historical residential area since the ancient era until the mid—twentieth century. Based on in–depth investigation of historical maps and memoirs, it revealed the possible reasons behind its extant sinuous urban form and postulated reconstructions of its urban morphology through sequential phases.
TICCIH Bulletin 93 - 3rd Quarter 2021, 2021
TICCIH Bulletin 93 - 3rd Quarter 2021, 2021
TICCIH Bulletin (The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage), 2019
Heritage — Open Access Journal of Knowledge, Conservation and Management of Cultural and Natural Heritage, May 9, 2018
The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morpholo... more The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced subsequent morphological transformation since the ancient era until present. Each historical period had a physical impact on the city’s urban structure that in turn struggled to survive its successive one with its different urban conception. However, the sinuous streets of this area, which probably date back to the late Egyptian Medieval period, are characterized as the only surviving organic fabric intra–muros that was not altered during the Egyptian Modern period. This paper elaborately investigated the chronological history of the historical residential area since the ancient era until the mid—twentieth century. Based on in–depth investigation of historical maps and memoirs, it revealed the possible reasons behind its extant sinuous urban form and postulated reconstructions of its urban morphology through sequential phases.
Denkmal - Erbe - Heritage: Begriffshorizonte am Beispiel der Industriekultur. Monument - Patrimony - Heritage: Industrial Heritage and the Horizons of Terminology, 2018
Along the years the recognition and valorization of historical industrial witnesses emerged where... more Along the years the recognition and valorization of historical industrial witnesses emerged where their perceptions are being discussed until today. This is done –in many countries by governments, professionals, media and the society, either on a parallel discourse or separately. Terms such as Industriedenkmal and Industrieerbe have their synonyms or equivalent meaning in other languages yet not necessarily with the same implication. Accordingly, it sometimes leads to misinformed understandings of the translated equivalent term itself. In Egypt, terms such as Denkmal and Erbe have their conceptual equivalence more than a verbatim synonym. Egypt's monument and heritage recognition is generally defined as Āthār or Turāth. Each has its official definition and means of identification and classification. The industrial heritage in Egypt suffers from extreme undermining of its categorical identification. Witnesses to Egypt's industrial history are individually listed due to their architectural significance rather than their industrial manifestation. Some are therefore listed as Āthār, some as Turāth where most stay at a terminological grey-zone. This paper studies how the Egyptian monument and heritage discourse is recognized officially and publically. It investigates its perceptive perplexity through an example of the Gabbari Railway station to inquire whether similar witnesses of the 19 th and 20 th century are considered as Denkmal, Erbe or conceived differently.
REHAB 2015 - PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PRESERVATION, MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES, 2015
Since the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Egyptian heritage has been facing challenges due to the po... more Since the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Egyptian heritage has been facing challenges due to the political state of flux which has been affecting it physically. Among those is the example of the historical area of Kōm ad-Dikka which is deeply threatened by the demolition of its significant historical physical environment characterized by its shared-built heritage. This paper investigates the current condition of Kōm ad-Dikka which has been tremendously vandalized by city cement residential blocks through a site investigation. It explores the sociocultural prominence of the ensemble with its residents who have been living in it for generations, carrying on the sense of belonging, valuation and attachment to their area. This sociocultural significance is now facing a big dilemma due to the functional inability of the historical buildings to host its current residents. The paper also presents the results of a field study examining the current condition of the historical buildings and the reasons of the sudden phenomenon of the devaluation and depreciation of the residential ensemble.
The museum of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser-inaugurated in 2016-is considered ... more The museum of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser-inaugurated in 2016-is considered a unique museum of its kind dedicated to a former Egyptian ruler. A national competition was announced in 2009, to curate and design the museum within the spaces of the house in which he lived and ruled. The museum aimed to focus on both Nasser's personal life and the socio-political history of Egypt and the region under his governance. Despite several calls since the year 1970 – following the death of Nasser – it wasn't until 2009 that a museum documenting this significant era of the Egyptian and Middle Eastern modern history was permitted. This paper investigates accordingly the period between 1970 and 2009, the political changes and the perception of Nasser's successors to the idea of a museum dedicated to their charismatic ancestor, that went through complete oppression and neglection towards what can be described as allowance rather than willingness. This paper also elaborates the challenges and difficulties which the museum makers had to overcome post to the 2011 Egyptian revolution – where Nasser photos were raised by revolutionaries in public squares – in order to maintain independency and neutrality and avoid polarization by any political group, specially that Nasser beside being clearly against radical Islamists, was of a military background leading a coup against the Egyptian monarchy, the fact that can easily transmit a misleading message and be perceived as a provoking propaganda during the comparable current political era. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the museum placed its stories in their original historical contexts without falling into the trap of the exaggeration and the glorification in which these stories were told at their time, nor falling into the trap of the disregarding and the undermining in which it was labeled afterwards. And since Nasser's legacy was transformed into an ideology, the paper finally examines the means that were adopted to deal equally with different types of visitors including fanatics, whether admirers or haters. The methodology carried out relied on: criticizing historical and contemporary literature regarding Nasser's era, investigating the ethical boundaries a museum should respect while treating a subject that still affects the socio-political life and assessing the museum exhibition level of success. The results of this study reveal the sensitive role of museums in shaping public awareness and the ways in which museums possessing similar difficulties and challenges can be treated.