"The Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe: Towards a Balanced Appraisal." The Arabist. Budapest Studies in Arabic 40 (2019) pp. 47-140. (original) (raw)
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The Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe: Towards a Balanced Appraisal
The Arabist: Budapest Studies in Arabic
The Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe The Comité, as it is usually called, was founded by Khedive Tawfīq in 1881 and was active until 1953, when it merged into the Antiquities Organization, the predecessor of the present-day Ministry of Antiquities. Its task was the conservation of Arab-Islamic (later on also Coptic) monuments of architecture in Egypt. 2 This was the period of classical colonialism, of massive European intervention in the affairs of Egypt; therefore it is understandable that a sudden appearance of interest in the Comité's activities has been witnessed in recent years, not least within the framework of the Saidian discourse on Orientalism. The activities in question lend themselves to various, multifaceted interpretations on account of the complex nature of the subject. Scholarly discussion has hardly begun, and thus it will take time before reasonably solid, final conclusions can be arrived at. In the meantime it may be hoped that a discussion will ensue helping us elucidate various aspects of this intricate subject. It is with this aim in mind that an analysis is offered here of certain theses and statements in a book by Paula Sanders that was published on this subject some time ago (2008). In this context some basic questions concerning the Comité's activities, along with their ramifications, will also be dealt with. It is important that controversies and differing opinions should be pointed out and formulated clearly so that they become accessible to the academic community. The activities of the Comité have become a highly sensitive topic: it consisted partly of foreign members, who were not Muslims, and it worked mainly on mosques. Therefore it is of absolute importance that only reliable and substantiated statements should be propagated in this context and that one should clearly differentiate between proven data on the one hand and suppositions and hypotheses on the other. 1 We have two sketches of the Comité's history at our disposal: Speiser 2001:47-94; Reid 2002:213-257. Speiser's fresh approach is that of an architect active in the conservation of Cairo. In the present paper, the words "waqf" and "waqfiyya" will not be italicized. 2 In a broader sense, the term "conservation" also covers restoration and reconstruction.
Decolonizing the Conservation of Islamic Built Heritage in Egypt
Intellect Books, 2022
The modernization of Egypt in the nineteenth century included the identification, listing, protection, and restoration of ‘Arab monuments’ as an essential aspect of the building of a modern nation-state following the dominant European model. Islamic buildings were identified as antiquities based on their archaeological and aesthetic values. International best practices of heritage conservation have moved on from the concept of single monuments to the wider notion of heritage. However, nineteenth-century colonial attitudes remain the accepted norm in Egypt (and many other Middle Eastern countries) today. The decolonization of Islamic built heritage conservation in Egypt requires major changes in heritage protection laws, institutional structures and mandates, academic and professional ethics, as well as reconciliation with premodern centuries-old notions of cultural heritage conservation attitudes and mechanisms.
Mamluk Minarets in Modern Egypt: Tracing Restoration Decisions and Interventions
Annales islamologiques, v. 50, ed. Mercedes Volait, 2016
This essay discusses the work of the Comité de conservation des monuments de l’art arabe to restore, and in some cases transform and reinvent Mamluk minarets from the 1880s to 1950s. Three types of interventions are particularly considered: 1. the dismantling and reconstructing of upper pavilions at risk of collapse; 2. the construction of upper pavilions that were missing when the Comité started to work on the minarets; and 3. the removal of Ottoman pencil-like caps from Mamluk minarets and the reconstruction of a typical Mamluk pavilion. Relevant examples in each type are examined using historical sources and on site observations. The research leads to conclude that although the Comité’s decisions might have been influenced by ideology, as often suggested in the literature, technical motives and safety issues also played an important part in orienting interventions. The common notion that the Comité “medievalized” Cairo for the sake of tourists only imperfectly captures the diversity and complexity of the principles and methodologies of restoration and conservation followed by the Comité.
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Preservation Laws: Saving Modern Egyptian Architectural Integrity
Resourceedings , 2019
Egyptian cities have witnessed a variety of impeccable architecture throughout centuries of civilization, which enriched the Egyptian society. Constantly rising to the discussion is a question of what constitutes value to architecture of different times. It is important to regard heritage conservation as a synthetic, complex topic that is open for interpretations and judgment. While some antiquities are protected by law, it is apparent how modern heritage is a matter of ambiguity when it comes to preservation and conservation efforts. Until the mid-19th century, architectural heritage was primarily concerned with the preservation of monumental architecture. Theorists like John Ruskin and Le-Duc were largely exploring the authentic expression of materials in architecture, establishing the foundation, that Cesare Brandi would later build on, that conservation authenticity is not limited to age, rather includes material, style and structure.It is appropriate to regard heritage buildings as capital assets, with a potential to raise fluxes of services over time. However, not only Cairo, but Egypt has been losing much of its valuable modern heritage; thus its identity in the process.This paper focuses on Egypt's modernist architecture, discussing the rise of modernism and its introduction to the Egyptian cultural scene while reflecting on the current cultural detachment from such heritage and the current tendency towards. It, also, explores the rise of Egyptian modernism as a national style that reflects social and economic prosperity, in contrast to its rise in the west primarily advocating minimalism, functionalism and social equality.In comparing Egyptian laws to international charters on heritage preservation; in particular modern heritage, case studies are used to explore the consequences. The research concludes by suggesting measures and acts that can, directly and indirectly, affect the decision-making process, as well as support efforts of preservation of Egypt's modern heritage.
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The antiquarian work of the French orientalist Emile Prisse d'Avennes in Egypt has been mainly analysed through his notorious illustrated publications that have been continuously reprinted, in many languages, since their release in the 1870s. His private papers kept at the Bibliotheque nationale de France in Paris, as well as his less-known writings, shed further light on his shifting approach to Islamic buildings in Egypt, embued in a marked ethnographic sensitivity and impacted by recurrent uncertainties.
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Egypt is rich in a cultural heritage that can be traced from the remote prehistoric past through the various stages of world civilisation. Ancient Egypt's monuments link us to the past and make us aware of past human achievements. It is our duty to protect and preserve this heritage so that we, and future generations, can share in this historical legacy of our predecessors. The Lower Nile Valley is the birthplace of one of the first and most resilient great civilizations. In the course of its long and distinguished history, Egypt has bequeathed to us a legacy of spectacular monuments and a dazzling array of artefacts. However, unimposing sites and objects of everyday life also provide an invaluable insight to the various aspects of ancient Egyptian society and are just as important as the more spectacular sites and 'treasures'. Today, such archaeological sites and monuments all over Egypt are threatened by urban sprawl, development projects, agricultural expansion, pollution and looting. ECHO has been founded to help in securing the protection and conservation of Egypt’s threatened heritage. The archaeological record is a finite resource, which is easily destroyed without proper protection. There are an incredible number of sites and monuments everywhere in Egypt, as well as the countless artefacts in museums and storerooms, requiring constant monitoring, protection and maintenance. The Management of Egypt’s Cultural Heritage is the second volume in a series of Cultural Heritage Management (CHM) discourses; this ground-breaking series is the first academic collection of papers dedicated to the practice of CHM in Egypt. The papers in this volume are written by specialists in their fields whose expertise cover many areas of cultural heritage management, from the theoretical to the practical, tangible to intangible heritage, from cutting edge technology to simple conservation measures. The periods covered range from the Predynastic to the Coptic and Islamic periods. This volume is an invaluable addition to the library of heritage managers, conservators, archaeologists, and lecturers, anyone interested in preserving Egypt’s cultural and natural heritage.
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MOJ Ecology & Environmental Sciences, 2018
Based on personal impressions gathered during my stay in Egypt in the beginning of 1998, this article focuses on the preservation of art in ancient Egypt. It is particularly inspired by the long and unforgettable conversation I had then with Professor Raymond Johnson, Field Director of The Epigraphic Survey of Chicago House, in Luxor. The destruction of the ancient art produced in the cradle of civilization means not only a breach with the past; it is also a bad omen for the very existence of art in the future of mankind.