Living and Working in Historic Cairo: Sustainability of heritage patterns (original) (raw)
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ArchCairo 2019 conference, Arch Cairo 2019 conference, Building the Future Now: Rights to Better Living, Architecture & Contexts.8-10 April 2019 in, Four Seasons (Nile Plaza) at Garden City, Cairo, 2019
Sustainable development of historic areas in different parts of the world has shown the need for integrating contemporary activities and buildings into the historic fabric. This issue is not new as ICOMOS and UNESCO inventions since the 1970s has discussed the topics of integrating in 1972, resolution of the symposium on the introduction of contemporary architecture into ancient groups of buildings held in Budapest, and in 1976, recommendations concerning the safeguarding and contemporary role of historic areas. However, the implementation of contemporary activities and buildings within the context of historic Cairo is still new. Historic Cairo suffers from the remnants of ordinance lines that still cut through the historic fabric creating new spaces that were not in the original city structure and were not needed for its activities that blurs our vision of history. They also create empty lots of land, mainly because of their unsuitable proportions and dimensions or because they acquire a difficult legal status to deal with. The research shall adopt the analytical methodology, where the effect of ordinance lines regulations to Historic Cairo will be observed and analysed in means of urban tissue changes, users' contemporary needs and other related conditions. The research aims to conclude a realistic contemporary approach that accommodates similar international and local entities. Such approach shall get benefit of Historic Cairo's givens as it still has untapped development potentials such as existing arts and crafts, architectural typologies, existing markets, cultural festivities (mowaled), or new activities to be inserted in such contexts, living the experience of an old Cairene in medieval times, or designing a hop-on-hop-off routes for the city's free roaming tourists. This research paper will conclude a heritage conservation philosophy for the world heritage site in historic Cairo, it shall introduce the history and theory of the topic and discuss the applicability of the different approaches in historic Cairo applied on the chosen case of study of Al Khalifa Street.
Proceedings of The 2nd World Sustainability Forum, 2012
The current paper examines the impact of recent tourism-related official policy for rehabilitation of historical Cairo and for gentrification of surrounding inner city areas on urban poor's right to the city and their resistance actions against eviction. Despite the main objective of introducing sustainable-tourism principles by improving the environmental quality standards within Historical Cairo through pedestrianization, urban landscaping and public parks, the overall government policy favored business investments more than interests of urban population. This is evident in proposed plans for forced relocation of local residents from Bazaar area and for eviction of squatter tomb dwellers within northern cemeteries Cities of the Dead' to the eastern desert of Kattamiya (New Cairo City). Consequently land developers and investors intend to clear these sites and hold empty land for property speculations and tourism development projects. This could follow the precedent of the Agha Khan organization's development of the Al-Azhar Urban Cultural Park, opened in 2004, and the associated upgrading along the Ayyubid Wall and Darb Al-Ahmar district fringing the eastern edge of historical Cairo. Combining information from interviews with primary stakeholders , local residents from Bazaar area and squatter tomb dwellers within Bab al-Nasr northern cemeteries (Cities of the Dead) , and with secondary stakeholders, NGO activists, policy-makers and urban planners, the paper examines the ongoing struggle between advocates of urban poor's needs and business and real estate interests over the use of inner city areas for tourism related development. For a critical OPEN ACCESS 2 analysis of spatial contestation and sustainable tourism, the article attempts at weaving official urban policies with local peoples' narratives through historical Cairo's global tourism. Whilst historical Cairo is reinterpreted as a glocal venue for new claims and contestation between global heritage tourism investment and between local urban poor population, the current paper regards the Bazaar area and Cities of Dead as contested sites for collective memory and urban resistance, and for tourism consumption. The study emphasized the need to link the rehabilitation of historical Cairo to concepts of sustainable tourism process based upon the mainstream conservation-for-development perspective, whilst taking into account alternative environments and interpretations of conservation which are the product of socio-cultural, political and economic aspects of local communities. In conclusion therefore the study advocates radical policy action and collaborative planning in consolidating bottom up urban governance and in generating new opportunities for the (re)production of public sphere for sustainable tourism consumption.
Community-Oriented Activity Patterns in Historic Cairo
Community-Oriented Activity Patterns in Historic Cairo, 2011
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this report, and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organisation. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
2020
Historical preservation helps keep communities beautiful, vibrant and livable, and gives people a stake in their surroundings, for the fact that such historical and valuable places provide a sense of stability and a tangible link with the past (historichawaii.org Feb.2020). Historical places constitute a valuable front for cities with a well-known identity that lasted for centuries. Focusing on developing these places to ensure their sustainability and preserving their history constitutes a mission that has impact not only on the urban environment but also on people using it. Fundamentally, cities bring creative and productive people together helping them to do what they do best: exchange, create and innovate. Culture lies at the heart of urban renewal and innovation.(Culture: urban future: global report on culture for sustainable urban development, Unesco 2016). Al-Muizz Street, an urban space in Cairo, Egypt is the study of this research that aims, first, to assess the current sit...
Understanding Everyday Homes of Urban Communities: The Case of Local Streets (Hawari) of Old Cairo
This paper aims at investigating architectural and urban heritage from the socio-cultural point of view, which stands on the human asset of traditional sites such as the hawari of old Cairo. It analyzes the social practice of everyday life in one of the oldest Cairene hawari, Haret al-Darb al-Asfar. The focus is on architectural and spatial organization of outdoor and indoor spaces that coordinate the spatial practices of local community. A daily monitoring of people's activities and interviews was conducted in an investigation of how local people perceive their built environment between the house's interior and the outdoor shared space. It emerges that people construct their own field of private spheres according to complex patterns of daily activities that are not in line with the classical segregation between private and public in Islamic cities. This paper reports that the harah is basically a construct of social spheres that are organized spatially by the flexible development of individual buildings over time and in response to changes in individuals' needs and capabilities. In order to achieve sustainability in old urban quarters, the paper concludes, the focus should be directed towards the local organization of activities and a comprehensive upgrading of deteriorating buildings to match the changing needs of current population.
Revitalising historic Cairo : examining the public policy formulation and implementation
2010
Historic Cairo is one of the major World Heritage sites due to the massive amount of built heritage and traditional societies it embraces. Since the 1980s, the historic quarters of Cairo have undergone many preservational efforts either by the local government or international organisations. Plenty of resources are being poured into the urban revitalisation process. However, with less significant outcomes except for two or three examples undertaken by non-governmental bodies. On the other hand, several policies have been generated by the government to facilitate the revitalisation of Historic Cairo with its different quarters; nevertheless, the majority continue to be ineffective and unhelpful to the local communities. The focus of this study is to examine how the government revitalizes the historic quarters, what are the policies generated during the last three decades, who are the key players in the implementation process, and what are the major challenges. This study is addressed through a qualitative, quantitative and narrative analysis with the users, officials and contributors to the process of revitalising Historic Cairo, especially Al-Gamalia and Darb Al Ahmar Quarters. The study will show the implementation of government policies in relation to the 1980 UNESCO Plan, 1997 UNDP/Supreme Council of Antiquities, and 1997 Aga Khan Trust for Culture programs for revitalising Old Cairo´s quarters. The study reveals the neglected challenges toward the communities´ rights and the revitalisation efforts focuses more on the preservation of single buildings without a comprehensive methodology of urban revitalisation and sustainable development.
The Practice of Home in Old Cairo: Towards Socio-Spatial Models of Sustainable Living
Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 2012
The article investigates the practice of home as an everyday system for sustainable living in Old Cairo. The idea of home in this historic urban space has long involved fluid socio-spatial associations and made efficient use of space-activity-time dynamics. As in the past, the individual’s sense of home may extend beyond or shrink within the physical boundaries of a particular house, as spatial settings are produced and consumed according to time of day, gender association, or special events. The article argues that architects working in this context must understand the dynamics of this complex traditional system if they are to develop locally informed, genuine designs that build on everyday spatial practices. Work by the architect Salah Zaki Said and by the Historic Cities Program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture is described to illustrate the potential of such engagement, especially as it contrasts to more abstract architectural proposals.
SECAP, Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Action Plan for Luxor Governorate, 2018
My approach and prospects are essentially comprehensive. Heritage management as a tool for poverty alleviation and continuation of cultural traditions and crafts for arts and job creations and real authentic continuity and never polished pro-tourism dollars interventions. My approach incorporate sustainable urban development tackling even environmental issues as the report I am attaching, which is an extract of a comprehensive strategic sustainable urban development strategy developed for the Governorate of Luxor, focusing on the West bank of the River Nile, the greatest archaeological site in the whole world and the most important necropolis yet with great challenges. This must be approached through a comprehensive perspective. Through my currently involvement with UN-Habitat organization, I study historical cities in conflict areas such as Yemen, Iraq and soon Syria. Unless we apply crisis investment and make the best use of culture as a socio-cultural mean to furnish for peaceful co-existence as well as job creation for the livelihood essential as a tool for effective reconstruction after war, we are wasting a great opportunity. Heritage management, thus, the way we currently teaching or conducting research for demands a conceptual revisit. I authored this section, extracted from, as part of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Action Plan (SECAP) for Luxor Governorate, part of the CES-MED, EU project: www.ces-med.eu
The Challenges of Sustainable Historical Centers: The Case of Rosette, Egypt
2011
Historical centers of many Egyptian cities managed to survive as living cities in spite of physical decline and economic depression. Their fabric carries out cultural messages that communicate with their present citizens. The heritage of these historic city centers are not only Material character, but much more. Generally, the conservation of historic centers is fundamentally different from conservation of single monument. While a single monument can be kept on a chosen state of evolution, the historic centers cannot be preserved in particular state. The historic centers, as living cities must meet the varying needs of citizens with sustainable transformations. The challenge is not how to preserve, but how to create dynamic living places. The research analyzes the historical center of “Rosetta”, which is one of the intermediate cities in northern Egypt that has a particular architectural heritage and many urban problems. Rosetta (Rashid in Arabic) is best known for the Rosetta stone...