antoniou_unesco_the conservation of the old city of cairo

8/2/2019 Antoniou_UNESCO_The Conservation of the Old City of Cairo

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DerestrictedTechnical ReportRP/PP/l979-1980/4/7.6/05 ARAB REPUBLICOF EGYPTProgramme of participation inthe activitiesof Member Statesfor the preservation andpresentation of the culturaland natural heritage

~The Conservationof the old Cityof CairobyJim AntoniouStephano BiancaSherif El-HakimRonald LewcockMichael Welbank

Serial No. FMR/CC/CH/80/182-A United Nations Educational,

Scientific andCultural OrganizationParis,1985

U l l t S C O


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ARAB REPUBUC aF EGYPT

THE CONSERVATION OF THE OLDCITY OF CAIRO

by Jim AntoniotiStephano BiancaSherif El-HakimRonald LewcockMichael Welbank

Report prepared for the Governatnt ofThe Arab Republic of Egypt by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization (Unesco)

U N E S C O


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Technical ReportFMR/CC/CH/80/18 2(Antonioa etc. )First printed in London on 5 November 1980Reprinted 15 November 19850 nesco 1980Printed in France

Rp/w/m9-a o/4/7./os

&e designations employed.and the presentation of the material in thisdocument do not impiy the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the partof the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization con-cerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or seaarea, or concerning the delirattation of frontiers.


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CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION

PAGE-5

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS2.1 The Present Situation2.2 Approach to the Problems2.3 Priorities for Action

THE STUDY AREA3.1 Choice of Study Area3.2 The Study Area Components3.3 Environmental Setting of th e Study Area

REVIEW OF STUDY AREA4.1 Social Economic Issues4.2 Administrat ion4.3 Infrastructure

CONSERVATION STRATEGY5.1 Present State of Buildings5.2 Building Conservation5.3 Priority Zones

IMPLEMENTATION6.1 Aims and Techniques of Conservation6,2 Operational System

-..6.3 Other Action. ..- -APPENDICES

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FIGURESNUMBERFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Fig. 4Fig. 5Fig. 6Fig. 7Fig. 8Fig. 9Fig. 10Fig. 11Fig. 12Fig. 13Fig. 14Pig.. 15Fig. 16Fig. 17Fig. 18Fig. 19Fig. 20Fig. 21Fig. 22Fig. 23Fig. 24Fig. 25

TITLEHistoric CairoStudy AreaEnvironmental SettingPattern of Population LossMigration within GamaliyaStudy Area PopulationCommutingLocation of ActivitiesBefore and After ExampleBefore and After ExampleExamples of NeglectGround WaterFoundat ionsRoofsWallsBuilding DecayMonuments of the Study AreaMonument SelectionStructure of ZonesZone 1 and 2zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Possible Technique of WallProtection.

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1.1 The Mission1.1.1 In response to a request from the EgyptianGovernment, UNESCO undertook in February1980 to provide a mission to prepare a reporton a conservation strategy for the old city .of Cairo. The members of this mission madea number of visits of varying lengths of timeofer the period February to August 1980.1.1.2 In this study the mission was assisted bymany members of the Egyptian AntiquitiesOrganisation, and in particularDr. Shehata Adam has given the greatesthelp. The work of the study has gainedenormously from his personal interest,

support and advice.1.1.3 It is not the purpose of this report toprovide detailed planning proposals for alllisted monuments in all the historic areas ofCairo, but rather to formulate a practicalconservation strategy for specific areas aspart of an emergency action over a periodof five years.1.1.4 The Team

The study team was assisted by the followingkey field staff:-Mr. Husain El Din IsmaelMr. Sarneh Mohamed FathyMr. Fahmy Abdel AlirnMr. Ahmed Adel Al SayedMr. Osama Sayed Hafiz

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1.1.5 AcknowledgmentsDuring the course of the mission, the study teamwas assisted by many people and the followingwere particularly generous in giving of their time. and knowledge :The Egyptian Antiquities OrganisationDr. Shehata AdamMr. Suliman Ahmed SulimanMr. Mahmoud HadidiThe Governate of CairoMr. El GhouryGeneral Organisation for Physical Planning (GOPP)Mr. Michel FouadSociety for the Protection ofArchitectural Resources of Egypt (SPARE)Dr. J. RodenbeckThe Egyptian Association of Lovers of AntiquitiesMs. Laila Ali IbrahimDr. Mirrit Butros GhaliUNESCOMr. Said Zulficar.

1.2 Cultural Significance of Historic Cairo1.2.1 The cultural significance of historic Cairo has beenaccepted internationally. The old city was in-cluded in the world Heritage List by the WorldHeritage Convention in 1979. Consequently, historic

Cairo ranks with the main Pharaonic monuments ofEgypt and others of international significance inthe world.

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1.2.2 Although traditionally strong emphasis has beengiven in Egypt to the wealth of Pharaonic heritagethere is now a growing interest by many individualsand organisations. n the Islamic heritage. Suchorganisations include:The Egyptian Association of Lovers of AntiquitiesThe Society for the Protection of ArchitecturalResources of EgyptThe Centre for Egyptian Civilisation StudiesThe World of Islam TrustThe Aga Khan FoundationEtc, etc.

1.2.3 However the attitudes of the local people, who liveand work in the old city, towards the heritage aroundthem is a more difficult and complex matter toassess. To some it is an outdated urban fabric,but to others it is a precious and significantheritage. In any study of the old city it is importantto realize that there are differing attitudes to thequestion of conservation of this heritage.

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Ubre

s u m m r q y arm conclusons1 1


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2.12.1.1- he Present Situation

The study area, with an overall population ofsome 320,000 (1976) consists of an area approxi-mately 3.7 sq.km. and is bounded by Bab alFutuh and Bab al Nasr to the north, the Ibn TulunMosque to the south, the Port Said Road to thewest and the Salah Salem road to the east. Overthe period 1966-1976, the residential populationof the study area has declined by some 8.6% Corsome 30,000 people) in a period when Cairo as awhole expanded by some 3.5% per year. There areindications that the rate of loss may beaccelerating.2.1.2 This loss of residential population can be directlyrelated to the loss of dwellings in the area.This is due to a number of factors including theimpact of rent control leading to lack of maintenanceand eventual destruction of dwellings; the pressuresfrom commercial interests seeking expansion space:voluntary building demolition by occupants to gainrights to the new accommodation elsewhere; thedeterioration of the building fabric ariskng fromgeneral decay and rising ground water leading tobuilding collapse; inadequate maintenance andthe use of inappropriate building technology.2.1.3 Commercial interests are flourishing, expandingand becoming the dominant force in the old city,and this commercial' activity is changing incharacter. The traditional pattern of crafts-men and small workshops is changing over to smallmanufacturing industries, leading to an increase inthe employment of unskilled workers at the expenseof craftsmen and skilled workers. A steadilyincreasing bulk of materials and goods flows throughthe study area, while some 94,000 workers traveldaily in and out from outlying residential areas.2.1.4 The traditional pattern whereby craftsmen, merchantsand workers lived and worked in integrated com-munities is being rapidly replaced by a new patternof larger manufacturing establishments which doesnot fit well into the old urban fabric. If thisnew pattern is not checked it will result in thesenewer commercial interests dominating all aspectsof the life in the old city over the next decade.

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2.1.5 Within the study area, there are 450 listedbuildings out of a total of 6 20 for the wholeof Cairo. The resources available for theconservation of the heritage of these historicmonuments are totally inadequate to the magni-tude of th e problem. Historic monuments werewell maintained until about thirty years ago,but the rising water table combined with theserious lack of maintenance, particularly of theroofs, has led to rapid deterioration of themasonry and wooden ceilings leading in somecases to the total collapse of buildings.

2.1.6 The built fabric currently divides into thoseconstructions which are more than thirty yearsold, in various stages of deterioration, withthe vast majority surviving only at single storeyheight, and those newly built in the last thirtyyears which are of relatively low quality ofconstruction and design, also like the former,deteriorating rapidly as a result of basic lack ofappropriate maintenance.2.1.7 The type of new construction now being built isusually alien to the traditional urban form ofthe old city; is insensitive to the conditionsof the old city and interferes with the finelybalanced pattern of the traditional urban develop-

ment. If the general pattern of the new develop-ment continues, then the traditional urban fabricwill also rapidly disappear.2.1.8 The cobbled streets are not receiving adequatemaintenance and have become uneven so that thelocal inhabitants add layers of clay and rubbishto smooth them out, resulting in concentrationsof mud in times of rain and heavy dust duringthe dry season.2.1.9 The dense development of the study area, withnarrow congested streets, does not allow adequate

access and parking to the level demanded by theactivities now flourishing in the study area.Routes with fast traffic, including motor bicycles,small noisy vehicles and heavy pedestrian flowscreate danger and inconvenience to the people whouse them. Large noisy buses use narrow streetsadding further to congestion and environmentaldegradation.

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2.1.10

2.1.11

2.1.12

2.1.13

The scale of commercial activity encourages largevehicles for delivery purposes within the studyarea and has a detrimental effect on thestructure of the monuments. The main trafficroute, Sharia El Azhar, and to a lesser extentSharia El Qal'a, physically divide the study areaand interfere with the flow of movement of peoplethrough the area. Midan Al Husayni is heavilycongested with parked and moving vehic1es;furtherlimiting the access of people on foot.Although the area has an extensive network ofservices covering water supply, electricity anddrainage to nearly all premises, these networksare overloaded and in need of maintenance. Inparticular th e trunk sewer along the Sharia PortSaid, acting as the principal collector for thearea, is critically overloaded, creating a backflow which affects at least half the study area.It is unlikely that this problem will bealleviated within seven to ten years.The limited infrastructure facilities in thecemeteries t o the east of the old city, wherelarge numbers of people now live, results inseepage into the study area created by th e naturalfalls of the ground. The leakage from the sewerand water distribution spstem add to the saturatedcondition of the top layer of soil and aggravatethe acute problems of the high water table. Inmany parts of the city the water table has alreadyreached ground level. Seepage can be seen freelyon the streets and on the ground floor of buildings.This is one of the most important contributingfactors to th e rapid deterioration of the monumentsand of all buildings in the study area and indeedaffects the whole of Cairo.There is considerable confusion and overlappingresponsibilities between the various authoritieswith roles in the study area related both to thehistorical monuments and to the general adminis-tration of the old city. There is currently nocoherent overall policy or plan for the guidanceof the future development of the old city. Inthis situation the de facto control of the arealies in the hands of the dominant and most activeinterests in the area - namely the commercial interests.

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2.1.14 The public authorities are in a weak positionto maintain adequate control over the area.Some thirty per cent of new construction inthe area takes place without valid permissions.Indexed historical monuments continue to bedestroyed at a steady rate. Examples of neglectand decay abound.

-.2 Approach to the Problems2.2.1

2.2.2

Attempts must be made to reverse the flight ofthe residential population, to improve thehousing conditions of the residents and to limitthe expansion of commercial and industrialactivity.contented residential community is a proper ob-jective in itself but it will in addition act asa brake on the expansion of the commercial interestsand create a more balanced community in the area.It will also reduce the growth of traffic, thejourney t o work of employees and the generaldemands on the infrastructure of the area. Theexisting housing stock should be improved and newhousing must be developed to meet the needs of theresidents. Further there should be programmesdeveloped to encourage the continuance of smallscale crafts and trading compatible with thecharacter of the old city, to bring in appropriatenew useS.and to exploit the tourism potential.

The continuance of a thriving and

What is required is not simply another master planbut immediate action proposals. The situation inrelation to the historic monuments has now reacheda serious position. An emergency programme ofaction for the next five years shoul be launched,concentrated on specific areas. This can maximisethe use of limited resources available, stimulateinterest and encourage the inflow of further funds.Immediate action will ensure that a critical corpusof monuments is saved.

2.2.3 The existing list of monuments should be re-examined and all maps and indexes should be broughtup to date. The protection accorded to all in-dexed monuments in the area should be strengthened.

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2.2.4 The programmes for the progressive improvementof the water, electricity, drainage and seweragenetworks, as proposed by the organisations respon-sible for these services,should be continued atthe fastest possible speed.2.2.5 Research and study of the ground water positionin the Nile Valley around Cairo is vital and thecurrent programmes on this subject should bestrengthened and accelerated.2.2.6 The road system of the old city must for theforeseeable future be accepted as it standsand all improvements in accessibility and move-ment must come from traffic management. Theold city should not have to bear the trafficwhose origin or destination is outside the area.2.2.7 Concentrated control and development in clearlydefined areas must be undertaken by a powerfulauthority. Emergency procedures to achieve thereversal of the rapid deterioration of monumentsshould be introduced within these defined areas.

2.32.3.1-2.3.2

Priorities for ActionTwo levels of action are proposed: firstly at thelevel of the study area as a whole and secondlywith specific clusters of monuments within the studyarea chosen for an immediate programme.Within the study area a programme of housing up-grading and improvement must be initiated. Thi smust be integrated with t he conservation policiesof the study area.

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2.3.3 Traffic management measures should beinstituted to achieve a limitation of vehiclesnot exceeding 1 ton axle weight and 4.5m inlength and t o restrict speed of vehicles. Alimitation should also be imposed on the con-struction of new roads. Particular emphasismust be given to safeguarding the traditionalthoroughfares in the study area: ShariaMu'izz li-Din Allah, Sharia al-Gamaliya, andSharia Darb el Ahmar.

2.3.4 The progra mes currently established to repairand improve the distribution networks of watersupply, electricity, drainage and sewerageshould be accelerated, together with the improve-ment of road maintenance, street cleaning andrubbish collection.

2.3.5 Information and education programmes should beestablished to enlarge awareness of the situationin th e study area.2.3.6 This report defines six priority zones con-taining clusters of monuments for an initialfive year emergency programme. Within eachzone action is required to deal with restorationof monuments, to control the design and con-struction of new buildings, to rehabilitate

and improve existing sites and buildings, tointroduce new compatible functions for monuments,and to improve and contribute to the socialfacilities of the neighbourhood.2.3.7 A Cairo Conservation Agency (CCA) should beestablished without delay by Presidential decreeto act in the six zones. The CCA should be aco-ordinating and implementing technicalauthority, for which it is highly desirable toseek international support and involvement. TheCCA should also consider the expansion of thezones, as well as the establishment of new ones,

after the first five year plan is complete.

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2.3.8 All land owned by the Waqf, (other than mosquesin use), within the six zones should be "exchanged"with other lands outside the historic area atappropriate market prices by the public authorities.This can lead to a unification of land ownershipin these zones and can thus ensure appropriateand compatible development within th e six zones.

2.3.9 Further studies should be launched a s soon aspossible to include:i) a comprehensive review of the index oflisted monuments with a view to adding anumber of monuments of worth not now in-cluded in it.ii planning and conservation proposals forthe following areas:-

a) the Northern Cemeteryb) the Southern CemeteryC) the Fustat Zoned) the Coptic area of Old Cairoe) Bulaq.iii) detail design studies of specific areasin and around the study area.iv) research studies to establish the preciseimpact of manufacturing industry in thestudy area and to determine policies t oallow its continued development withoutdamage to the historic heritage by re-location, by regulation and by theprovision of incentives.

initiatives to benefit the residentialpopulation without damaging the historicheritage, including the tourism potentialof the old city.

V) a range of economic, commercial trading

vi) through the Cairo Conservation Agency, thedevelopment of effective and acceptablelocal techniques for overcoming the groundwater problem around monuments and buildingsin the old city.

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vii) social studies to gain a full understanding' of the position, problems and aspirations ofthe existing residential population.

vii'i) programmes to improve the housing conditionsof the residential population in the area.

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Fig. 1 HISTORIC CAIRO250 500 750 1000 metres.A -22


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-.1 Choice of Study Area3.1.1 The various components of this unique historic city

which still survive today are grouped as follows(see Fig. i):

3.1.2

i) the area loosely defined as the FatimidCity.ii) the mainly uninhabited areas of Fustat,in the extreme south.iii) the area known as Old Cairo to the south,with its many Coptic monuments.iv) the northern and eastern cemetexies.

It was not possible t o make proposals for all thesedistricts and th e team therefore concentrated itsefforts in this first pilot study o n examining thesituation of the Fatimid City where the greatestconcentration of historic buildings exists. However,it must be stressed that similar studies are urgentlyrequired in all the districts mentioned, and it isstrongly recommended that such studies should beinitiated as soon as possible . Moreover,it should be noted that each of the abovementioneddistricts has its own distinctive characteristics,requiring a different approach to dealing with itsparticular problems. For example Fustatis primarily an uninhabited area and an archaeologicalsite: Old Cairo contains mainly Coptic monuments,and the cemeteries contain many fine mausoleumswith their distinctive domes. Bulaq has been ab-sorbed into the fabric of modern Cairo and is lackingin the characteristics of a homogeneous historiccommunity, but monuments survive there as individual-entities.

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' - .2 The Study Area Components3.2.1 The study area, with an overall estimated populationof some 320,000 (1976) consists of an area approxi-mately 3.7 sq.km. and is bounded by Bab al-Futh andBab al-Nasr to the north of the I h Tln Mosqueto the south, the Sharia Port Said to the westand the Salh Salem Road to the east (see Fig. 2).The table below gives the areas of a number ofwellknown districts and large spaces in differentparts of the world as a means of comparison ofscale:

Comparison of SizesDistrict Approx. Area (sq.km.1Montmartre, Paris, FranceGreenwich Village, NY, USAHistoric Aleppo, SyriaThe City of London, UKMedina, Tunis, TunisiaThe Study Area, Cairo, EgyptHistoric Venice, Italy

1.21.752.02.52.73.74.53.2.2 Within the context of the study area, three levelsof analysis have been considered:

ii)

the extent of the study area as definedabove and its setting in Cairo. Relevantinformation on this area has been gatheredmainly from other studies and census material.The limitations on resources did not allowthe team to undertake detail studies of thewhole area, although the environmentalsetting was examined.a strip approximately 50Om wide along the mainspine of the study area was examined to assessthe age and conditions of historic buildings(both listed and unlisted) to determine whichof these were worthy of conservation. A shortstudy was also undertaken to record theco me rc ia l activities along the spine itselfwhich acts as the main shopping thoroughfare.A broad analysis was also made relating to thespine in terms of urban design concepts.

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MAIN SPINESTRIPGROUPS OFB 1 D GS

Fig. 2 STUDY AREA25


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' ig. 3 E N V I R O N M E N T A L S ET TI NG26


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iii) Within this 50m strip, 'clusters' or groupsof buildings for conservation were identifiedin some detail; further studies were under-taken to extend the 'clusters' into coherentzones which include buildings other thanthose worthy of conservation in themselves.Some indication is also provided as to howthese zones might be expanded or how newones might be identified in the future.Within three of the zones, short pilot studieswere undertaken to provide criteria relatingto social indicators to guide rehabilitationproposals.-.3 Environmental Setting of the Study Area3.3.1 The key features of the environmental setting ofthe study area are as follows and are shown on Fig.3.

i) the land form is distinguished by the hillsto the east, the cemeteries to the northeastand south and modern Cairo to the west withits high rise buildings. It is important toretain this clear distinction between theunique historic part and the new scale todevelopment emerging in modern Cairo.ii) the extent of the study area is stronglydefined on three sides: to the north bythe gates and walls, to the east by t he lineof Salh Salem Road and to the west by ShariaPort Said. In contrast, to the south, th eboundary of the study area is not clearlydefined until the open area of Fustat isreached. For the purposes of this study aneast/west boundary line running just to thesouth of the Ibn Tln Mosque has been chos enfor convenience at a point where the fabricof the old city changes.

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iii) the urban texture of the study area isa homogeneous one, characterised by tightbusy streets with continuous development,mostly of even height. Over thesebustling streets hover the much larger-scale buildings of mosques with theirtowers and minarets. Certain buildingsand spaces are so massive that they standout as separate entities from the generaltexture of the study area. These include:a) the al Hakim Mosque and the openarea used for the garlic marketinside the Bab al Futuh,b) the al Azhar Mosque and its largeopen square,C ) Bab Zuweila,d) the Mosque of Sultan Hasan,e) the massive Citadel,f) the Mosque of Ibn Tulun.This fine balance of homogeneous textureand isolated large buildings should beretained and further new buildings shouldrespect this relationship.

iv strong routes within this tight, 'urbangrain make connecting links through thearea and are intensively used, thus pro-viding a clear differentiation from themass of local streets. The most dominantroute for pedestrians is the north/southspine running through the study area, fromBab al Futuh to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun,reflecting its historic development. Thereis a temporary brake in the continuityof the route as a result of the Sharia al-Azhar and the subsequent footbridge pro-vided to separate vehicular traffic forpedestrians. This route has the greaterconcentration of activities from the Streetof the Tent Makers to the Bab al Futuh. Thereare also two sub-routes which in addition tovehicular traffic carry large numbers ofpedestrians: one runs parallel to the mainnorth/south spine from Bab al Nasr along theSharia al Gamaliya and the other leads fromBab al Zuweila to the vicinity of the Citadel.

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There is also the swathe through the citycreated by th e Sharia al-Azhar, a relativelymodern street of greater dimensions thanthe other streets, busy with trafficand commercial activity. For much of itslength, it has the Sharia Muski.runningroughly parallel to it on an east/westaxis. In addition the Sharia El-Qal'aruns diagonally, cutting through the studyarea from the Sharia Port Said to theSultan Hasam Mosque.

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4.1 Socio-Economic Issues4.1.1 A socio-economic study was undertaken and there isclose interaction between this part of the study andothers more specifically related to the conservationof buildings.

The study undertook an examination of the socio-economic scene at a number of levels simultaneously,namely: -i) central Cairo indicating the context ofthe old cityii) the study area providing a brief picture ofthe position within the study area as a wholeiii) three specific zones giving a more detailedunderstanding of the local situationiv) commercial interests and activities within thestudy area were also examined.

4.1.2 The basic data for the first two of these levels ofthe study was obtained by the utilisation of existingdata sources and previous studies in the area.The data for third and fourth levels of study wasderived from field studies. In addition there wasarchive research and meetings held with interested qroupsinvolved in the area of the old city:Although this study does not lay any claim to be aComprehensive socio-economic study of the area, itdoes attempt, within the resources available, toidentify the key issues, to provide relevant data: todraw.preliminary conclusions; and to indicate thedirection and scope of further necessary studies.

4.1.3 Central CairoIn the past two decades Cairo's population has beenexpanding at an average rate of 3.5% per year. Theoverall expansion of Cairo is taking place as a resultof two different factors; firstly migrants from therural areas and other towns in Egypt who come toCairo; and secondly the natural increase of the popu-lation of Cairo. In physical terms this populationis being absorbed by the peripheral expansion.contrast, Cairo is losing population in its centre.In

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4.1.4 Analysis of available census data shows a strongoutward movement of population from the centralpart of Cairo encompassing the old city. Fig.4shows the central districts that have beenlosing population since 1960.This is partly a result of the transformation.ofthe central city's upper-income residential dis-tricts to commercial areas and partly by the flightby low-income groups from old, badly maintainedcrowded housing to the more comfortable and lessdense quarters provided at the periphery. Thisgeneral pattern of migration can also be detectedwithin those Kisms which spread from the centreto the periphery. For instance, the population ofGamaliya increased by 10.6% over the last ten years.However, on closer inspection at'shiekha level, itis clear that the central Shiekhas of Gamaliya havesuffered a net average loss of 2.8% over the sameperiod. Gamaliya in total registered an increasedue to the very large increase obtaining in theshiekhas at the periphery (see Figure 5). Internalmigration is thus occurring within Cairo as awhole as well as within the old city.

4.1.5 The Study AreaPopulation data for the study area were derivedfrom the census data as officially published bythe Central Agency for Public Mobilisation andStatistics (CAPMAS). Historical data for thestudy area are not readily available because of thechanges that have been made to shiekha boundariesover the years and the creation of new shiekhas.But the data available are adequate to indicatethe trend in this area which follows the samepattern as that for central Cairo. Because thesocio-economic forces responsible for much ofthis change have probably gained greater momentumsince the 1976 census, it is almost certain thatthe rate of exchange has already increased.

4.1.6 The total population of the shiekhas of the study areaaccording to the 1976 census was 320,426 (162,679 malesand 157,474 females) which is an 8.6% loss on the 1966figures when the population was reported to be 350,717.The area therefore lost roughly 30,291 people duringthis period. If the natural increase of the area popu-lation is taken into account (say at 2.38% annually)

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Shubra Ei Kheima

Misr El Kadima

Kisms that have lostpopulation between 66 76Kisms that have lost

Cairo Onert

Fig. 4 PATTERN OF POPULATION LOSS35


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Comparison of growth rates of Gamaliya as a whole and of theShiekhas within the study area 1966 - 1976:

320.426

1966 % of 1976 % of % ChangeTotal TotalGama aTotal 130873 (100%) 167000 (100%) - 10.6%

309,402 254,282

Shiekhas ofGamaliya inStudy Area 93781 ( 70%) 91123 ( 54%) + 2.8%~~

Source: CapmasFig. 5 MIGRATION WITHIN GA MA LI YA

4oO.ooo

3oo.ooo

200.0w

100.ooo

O.1976 1980 2000l m

Fig. 6 STU DY A RE A POPULATION '

I POPULATION DECREASE IN STUDY ARE AShiekha

Khdita

SharevaarnalivaTotal

Population1976

84.970133,40410.92991,123

Averageannuel %decreasesince 1966-1.63-0.68-1 .o4-0.28

~~~~~ ~Trend continued1980 2OooPopulation Population79.430 51,730129,776 111,83110,473 8,19390,103 85,001


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4.1.6 Cont'dthe implications are that some 37,258 people haveeffectively left the area during that ten year periodleaving behind them at a minimum some 6,600* dwellingunits assuming an average household size of 5. Acrude projection of this trend to present an indicationof its implications is given in Fig. 6.

4.1.7 Three Specific ZonesA programme of field work was undertaken in threespecific "zones" related to conservation conceptsdescribed later in this report. The fieldwork wasby means of interviews with residents within thethree selected - Nos. 2, 4 and 6 - covering differentparts of the study area. The aim was to provide adetailed picture of the people who lived there andtheir conditions in order to establish how their needsinter-related with the requirements of conservation inthe zone.

4.1.8 Within the zones the general picture that emerged isthat about one half of the families wer e living inconditions of severe overcrowding. Between onequarter and one third of the dwelling units had neitherwater supply nor toilets. The highest rentals andpoorest facilities arose in the 'private rented'sector. Occupations of the residents were very variedbut about one quarter of the households had incomesof less than 250 LE per annum. Housing conditionswere worst in zones 2 and 4,which have a majorcommercial and manufacturing component.4.1.9 Commercial Interests and Activities

The study area itself contains the greatest densityof commercial and small-scale manufacturing enter-prises in all Cairo. It has roughly 200 more shopsper resident than the average for the city (one shopfor every 23.9 residents as complared to 34.7 forCairo as a whole).4.1.10 Some 30% of the resident population is active in thelabour force, constituting some 96,734 workers(83,567 males and only 13,167 females). Of theseresident members of the labour force, roughly 53%(51,269) work within the area itself while 47%

*This figure is derived by assuming that the averagefamily size of the population of 30,000 who left thearea was 5.37


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Fig. 7 COMMUTING38


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4.1.10 Cont'd(45,465) have jobs outside the area. At the sametime some 48,463 workers (49% of all workers employedin the area) come in to the area to work from placesoutside. These figures indicate that there are roughly100,528 jobs in the area derived from the Kism levelrates. The majority of the workers (41%) who livein the area hold jobs in small-scale manufacturingindustries while 14.9% are engaged in sales andrelated activities. This breakdown does notnecessarily characterise the types of jobs availablesince many residents work outside and many workerscommute into the area.

4.1.11 There is extensive commuting and about 94,723 workersmove in and out of the area twice a day. Much ofthis commuting is a direct result of the centre toperiphery migration (See Fig. 7). Most of the outwardmigration to work is to the areas containing manu-facturing and industrial estates, while most of theinward migration to work comes fr'om thg new peri-pheral residential development districts.4.1.12 An establishment survey was carried out along the mainspine of the study area during April 1980 which showsthe importance of this commercial/manufacturingactivity taking place in the area.Because the survey was carried out only along themain spine it tends to over-represent the extent ofthe retail trade in the area. From this field survey,in conjunction with examination of previous generalisedland use surveys of the area,it is possible to presenta broad distribution of the activities in the area(see Fig. 8).

There is a concentration in the established pattern ofretail trades along the spine of the study area. Newpremises and the extension of associated manufacturingand warehousing uses expand behind the spine withinthe boundary of the study area.

4.1.13 The distribution of activities creates considerabletraffic movement. The number of vehicles,coupledwith heavy pedestrian movement,produces acutecongestion at a number of points in the study area.There is, in addition,the commercial vehicular trafficin and out of the .study area each day connecting itwith Alexandria, 57% of the traffic, and Ismalia andthe Suez Canal, 27% of the traffic. No data wasavailable regarding the commodities transported by

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Fig. 8 LOCATION OF ACTIVITIES40


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4.1.13 Cont'dby this means but from observation it is clearthat much of this is the movement of outward-boundfinished products to markets and inward-bound rawmaterials.

4.1.14 The co me rc ia l and manufacturing activities in thearea are for the most part highly interdependent andare not "foot-loose" activities. Commodities areproduced here by workshops, located near to eachother, that treat the same item in the process ofproduction. Leather, for example, is tanned, dyed,embossed and printed by separate workshops before itis sold wholesale in the form of leather goods. Itis the retailer who commissions the separatespecialised workshops. Such complex interdependencyis true for many items including silver work, brass,copper and woodwork.

4.1.15 The process of production therefore depends on multipleactivities carried out by interdependent workshops inthe same area. The main markets for the itemsproduced are within the area and also within Cairo asa whole. For this reason it is almost impossiblefor expansion to take place in any of the activitiesoutside the area. New workshops can only be success-ful if set up in the area with access to supportingworkshops and clients. The pressures for suchexpansion are now great and will continue to be soin the future. The space for such expansion islimited resulting in high increases in land pricesand acccarnnodation for such activities.4.1.16 Although much machine-aided production has been intro-duced during the past decade, the same interdependentmanufacturing structure has persisted. This isbecause workshops have not expanded horizontally todiversify the nature of their essential capabilities.

The replacement of skilled craftwork by machine-aided volume production, involving less specialisedworkers, is to a great extent a result of the massiveexpansion of the tourism industry. In 1968, thetotal number of foreign visitors to Egypt was 318,00 0,increasing to 1,052,000 by 1978 (an average rate ofincrease of 12.7% a year). For the year 1978, 46%(146,280) of the visitors came from Europe and America.This proportion has increased as the number of Arabvisitors declined since 1975. Themajority visit the old city, especially the Khan al-Khallll' area for shopping and sightseeing.commodities bought by the visitors, whether purchasedThe

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4.1.16 Cont'd

4.1.17

in the Khnal- Khalili area or in other parts ofCairo or even Egypt, are items usually manufacturedin the study area (i.e. copper, glass and leathergoods). For this reason there has been a largeincrease in demand for the commodities produced inthe area resulting in strong pressures towardsmechanisation.Another type of social sb uctu re connected withcomercial activities is the productive co-operativesand associations formed by owners of workshops workingwith particular raw materials. These associationsserve to protect the interests of their members'respective business by co-operation with HandicraftsIndustries Productive Co-operative Organisation(HIPCO). A partial list of owners' associationillustrating the range of such organisations hasbeen assembled.

4.1.18 The study area is also rich in organisations of varioustypes ranging from charities to migrant associations.There are also many productive co-operatives formedspecifically to facilitate business transactions andprovide access to cheap raw materials. The heads ofthese have a tendency to be the wealthiest of theowners of workshops or retail business in theirrespective fields and have considerable influenceamong the members. Further more, there is a greatdeal of solidarity between the leaders of thedifferent associations and these conditions, coupledwith their monopoly of the cash flow of the area,make it possible for these groups to have politicalpower locally.

4.1.19 The picture that emerges is that there are majorchanges occurring in the study area.. Field surveywork indicates that the outward-flow of residents iseven greater than recorded statistics, since therehas also been an influx of new migrants to the area.These immigrants, replacing some of the olderresidents, occupy the marginal niches of the localeconomy and tend not to re-occupy the vacated houses.They live in temporary shack-like structures on landsnot disputed by commercial interests. Indeed,in someinstances,these people are actually brought in bymerchants as a source of cheap labour. This influxcan be as high as 25% of the total population forsome of the zones surveyed within the study area.


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4.1.20 The established resident population is pressuredto leave by the commercial interests of the areawhich can thus expand their commercial propertyholding and can acquire cheaper new immigrantlabour if required. The comercial interests ofthe drea appear to take positive action to qetresidents to move out if it suits their interests,and details of a number of examples have beenassembled.4.1.21 This pressure is exerted by commercial interestseither as landowner, or building owner or some-one interested in using or acquiring the residentialproperty for commercial usage.

This is a significant and powerful factor incoming to any understanding 'of the depopulation ofthe area. A further factor is that as a result ofthis process many residents try to leave voluntarilybefore the pressures actually impinge on themdirectly. This usually takes the form of makingthemselves homeless by some means or other and seekingthe help of the public authorities in rehousing.4.1.22 It is possible, however, to classify a variety ofmethods by which the comercial interests encroachon the territory and the structures of the area,from the field survey data. In most cases the process

involves the harassment of the residents and/or adeliberate effort to destroy part of the structuresconcerned. In almost all cases, once completecontrol is obtained the buildings are demolishedor modified to suit the intended purpose. Ifnew structures replace the old, many will be illegalstructures, since only about 60 out of every 250 newstructures every year are legal; they are invariablydesigned primarily as workshop/comercial premisesrather than residential buildings.4.1.23 During 1977-79 this process of expulsion of residentsand/or loss of dwellings reached almost crisis pro-

portions, when many residents lost their homes andwere forced to squat in the mosques of the area.Details have been assembled of the occupationalbackgrounds of those residents who lived in the mosquesof the area, as a result of being made homeless throughthe process described. The majority of these peoplecame from the lower-income groups and do not representany of the most active commercial interests of the

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4.1.23

4.1.24

Cont 'area. A total of 755 heads of households wasregistered during the census of the mosquesconcerned. Assuming a family size of 5 personsthis figure represents about 3,775 people who forvarious reasons had lost their homes.Due to the pressure for expansion from commercialinterests and the interdependent character ofcommercial activity, there is little willingnesson the part of commerce to move out. This isdespite the difficulties of access and constraintson ;edevelopment of property.commercial interests dominate the study area andThus organisedand many of the existing residents are forced toleave.

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4.24.2.1-

4.2.2

4.2.3

AdministrationThe main authorities acting in the study area areas follows:-i)

ii)

U)

The Egyptian Antiquities Organisationis responsible for giving permission for anyalterations and additions to all "indexed"buildings in whosoever ownership they may be.The procedure is through the referral of suchitems to the Antiquities Organisation by theGovernorate which accepts the Antiquities Organi-sation s views in issuing a decision.Ownership of such buildings will be mainly inthe hands of the Waqf authbrities but some willbe owned by private owners and some by theAntiquities Organisation themselves. TheOrganisation is also responsible for undertakingrestoration works on such buildings and forlicensing and monitoring restoration works on"indexed" buildings undertaken by others.Waqf Authorities (Ministry of Endowments) ownslarge numbers of Islamic monuments of signi-ficance in the old city which may or may not be"indexed". For those monuments not listed, theWaqf authorities can act without reference to theAntiquities Organisation.The Governor of Cairo has the responsibility forgiving permission for new buildings and licences foralterations to existing buildings and demolitions.The Governorate is also the public authorityresponsible for the provision of public sectorhousing and social services in the area.

This system of interlocking authorities could wellwork but alas does not, The reasons for such failurecan be said to arise firstly from a critical lack oftechnical, administrative and managerial resources,and finance: secondly,from a basic lack of co-operationbetween various authorities: and thirdly,from flagrantflouting of regulations by individual buildingowners, absence of strong local community feelingson the issues, remoteness of the authorities involved,general apathy and, not least, the pressures ofcommercial expansion.The position, however, has not always been like thisover the last hundred years or so. In 1860 theresponsibility for surveying, indexing and conservingIslamic monuments was entrusted to the Comite de laConservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe. This

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4.2.3 Cont'dwas an effective,vigorous and serious professionalbody, enjoying a high reputation for the conservationof Islamic art and architecture. It controlledall indexed monuments in the area and had a stronginfluence in decisions affecting the setting of themonuments.

4.2.4 All indexed buildings were finally put under theownership of this Committee but unfortunately thisseparated the buildings from the endowments intendedto provide their financial support - the former beingin the hands of th? Committee and the latter in thehands of Waqf authorities. The system operated wellenough as long as the Committee received adequatefunds from central government. Later the respon-sibilities for the indexed monuments themselves werehanded on to the Egyptian Antiquities Organisationbut since the 195O's, inadequate funds for the taskof conservation have been available from government.

4.2.5 Moreover, the Antiquities Organisation is concernedonly with the "indexed" monuments themselves. Thereare two resultant problems. First, many importantand interesting buildings which did not have a placein its original index are being demolished, changedand vandalised by their owners without reference toany one. This is of particular significance for theresidential buildings of the area because the Committeein its original listing neglected residential buildingsgenerally. There is a strong case for a review of theindex after a hunred years in use. Secondly, thecontrol of the general development in the area cameunder the control of other bodies. To establish anyplan or planning approvals for a medieval city is adaunting task in any event and in Cairo there hadbeen a serious lack of resources to take any action.In the late 1960's the problem was studied by theGreater Cairo Planning Commission but no significantpolicies emerged.

4.2.6 More recently in the 1970's,following the adoption bythe Gcvernorate of an overall plan for the area preparedby the General Organisation for Physical Planning(GOPP), a special committee of members from all thekey bodies involved, was established for dealing withal1 applications for construction in the old city.This committee received applications for developmentfrom the Governorate for examination. If necessary theCommittee had the power to refer applications to expertsfor modification and revision and to pay the fees forthe professional work so incurred. When finallyapproved by the Committee it was returned to the

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4.2.6 Cont'dGovernorate to issue the decision. This systemceased to operate sometime in 1979 due to lack offunds.Thus,although there is need for a high level ofco-ordination and for specialist expertise inconsidering all proposals for building in thisspecial area, it does not exist,although the staffof the Governorate and the Egyptian AntiquitiesOrganisation continue to attempt to cope with thisdifficult and overwhelming workload.

4.2.7 Examples of th e damage and destruction which w as in-flicted on listed monuments are shown in Figs. 9and 10. Examples of neglect and inadequate main-tenance are shown in Fig. 11.

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BAB ZUWAI A LATE 1940s

BAB ZUWAI A OCT 1980Fig. 9 B E F O R E A ND AFTER EXAMPLES

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QUBBAT QUR QUM AZ JULY 1980

QUBBAT QURQUMAZ OCT 1980Fig. 1049

B E F O R E A N D AFTER EXAMPLES


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Madrasa of Gaml a l- D h Yusuf al-Ustdr (1408/&11)The entrance, showing advanced state of decay due to corrosion by thesalts in rising ground water.

Madrasa of Gama1 al-Dinysuf al s dr(1408/811)Interior of theentrance, showing thegaping crack in thethreshold, indicativeo f the movement causedin the foundationsby rising ground water.

Fig. 1 1 EXAMPLES OF NEGLECT50


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Mosque of Aqsunqur (1669/1080)Showing the degree of disintegration o f the paving in the prayer halland the courtyard, and the distortion of the superstructure, bothresults of the high water table.

Mosque of Aqsunqur(1669/1080)The mimbar with the top3f the mihrab behind.Note the damage causedby corrosion and thepoor techniques usedin repairing it,whichthemselves will resultin further corrosion.

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4.3- Infrastructure4.3.1 Water

4.3.2

There is a General Organisation responsible for theprovision of potable water in the city. In generalterms, the water distribution network reaches allbuildings. In many buildings one tap serves a wholebuilding and in others there is an extensive internaldistribution system providing outlets to all individualdwellings. Accurate information on the extent of thenetwork in the old city is hard to find and indeedmay not exist.However the condition of this distribution networkis poor, much of it requiring renewal and givingrise t o very high losses in distribution.SewerageThere is a General Organistion responsible for seweragesystems in the old city which consists of drains andcollecting sewers, connected to the Cairo main seweragean6 waste water system.from the condition and capacity of this system whichresult in back-flowing sewage being a recurringfeature of many parts of Old Cairo. This is offensiveto the senses, a danger t o health and a factor inthe deterioration of buildings.

There are problems arising

4.3.3 The General Organisation has launched a major schemefor the rehabilitation, improvement and developmentof the waste water system of Greater Cairo. Thiswill provide, on completion, a modern system for allparts of Cairo which will cater for the total require-ments of the city but this is a long term programme.The sewerage back-flow problems in the old city areassociated with the lower part of the town - that ison the west side adjacent to Sharia Port Said andextending inwards for about half of the width of thestudy area. The problem arises from the capacitylimits of the collecting drain in the Sharia PortSaid and the capacity of the trunk sewers from thereon.Thus a high priority task is the improvenient of theSharia Port Said collector. This would allow thedischarge from the old city to be taken off effectively.This work is expected to be completed by 1990 andlittle improvement in the situation will occur beforethat date.4.3.4 The network of drains and connections in the Ga&liya

area also will be improved by a series of minor worksand improvements over the next five years. Thusimprovements are under way.

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4.3.5 Solid WasteDisposal in the old city is undertaken by individualoperations collecting rubbish from premises for acharge and gaining further remuneration from thedisposal af reuseable material for which there is amarket. Its effectiveness in the old city is dimi-nishing for the following reasons:-

i) the amount of rubbish is increasing and itspotential value is declining.ii) congestion in the streets is making the taskdifficult.

iii) there is confusion of responsibility in thatthe municipality collects the rubbish f r a themarket areas and open spaces but not frombuildings.4.3.6 The result is that there is an accumulation of rubbishthrough the old city. There are large rubbish dumpson any unused areas of land,sometimes around themosques, and throughout the area there exist smallrubbish tips and compressed rubbish forms a topsurface to all roads.4.3.7 Roads

Traffic is concentrated on a small number of streets.The density picture based on observations and not onsurveys indicates that peak traffic density occursat the following locations:-i) Sharia Al-Azhar.

ii) the market areas.iii) the main commercial streets of ShariaXUiZZ li-Din Allah and Sharia BabAl-Nasr..

4.3.8 From this superficial analysis it is contended that:-i) the Sharia Al-Azhar route must be accepted andits disruption to the users of the area mini-mised. The capacity of this route must not beincreased through the intrcduction of any highlevel road.

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4.3.8 Cont'dii) congestion in the market and commercialstreets may have to be accepted as aself regulating system.

iii) no programme of new road constructionwithin the area generally chou12 beenvisaged.iv) traffic management schemes should beencouraged to achieve the best resultsfrom the existing network and the speedand size of vehicles traversing the areashould be limited.v) no further cross routes should strikethrough the area nor any increasedcapacity encouraged on the existing crossroutes.

R.3.9 The surfaces between buildings fall into thefollowing categories:-i) Numerous Internal Courts within buildinggroups are extensive and' varied. Theircondition relates entirely to that of the

buildings around them. Such courts must beviewed as an integral part of the buildingand treated as such.ii) Streets and Paths are important as the mainareas of public activity. Although originallyin the main built as stone paved roads - whichthey still are underneath the layer of rubbish -they are neglected. Until civic pride and thedemand of the local population require i t thenthey will remain in this state. Their improve-ment will only come with the general improvementof the area.

in the valley at Cairo consist.3.1 O Sub-Surf ace C O ~ - J ~of clay surface layer lm - 4m thick over sands of upto 100m depth. Each has its own water table and eachbehaves independently,affected by different factors(see Fig.12). The cla y layer gains water from rain,leaking water mains, sewerage and drainage pipes andalso surface water. When the top layer is saturatedany further, water remains on the surface. Thenatural drainage is impeded by the dense developmentin the area. Furthermore, higher land to the east

. .

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Sat Urat edTayClay1 - 4m

Sandsup to100m.

4 b

Pressure

Long terin investigationof pattern of behaviourof water in this strataunderway

I4-

L

This level rising and inmany places 'X' is less than lm

Ground WaterSource :Nile feedinginto ground

Pressure

i '

Fig. 12 GROUND WATER55


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4.3.10 Cont'ddrains into the old city, with increasing populationcreating more water. The sand strata gainsits water from the Nile river and ground watersources. This ground water level has risen over theyears and its level is complicated to determinebecause of pressure zones within the strata. Aprogramme of longterm research on the behaviour ofwater in this strata is under way by the Ministry ofIrrigation and the Academy of Scientific Research.in places the water table in the sands comes close tothe underside of the clay layer. Due to pressure,if the clay layer is pierced, water sometimes risesinto (and perhaps even above) the clay layer, thuscontributing further to this saturation.(See Fig.12).

4.3.11 Repair works to piped services will only affect thesaturation of the surface clay layer zone. The watertable of the sand strata will remain.

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5.1 Present State of Buildings5.1.1 Two factors may be adduced to have contributed-

as much as any to the present dilapidated stateof buildings in the old city:i) The decline in the practice of thetraditional buildinq technology withinthe area.

Builders and their clients alike wereaware that the building methods were suchas to necessitate constant vigilance andrepair. The substitution of importedtechnologies led to two deleterious results:a) the new materials were used over thetop of, or as substitutes for the oldmaterials, e.g. the use of cementplaster to patch lime or gypsum plasters.Whereas the older materials had agreat capacity to absorb the effects .of diurnal or seasonal expansions orcontractions, cement - a much harder,more brittle material - does notpossess these qualities. Thus eitherit cracked away from the other materialsor a plethora of cracking took place

within the area of cement plaster. Ineither case the protective purpose ofthe layer of plaster was destroyed.b) the imported technological innovations werenot conceived in terms of continuousvigilance and repair but were supposedto last for many years. The habit ofannual inspection and repair wasgradually lost and the acceptedtraditional method of continuous main-tenance as a fundamental aspect of theownership of any building was forgotten.

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The presence of deleterious forces did notexist more than thirty years ago. Themost serious of these is the high watertable. It used to be accepted that thebuildings in the Middle East were dry atground level an2 often dry even in sirdabsor basement rooms. But with the migrationof large numbers of people into the urbancentres and the introduction of pipedwater supplies and waterborne sewerage,this situation changed drastically. Thislavish use of water, which was often im-perfectly drained, meant that water be5anto accumulate in the ground within t heurban areas.

5.1.2 Before 1950 the water table was over one and ahalf metres below ground level in the old city.Capillary attraction rarely drew the dampnessup to the height of the foundation walls toabove ground level, Since the dampness in thewall did not come within reach of the oxygenirl the atxcsphezc, trny acids it might have con-tained had little chance to form salts which,because of their expanding volume, could breakup the materials of the wall.5.1.3 However with the water table now almost atground level, the capillary attraction up intothe hitherto dry porous materials of the masonryaboye ground is considerable, reaching on manyoccasions heights of 4 or 5 metres and in extremecases heights of up to 10 metres above ground(see Fig. 13). Th e acids in the ground water,more concentrated now because of sewerageleakage, interact with chemicals in the masonryand with the oxygen in the air at the wall face.This interaction forms salts which reduce thestrength of the material and continuously spa11

off the surface, until the whole of the fabricis destroyed to the height which the groundwater can reach. -

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Capillary attraction1 -

HATER TRBLE

I f

A) Situation before c:1965 in old citycapillary attraction seldom led waterto above ground level where interactionof acids in water with oxygen in aircould produce salts which would destroymasonry.

metres

(-Capillary of watar. attraction

- 2p cm4-- ---Y-. .

BI Situation c:1975 - 1980 in old cityhigh water table mea ns increasingheight of capillary attraction fromi f metres upwardsResulting salts are destroying masonry,mortar and plaster. above ground level.

Fig. 13 FOUNDATIONS61


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5.1.4 It is ironic that in such a relatively dryclimate as that of Cairo, it is water whichdoes so much damage. In fact the drynessaccelerates the problem, draining any water thatis within the building to the outer surfacetogether with the salts which it contains.Water enters the fabric in two ways: rainwaterfrom above through the inadequately maintainedroofs, and water rising from the ground below.Although the rain falls during only a shortperiod of the year, its effects are magnifiedin Cairo by the following factors:i) Accumulation of dust on surfaces: thisdust has its own chemical reaction withoxygen going on without the presence ofwater and is often highly acid. Oncerain has dissolved these acids damage tosurfaces beneath can be considerable ina short time.ii) Lack of maintenance of the roofs leavesan expose8 layer of clay, th e latterbeing part of the traditional constructiontechnique until recent times (see Fig. 14).With rain this becomes saturated andremains damp in its lower layers long afterthe rains have ceased and the upper layers

have dried out. The lower layers in turnare in contact with the wooden beam andplank construction of the ceiling whichsupports t he roof.then become damp and rot is produced inthe upper, hidden surfaces of the wood.Often the first that inhabitants of thebuilding know of the rottenness of theroof structure is when it collapses.Damage to irreplaceable decorations ofhistoric monuments through the same causesis widespread.

These wooden members

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Traditional hard waterproofcompacted plaster annually RAINchecked for crackinq and maintained. Patches of damage or erodedplaster (due to lack of maintenance).

Exposed clay layerweathering rapidly.I

DETERIORATION STAGES FROM LEFT TO RIGRT

Fig. 14 ROOFS

Rain penetrating through cracksand joints in top stones.

,Decaying and cracked plaster.

&-Water logged stones disintegrating:hrough acid action in dampnessformtng salt at surface at contactpy;;--,IIith air.


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e-,r -.. e-,r -a:

NOTESOriginal roof of plaster over a clay layer wasrepaired every year before'the rainy season.Lack of maintenance allowed clay layer tobecome waterlogged and dissolve, leading todecay of wooden beams and eventual collapse.Once water penetrated onto internal floor decayand disintegration is accelerated, owing tolack of any provision for waterproofing..Building becomes uninhabitable, as upper floorscollapse filling lower levels with debris anddust. Low price fixed rents discourage ownersfrom making any repairs.Finally building is temporarily waterproofedat first floor lev21 to safeguard high rentsfrom ground floor shops.

Fig. 16 BUILDING DECAY64


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iii) Lack of maintenance of parapets crowningthe walls leads to the introduction ofwater into the clay core which is part ofthe traditional technique of constructionin old Cairo ( see Fig. 15). The clay isdissolved and flows down within t he wall,leaving a void which can result in crackingand eventually in collapse.At the same time the dampness induced inthe upper walls brings salts due to thepresence of acids in the rain and the dust:these can disfigure the wall and inducecorrosion of the masonry or plastersurfaces. It should be pointed out thatgypsum and lime plasters and mortars, thetraditional building materials, are parti-cularly susceptible to corrosion by theacids contained in both rainwater andrising damp. The strength of the plastersand mortars is reduced almost to nothing,and th e materials become powdery. Hencethe marble revetments of so many Cairomosques and fine Mameluke and Ottomanhouses have come loose from the walls andfallen to the ground. And there arecountless other effects of this lesseningof the binding strength of the buildingmaterials. The use of cement to repairsuch damage only makes matters worse. Th ealkali in cement prodices much worsechemical reactions with the acidic groundwater or rainwater if they can reach it,e.g. if there is dampness behind or belowthe cement. Low alkali cement isavailable but it is rarely used by buildersas it has to be specially obtained and ismore expensive.

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5.2-

iv) The collapse of the upper storeys of thehouses: lack of maintenance of the roofsleads to the collapse of the roof beamsas already explained. Should the inhabitantsof a dwelling then abandon the topmostfloor but continue to live in the floorsbelow they lose their ceilings even morequickly because the floor surfaces abovewere not meant to be weather resistant.Very soon other storeys collapse until theground floor ceiling is reached. At thispoint the progressive decay has often beenstopped because there are lucrative shopsor workshops at ground level, and ratherthan lose these premises and the resultantrents, the owners have usually been preparedto go to considerable lengths to providewaterproof protection of the ground floor.

VI In this way more than half the old buildingsin Cairo now survive only up to the firststorey floor level (see Fig. 16).

Building Conservation5.2.1 Faced with the problem of some 450 indexed monu-ments of cultural and historic significancewithin the study area, it became necessary toestablish some form of priority or grading systemin order to allow the scale of the problem tobe reduced to manageable proportions. Thedangers of establishing any priority system atall are that it can be inferred that monumentslow on the list are condemned to lack of attention,

rapid deterioration and even destruction. Thisis not the intention even though, regrettably,in some instances this may well be the result. Theneed for a system of priorities springs fromseeking to gain the maximum benefit from theresources available.

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5.2.2 Assuming for the moment that all 450 monumentswere of the same size and condition and that onaverage each required the expenditure of LE 1Mto effect its basic restoration, a total of someLE 450 million would be required. This givessome measure of the scale of the problem onextremely crude assumptions. It would be verysimple to deploy an argument that the totalshould be very much higher.

5.2.3 From published government budget figures, thetotal budget of the Egyptian Antiquities Organi-sation for 1979 was LE 3.5M to cover all runningcosts and all capital expenditure on all themonuments in Egypt (Pharaonic, Islamic, Copticand Graeco-Roman). No more than a quarter ofthis sum would be directed to Islamic monuments,say LE lM, although in addition there aresums being expended on Islamic mcnuments by theWaqf authorities and various national institutesinvolved in restoration programmes. Assumingthat this amounts to a further LE 1M,the totalfigure expended on the restoration of Islamicmonuments in the old city is LE 2M.This contains a large margin of error, but evenif the total were understated by 100% the gapbetween this figure and the initial estimate ofthe minimum required is enormous. Thus if theavailable resources were spread amongst all themonuments the impact on any single one wouldbe infinitesimal. The argument therefore isto concentrate resources to achieve somethingworthwhile on fewer monuments.

5.2.4 Successful restoration is also the means of in-creasing the total resources. If conservationof any monuments is successfully undertaken itstimulates attention, establishes confidence infurther conservation work and hopefully stimulatesthe inflow of financial aid. Thus th e need toestablish a priority system is inescapable.

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5.2.5 The monuments listed in the Index contain anumber of wellknown buildings in current usewhich are in no immediate danger of disappearingand which would be regarded by everyone as majormonuments of Cairo. They are sprinkledthroughout the city forming its landmarks.For th e moment they are not "at risk". Thetotal of such buildings may well be only some2% or 3% of the total number, say 10 - 20buildings. This leaves some 420 other indexedbuildings in the area.Five groups of monuments were selected for placingin this catego.ry. These were:1. The northern gates and al-Hkim Mosque,2. Al-Azhar Mosque and its appendage buildings,3. The Citadel,4. Sultan Hasan Mosque, and the other monuments5. Ibn Tln Mosque and the buildings Unme-It must be emphasized that all the monumentsshould receive the full protection accorded to"indexed" buildings. But in terms of receivingpositive attention there must be some prioritysystem to direct effort and resources in a firstphase of an emergency conservation drive andwhen this is successful to move on to a secondphase.

around the Maydn al-Qal'a,diately relating t o it.

5.2.6 Because of the uniform distribution of themonuments throughout much of the fabric of theold city, as shown in Fig. 17, it was determinedthat some strategy should be adopted to help indeciding which buildings most merited immediateaction for conservation. Unless there iscareful selection of the monuments into whichimmediate action and funds are directed, theirvalue to the community, and to future programmesof conservation will be dissipated, and ultimatelymay prove ineffective.


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Fig, 17MONUMENTS OF THE STUDY AREA I I I Io 250 500 710 1000 metres69


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5.2.7

5.2.8

It was also felt to be extremely important thatthis choice should be related to the vulnerabilityof the urban context in which the buildings weresituated. Major monuments in close proximityto each other were in addition felt to be mutuallyenhancing. These and a wide range of othercriteria were used in the selection process.The most important of these criteria may besummarised as follows:i) the degree to which the building is asignificant monument in architecturalor cultural history;ii) the quality of its original design;iii) the aesthetic quality of its.visualappearance and character today, particularlyin-terms of its authentic mellowness andthe patina of aging;iv) the completeness of the surviving buildingin comparison with the scope and nature ofits original design;V) the extent to which the mediaeval settingand context survives;vi) the vulnerability of the monument or itscontext to irreversible change in the nearfuture;vii) the degree to which it clusters with othermonuments worthy of a relatively highpriority for conservation;viii) the seriousness of the condition of itsfabric and decoration relative to itsimportance ;ix) the cost of bringing the building back t oa reasonable state of repair and visualappearance.Using these criteria, a map was prepared of thecentral strip of the mediaeval city indicatingthose buildings which had achieved the highestrating (Fig. 18). Although a widespreadscattering of monuments still remained, it becameapparent that certain of the high-prioritymonuments formed natural groups or clusters whichcould be taken as the basis for further studies.


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Fig. 18 MONUMENT SELECTION71


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Fig. 18A. MO NU ME NT SELECTION72


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Fig. 18 B M ON U ME NT SELECTION73


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Fig. 18 C MO NU ME NT SELECTtON74


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Fig. 180 MO NU ME NT SELECTION75


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5.2.9 As the accuracy of the assessment of these criteriain relation to each building was fundamental tothe subsequent decisions in .this study, th e judg-ments involved were not left solely to the membersof the mission who prepared t he report, but alsoinvolved consultation with a number of distinguishedarchitectural historians, architects and otherexperts, both Egyptian and foreign.

5.2.10 Six clusters of monuments have been selected toform a first phase of an emergency programme.These are considered to form potential conservationand rehabilitation zones and are spaced out atalmost equal distances between the northern gatesand Ibn Tln Mosque, each focussing on a singlestreet about 250 metres long. Each group isthus tightly integrated, yet they are so spacedapart that their upgrading may have the maximumimpact on the whole of the central area of theold city.

5.2.11 The numbers of indexed monuments in the clustersis as follows:Cluster123456

No. of Indexed Monuments13149131612

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5.2.12 One or more of the following considerationsled the team to adopt this decision in each case:i) the need to focus action on those areasthought to be most vulnerable:ii) the desire to limit the scope of thespecial action recommended over the nextfive years t o reasonable and manageableproport ions ;iii) the extent to which the group was independentof the living fabric of the old city:iv) the degree to which the group was already

so well maintained, protected or otherwiseless liable to be seriously threatenedby decay during the next five years.5.2.13 It is important to stress the urgency with whichaction in these six clusters should begin -without further delay if the built fabric is tobe saved. It is recommended that it is withinthese areas that all available resources andeffort should be concentrated. In the case of adisaster befalling the rest of the old city, itshould be possible within these zones to perceivethe image of mediaeval Cairo and to experienceits atmosphere.5.2.14 The great majority of t he remaining classifiedmonuments warrant ufgent conservation no lessthan the monuments within the clusters. TheAntiquities organisation'.^ powers should be con-solidated and str engthenedto deal with the restof the monuments in the study area. This isnecessary both financially and in relationshipto other departments.

In summary the conservation strategy for importantbuildings and their setting can be stated asfollows:-i) the index must be reviewed and revised:

5.2.15

ii) the existing procedures for indexed buildingsiii) key monuments, buildings and landmarks

must be strengthened:throughout the old city must be retained,restored and enhanced through the normalprocedures;

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5.35.3.1

5.3.2

5.3.3

iv) redevelopment of sites up to existingplot-boundaries and up to existing heightsto be permitted;VI six clusters of important buildings areto receive priority treatment over anemergency period of five years.

Priority ZonesThe policy of conservation cannot be isolatedfrom the acceptance of change. The continuityof the traditional way of life in the study areamust be taken into account as far as possible.All conservation and rehabilitation schemes, aswell as the inclusion of new buildings, willtake this factor into consideration. Of primeimportance is the preservation of the physicalcontext, as well as the selected monuments.Each cluster of monuments therefore provides afocus for defining pri0rit.y zones which inckuderehabilitation, upgrading as well as conservation.Once the six clusters of monuments were identifiedas part of the conservation strategy, all buildingsin the vicinity were examined in order to definethe potential extent of each zone. An environ-mental assessment of each zone was carried out,analysing the existing character by means ofdiagrams and sketches (as illustrated throughoutthis report). From this and other relevantfactors, the extent of the six zones was defined(see Fig. 19).The Six ZonesThe six priority zones are defined as follows,together with their general character:

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rlalONOUalC4OIJ]Cc1

cA. ZONES ONE AND TWO

FootBridge9FootBridge7:: l Azhar

B. ZONE THREE

9

C. ZONE FOUR

%

Fish'Harket!i

Viewsof theOpen Space Citadel.

E. ZONE SIX6. ZONE SIXFig. 19 STRUCTURE OF ZONES

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5.3*4 Zones One and Two (see Fig. 20) are interlinkedby narrow streets as well as a number of indivi-dual and small gr oups-of historic buildings worthyof conservation. Of particular significanceis the Midan Bayt Al-QCr which acts as a stronglink between the two zones.

5.3.5 Zone One centered on Sharia al -Mukzz 1 i- DinAllah covers the heart of Fatimid Cairo and isthe site of the former Fatimid palaces, which werereplaced by other major buildings during theAybid and Mameluk periods. Historically thezone demonstrates the development of the typicalCairene madrasa-mosque with attached mausoleumof the founder. Major public buildings andcommercial structures prevail, with shop-fronts often obstructing the view of importantmonuments. Due to the vicinity of Khan al-KhalilF and the Sharia al-Azhar, this zone isthe most frequented tourist area and, with itsunique architectural heritage, represents a"showcase" of Islamic Cairo.

5.3.6 Zone Two centered on Sharia al-Gamliya representsone of the finest and most homogeneous streetscenes of the old city. It includes fine wakallasand sabil-kuttabs on the north-south spine ofFsimid Cairo, leading from Bab al-Nagr to theshrine of Hussein.centre for the adjacent housing districts whichare accessible through the many lanes branchingoff from the spine.contains the buildings of the Mameluk Sultan al-Ghoury and a series of traditional suqs. Theseoriginally extended from the Sharia Muski south-wards until the Mu'ayyad-complex (Zone 4) andwere cut by the Sharia al-Azhar.close to the Sharia Hamm'm al-Ma@aja is avegetable market which acts as a local focus forthe surrounding area. Further east,the-Al-Azharmosque is adjacent to this zone, both a majortourist attraction and an important religiouscentre.

The street is also a sub-

5.3*7 Zone Three (see Fig. 21) centered around the Ghouriya

To the east

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Historic buildings to be restored(both isted and unlisted)N e w buildings on vacantor dilapidatedsites requiring themtal control ofdesign.Substantial building which are likelyto remain forrome time. In need ofsurfacetreatment control eg. colour,texiure, etc) with eventual designcontrol when retuilding takes place. '

Sas nd buildings adiacent to monu-ments, requiring control over methodsof abutrnena nd co nm ud on .Buildings in need of heightcontrol inthe vicinity of thezones (eg. in orderto safeguard impottant views).

'Exrent of pavedarea.

N.B. Scalesto figurar vary.

Fig. 20 ZONE AND 281


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mU

citesand buildings adjacentto monu-ments, requiring control over methodsof abutments and cornmiction.Buildings in need of heightcontrol inthe vicinity of thezonas (eg. n orderto safeguard imporunt vim).Extentof paved ama.

Historicbuildingsto be restod(bothlisted and unlisted)New aiildingson vacant or dilapidatedd m equiring the total controlofSubstantial buildingswhich are likelyto remain forsom e time. In need ofsurfacetreatment control leg. colour.texaire, tc)with wentual designcontrol wh en rebuilding takesplaca.

*

N.B. Scales tofiwm vary.

/

\-

Fig. 21 ZONE 382


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5.3.8 Zone Four (see Fig. 22) is centered roundBab Zuweila, the southern gate of the Fsimidcity, linking the old walled city with itssouthern extensions. immediately south of th egate, the spine features a unique sequence inthe old city, from the small open space outsidethe gate to the covered street of th e TentMakers, Due to industrial activities nearbythis zone suffers from the impact of heavyvehicular traffic. and contains many dilapidatedand abandoned plc -s.5.3.9 Zone Five (see F g. 23) stretches along theSharia Bab al-Wazrr, a section of the streetrunning from Bab Zuweila to the Citadel, which

is itself a ramification of the main north-southspine of Islamic Cairo. This street has keptmuch more of its traditional character than th emain spine south of Bab Zuweila. With severalMameluk mosques and mausoleums projectingdiagonally into the street space and with somefine specimens of traditional housing structuressu rvivingt he area offers an important potentialfor rehabilitation. This zone includes a numberof modern housing blocks and a large irregularopen space behind the Blue Mosque which is usedas a youth centre. Vehicular traffic is lessof a problem than in the other zones, althoughlarge buses operating. n this spine oftencause congestion.5.3,lQ Zone Six (see Fig. 24) contains a fine sequknceof Mameluk and Ottoman monuments on the roadleading from Ibn ? l k Mosque to the Citadel.The zone is crossed by the main north-southspine leading from Bab Zuweila to the cemeteryof Saida N af h a, and offers therefore possi-bilities of future extension. More than anyother zone it has suffered from the impact ofchange and redevelopment, due to the fact that

Sali'ba Road is today a major traffic artery.To the northeast there are fine views of tlieC'itadel.

a3


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Historic buildingsto be restored(bothlistad and unlisted)Ne w buildings on vacantor dilapidatedrites requiring the totalcomrol ofdesign.Sustantial kiildings which are likelyto remain for some time. In need ofsurfacetreatment control (eg. olour,texture, tc) with eventual designcontrol when rebuilding taka place. '

UFig. 22 ZONE 4

iI

7 ,

7Oulcy

/I

Sites and buildings adjacent to monu-mens. requiringcontrolover methodsoi skiunennaand construction.uildlngs in need of eight Comrol inthe vicinity of the zonas eg.in orderU o safeguard importantWewt.Extent of paved area.

N.E. :;ales to figures ary.

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UHistoric buildings to be restored(both isted and unlisted)N e w buildings on vacant or dilapidatedsites requiring the total controlofdesign.Substantial buildings which are likelyto remain for some ime. in need of Isurface treatment control eg. colour,texmre, tc) with eventual designcomol when rebuildingtakes place. '

Sites and buildings adjacentto monu-ments. requiring controlover methodsof hmen to nd construction..Buildings in need of height control inthe vicinity of the zones (ag. in ordsr.U o safeguard important views).Extentof paved area.

N.E. Scales to figures ary.

Fig. 23 ZONE 585


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Historic buildingsto be restored(both lined and u n l M lm .ew buildings o n v m t r dilrpidatadsites requiring thetom1control ofdesign.Substantial buildings which are likelyto remainfor some time. In need ofa i r f a treatment control leg. colour.texmre, tc)with eventual designcomrol when ?bildins takes plm.

Stasand buildings adjacent to rnonu-rnene, equiring control over methodsof a b u m nd construction.Buildings in nead of heightcontrol inthe vicinity of the zones eg. n orderU o safeguard imporrant viewrl.Extent of paved area.

N.B. Scales to figJres very.

Fig. 24 ZONE 686


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5.3.11 General Categories of TreatmentFive categories of treatment were identifiedwithin. he zones:i) historic buildings to be restoEed(both listed and unlisted);ii) new buildings on vacant or dilapidatedsites requiring the total control ofdesign;iii) substantial buildings which are likelyto remain for some time, in need ofexternal surface treatment, internal

upgrading and provision of new services;iV) sites and buildings adjacent to monuments,requiring control over methods of abut-ment and construction;V) buildings in need of height control inthe vicinity of the zones.

5.3.12 It is importa

antoniou_unesco_the conservation of the old city of cairo

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