Street is deserving of commemoration and restoration, pleads Soheir Hawas* "" Street has a long history and a valuable heritage value that makes it deserving of commemoration and restoration. The historic, symbolic and urban values of this street and numerous others in Khedivian Cairo are of momentous importance to the preservation of our heritage. Decision makers should consider heritage streets and areas as top priorities in urban upgrade projects. The historical value of the street The vision of the street's construction dates back to the time of the rule of Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt. The aim was to link "El Qalaa" square to "Azbakeya". Its actual construction dates to 1872, during the reign of Khedive Ismail. Its symbolic value The symbolism behind the street came from being identified as the "Culture Street" of Cairo. It swarmed with printing houses and bookstores and was frequented by the famous patrons of culture, poets, writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, like Hafez Ibrahim, Ahmed Ramy, Naguib Mahfouz and others. It was also called "Journalism Street", due to the presence of several printing houses. "" St. came to be a refuge for journalism and journalists. Its fame as a street of entertainment sprang from its proximity to the Azbakeya area, where entertainment activities were plentiful. That explains why musicians, dancers and other artists preferred to reside there. Its urban value The street was planned as a straight line in an area of winding urban tissue consisting of very winding and irregular roads, dead ends and narrow alleyways. Thus, it played a remarkable role in modernizing the features of the area, forming a decisive line separating old and new Cairo. It resembled "Rue Tivoli" in Paris, to which Khedive Ismail took a liking during his visit to France. On August 1, 1896, '" St. witnessed the operation of the first cable car in Egypt. For a period of 84 years, it crisscrossed the street on a daily basis. "" Street in jeopardy "" St. is currently suffering a crisis. It is losing its unique urban character due to various social , economic and architectural reasons. This crisis threatens its very identity and that of every building regarded as heritage. Such buildings are being lost one after the other. Regrettably, a lack of maintenance and awareness of the significance of its buildings, as well as the presence of an unharmonious mixture of modern mixed with classic architectural design, is now a hallmark of this revered street. The construction laws applied to this street are the same ones applied to other non-heritage buildings. No exceptions are made to preserve this unique street. What is left now is a neglected, dismally small number of buildings that fail to revive the memories of its previous glory. As one of Cairo's most important historical streets, it should be subject to conservation concepts with special construction stipulations. The aim should be to preserve it as an open monument district that constitutes a living record of an important segment of Cairo's history. Revival of St.'s memory As part of the campaign for the revival of "" St's and the preservation of its memory, an attempt was made to document the street architecturally, and to reconstruct the design of its façade. Facades for its entire length of 2 km. were drawn, to ensure and bring out its heritage value. A study was also made to decide which of its remaining buildings were monuments worth preserving. Thirty seven such monuments of heritage were found. The traditional crafts that are still in existence and are struggling through changing times, like zincographic crafts, making traditional music instruments, and their repair shops have been documented and recorded as well. The traditional coffee shops still spread along the street at nearly uniform intervals have also been recorded. There is a strategic value to the call for the conservation of "" St. Focusing on the historical, symbolic and architectural importance of the street would provide a framework for the social, cultural and economic development of the local community. Encouraging community support and cooperation would ensure the street's preservation as a national heritage. * The writer is Deputy Chair of the National Organization of Urban Harmony.
