No easy task

For the first time ever, a Cairo symposium brought together UNESCO experts, archaeologists, restorers, architects and urban developers from all over the world to evaluate historic Cairo's conservation effort. Nevine El-Aref sounds out their views
Whenever the word Al-Qahira (Cairo) is uttered, certain images spring to mind: the thousand-year-old mosque of Al-Azhar, Salaheddin Citadel and Al-Muizz Street, with its Islamic mosques, markets, domed mediaeval houses and soaring minarets.
Time, however, has taken a heavy toll on these historic edifices. Misuse by the inhabitants has caused irreparable harm, environmental pollution has undermined foundations and the 1992 earthquake has left its apparent marks on the threatened historical zone.
The ambitious Historic Cairo Restoration Programme, launched four years ago to rescue the city's splendour, has evoked negative responses from a number of historians, archaeologists and architects. Accusing the Ministry of Culture of shoddy restoration, they signed two petitions criticising the methods and materials used in the process and sent them to Mrs Suzanne Mubarak.
This week, a symposium was held to respond to the charges and outline the status of current restoration work. At the opening of the International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Islamic Cairo, organised by the Culture Ministry in collaboration with UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, cultural minister Farouk Hosni said:
"Our philosophy stems from the fact that this unique city has been shaped over various historical periods, and it has been crucial to redress the afflictions that have debilitated it as a result of the vicissitudes of its long history and also the infringements of successive generations of inhabitants. Such transgressions have been due to the pressing need to gain a livelihood, impelling individuals to encroach upon the monuments. The rationale behind the current conservation efforts in Historic Cairo -- which are to restore and conserve the monuments, upgrade the area, and turn the whole into an open air museum -- depend on a new outlook.
It embraces the entire city with its diverse architecture and history. We are dealing with the various parts of the city as one indivisible whole. Our conception of conservation has recently materialised in linking North Cairo with South Cairo by means of twin tunnels running under Al-Azhar Street. Their construction was the outcome of in-depth studies conducted by professionals mindful of the reality of the monuments and the result of international know-how which drew on the expertise of foreign missions operating in Egypt. We deemed it necessary that these two sources of practical knowledge be incorporated with the Egyptian school in restoration methodology".
The symposium, which set out to offer viable solutions for the perceived problem areas, evoked heated arguments among participants, especially from the attending signatories of the petition signed last August, which criticised the techniques and materials used on restoration. Some earlier criticisers of the restoration techniques had a chance to revise their views:
"When I came here last February," said Caroline Williams, corresponding secretary for the Committee for the Preservation of Islamic Monuments in Cairo (CPIMC), and one of the organisers of the petition, "it seemed to me that restoration was in the hands of contractors and that there was no supervision by the Supreme Council of Antiquities [SCA]. Now I have changed my mind. I have re-visited the monuments and it looks like there is a new dawn for Islamic Cairo."
According to Gunter Meyer, a Middle East researcher and a signatory to the petition, the open letter sent to Mrs Mubarak expressed concern that the efforts at restoration could result in damage to Cairo's architectural and urban heritage, because, "after years of neglect, efforts are being made to save all the monuments at once."
Some people, however, were less than happy with the course of discussions. Saleh Lamei, director of the Centre for Conservation and Preservation of the Islamic Architectural Heritage and member of the executive committee of ICOMOS, UNESCO's main adviser in matters of heritage conservation and protection, said he was extremely disappointed. "I thought it would be a debate among professionals and academics to save this immortal heritage. But, on the contrary, it has turned out to be a forum to praise the work carried out by the Ministry of Culture."
Admitting that some useful ideas were presented to remedy past blunders, he said he still believed that historic Cairo's preservation called for much better management and coordination between the various official bodies involved in the programme -- the Ministries of Culture, Housing and Infrastructure, Waqfs (religious endowments) and the Cairo governorate.
Flemming Aalund, an independent architect who took part in the August ICOMOS monitoring tour, spoke about the need for cautious restoration of the monuments to ensure maintaining their authenticity. Attention should be paid to preserving quality, age and the patina of the monuments. "If the marble on a mosque floor is worn, it should not be polished to look new because it will lose the quality it has gained over time," he said. In many restoration cases, he said, much less could have been done for a better effect.
"The work carried out is superb in a technical sense, but I feel that perhaps more attention should be paid to the spirituality of the monument itself. A technician would not be required to do that, but an architect would. It is a skill that can only be achieved through training and experience. More interaction with the building is needed for a better understanding of its intrinsic beauty and aura," Aalund said.
Aalund highlighted the importance of having a clear idea of what the monument would be used for after restoration. "This is a decision that should be taken before restoration, not after it, as is the case now," he said.
A point stressed at the symposium was that restoration should be based on the premise that these monuments are living entities inhabited by people who must remain a part of the total environment.
"Skilled workers and their handicraft stores are essential to the distinct character of old Cairo and the government is keen on settling craftsmen in their original locations, but in a manner that complements the area," Hosni said. "Workers whose small enterprises adversely affect the monuments will be transferred elsewhere unless they change their activities. In this case, the government will help their labourers and provide them with training courses and materials for the new business. We want to give back the area the silk market, the tent market and other enterprises that are part of the Islamic heritage."
A group of experts, including Lamei, are working to establish an NGO named "Friends of Historic Cairo," which is expected to raise inhabitants' awareness of the historical importance of the areas in which they live. The group also aims to teach them to participate in conservation and help them adapt their professions to the needs of the areas.
A report prepared by a monitoring mission of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which visited Cairo last August, was discussed at the symposium. It outlined that although the work was "very impressive," the rate at which restoration and conservation was being carried out posed a risk to some monuments. The report outlined that undertaking the work at such a rapid pace could create difficulties in maintaining the delicate balance between the current needs of a fast- growing urban community and respect for the area's unique heritage value.
Two examples were given: the Sarghatmish and the Gamaleddin El-Ustadar Mosques. The former was criticised as having been subjected to "overnight cleaning of the facade with sand abrasive under high pressure ... (which) has destroyed delicate detailing in the stone masonry... New marble panelling is being applied in the interior of the courtyard (although) no elements remain of the original dado."
Apropos the latter, El-Ustadar mosque, the report made an analogous evaluation: "The installation (in the water basin) of built-in light fixtures according to the whims of an electrical engineer is out of place and not acceptable." The report described the water basin as "a modern Jacuzzi."
In response, Abdalla El-Attar, head of the Islamic and Coptic departments of the SCA, said, "The lighting installed in the water-basin of the El-Ustadar mosque, was designed to illuminate the marvelous decorative work." And as for the Sarghatmish mosque, Gaballa Ali Gaballa, then secretary general of the SCA, said that it was restored according to the documents containing the description of the mosque left by Mr Sarghatmish himself, in which he described the marble.
"As for the wooden panels of Sarghatmish's mosque, these were a technique used in Islamic monuments to separate and consolidate the marble," he said. "In any case, we are not here to defend ourselves. We are here to conduct a scientific dialogue, between professionals, on what has been done, and how to best conserve our immortal heritage."
"I would liken what is happening today in historic Cairo to a laboratory," said Francesco Bandarin, director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. "The Ministry of culture is currently working on the restoration of 50 monuments. But the effort to preserve Cairo's Islamic heritage will only be achieved through trial and error. We must learn from our mistakes. It is not an easy task, as it involves a wide range of complex problems and different interrelated activities. But it gives us the opportunity to study and learn as we go along."
Cairo Declaration for Conservation and Preservation of Islamic Sites
The following recommendations were drawn up by participants in the International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Islamic Cairo, based on the reports of the rapporteurs of the various sessions as well as on the contributions of the experts.
ïThat the Institutional framework and coordination mechanisms among the various concerned authorities for Historic Cairo be strengthened, taking into account the special character and complexity of the site.
ïThat Historic Cairo be designated as a Special Planning District, with buffer zones, in accordance with the prescriptions of the Operational Guidelines or the implementation of the World Heritage Conservation.
ïThat a comprehensive Urban Plan for the Conservation and Development of the Old City be prepared, whereby the conservation of historic buildings would be accompanied by appropriate development regulations to encourage the rehabilitation of the urban fabric so as to ensure its compatibility with the historic character of Historic Cairo.
ïThat particular attention be paid to ensure the vernacular character of the built stock, and that special emphasis be put on its rehabilitation.
ïThat the authorities continue their present efforts to improve the water supply, sewerage and road surfaces networks, whose dilapidation was recognised as a major cause for the deterioration of the historic city.
ïThat the governorate pay special attention in its planning for the old city of Cairo, to its status of World Heritage site and to the prescriptions contained in the Convention and its Operational Guidelines.
ïThat the trend, emerged recently, whereby appropriate and compatible functions for non-religious historic buildings and future management mechanisms are determined, in consultation with all concerned parties, before starting any restoration works on monument, be institutionalised.
ïThat adequate resources be invested in capacity building and training in the area of architectural conservation and traditional craftsmanship.
ïThat periodic monitoring and follow up to these recommendations be ensured in the form of regular meetings among Egyptian and International experts on current projects and overall policies for the conservation of Historic Cairo.
Recommend this page
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Send a letter to the Editor