An Egyptian official’s retraction of his resignation regarding the “demolition of heritage” is causing controversy
An Egyptian official’s retraction of his resignation from the chairmanship of the permanent committee for listing buildings and facilities with a distinguished architectural style in the eastern region of Cairo sparked controversy on social media, especially with the continued criticism of the demolition of tombs described as “heritage” in the Imam Al-Shafi’i area in Cairo.
Burial in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The controversy began with a post on Facebook, last Thursday, by Dr. Ayman Wanas, a professor of urban and environmental design, in which he announced his resignation from the chairmanship of the committee, in protest against the continued demolition and removal of the tombs of Imam al-Shafi’i and Mrs. Nafisa, including a copy of the handwritten text of the resignation stating that he “He submitted his resignation due to the ineffectiveness of the committee’s work in registering buildings of heritage value for the purpose of preserving them due to their value stipulated in Law No. 144 of 2006, in light of the current demolition and removal of heritage cemeteries of architectural, urban and historical value in Cairo.”
The Egyptian Prime Minister in front of the tomb of Ahmed Orabi in a previous tour (Presidency of the Council of Ministers)
However, Dr. Wans quickly deleted the resignation, and late on Friday evening published another post titled “Explanation”, in which he said that “what he previously published was misused to attack the state’s tireless and continuous efforts to develop and improve the urban environment and the lives of citizens,” noting that “He did not mean or intend that at all,” stressing, “his appreciation of the state’s efforts, whose value he knows well through his work as head of one of the permanent committees to inventory heritage buildings of value for many years.”
He explained that he was “aiming to improve the performance of development work in a way that does not affect the precious heritage stock that Egypt possesses.”
The last post sparked a flood of comments, as some interpreted it as retracting his resignation under pressure, while others saw it as a clarification of the situation, nothing more.
Dr. Mukhtar al-Kasbani, a professor of Islamic antiquities, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Wans’ resignation was for purely administrative reasons, related to who is responsible for defining the heritage building, and the building that is considered an imitation of heritage,” noting that “this is what Dr. Wans meant in clarifying.” which he published regarding his resignation.
In turn, Dr. Mustafa Al-Sadiq, a researcher accused of Egyptian heritage affairs, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “some abused Wanas’ resignation, hence the clarification, to confirm through him that he, like all those interested in heritage, is not against development projects, but this is not It means compromising the heritage.”
The tomb of Al Alawi in the Qarafa of Imam Al-Shafi’i (Asharq Al-Awsat)
In recent months, there has been controversy over the demolition of old tombs and buildings in the area of Imam al-Shafi’i and Sayyidah Nafisa in central Cairo. Some described them as “archaeological,” while others said they were “heritage,” especially since a number of them belong to Egyptian literary and political figures and symbols, amidst a state of chaos. Sadness among a number of archaeologists and those interested in heritage over the loss of part of Egypt’s history, and their fears that the shovel of demolition will affect tombs registered in the list of the National Organization for Civilization Coordination, including the tomb of Ali Pasha Fahmy, and the tombs of the Darmelli family, after the demolition of the tomb of the freed slaves of Prince Ibrahim Helmy, son of Khedive Ismail , which has been in existence for more than a century.
Al-Kasbani asserts that “the cemeteries and archaeological buildings in the region are not affected,” noting that “there is a debate about heritage buildings, and in fact they are not.” He explained that “most of the cemeteries in the region are a tradition of heritage, in what is known as (new Mamluk), which includes re-tradition of the Mamluk style in later eras.”
Al-Kasbani added that “many of the tombs that were removed were suffering from groundwater problems, so that they were no longer suitable for burial, so they had to be removed as part of the development process.” At the same time, however, he pointed out that “there are tombs and tomb facades of the utmost beauty, but they are not registered as antiquities because registration has many procedures.”
In turn, Al-Sadiq emphasized that “some buildings are indeed of the (neo-Mamluk) style, but this does not diminish their heritage value. One hundred years, which requires protecting it as part of the history and heritage of Egypt.
Al-Sadiq criticized “the continuation of the demolition and the failure to take into account the proposals of the committee, which was formed under a presidential directive for this purpose, although it provided good alternatives to the development process.” He pointed out that “the presence of groundwater does not mean the destruction of tombs, as there are ways to treat and restore them, as is the case with monuments in different regions of the country.”
One of the mosques and cemeteries of Imam Al-Shafi’i Street (Asharq Al-Awsat)
And last June, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directed the formation of a committee headed by the Prime Minister, which includes all concerned authorities, specialized archaeologists and engineering consulting offices, to assess the situation regarding the transfer of tombs in the Sayyidah Nafisa and Imam Shafi’i area, provided that its recommendations are announced to the public opinion by the first of June. last July. Indeed, last July, the committee met with the Prime Minister to present its vision for the development of the region.
Those interested in heritage are trying to save the unique evidence, paintings, inscriptions, and muqarnas, and collect them from among the ruins of the destroyed tombs, for fear of theft.
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2023-09-03 13:34:07
