1. Cultural sustainability of historic cities Notes on conservation projects in Cairo Ashraf M.A. Salama, Ph.D. IAPS-16, IAPS 2000 Conference Metropolis 21st century: Cities,Social Life and Sustainable Development Paris, France 4/7 July Presented by Muge Riza

2. Framework Introduction The nature of conservation
Conservation and cultural sustainability: a conceptual model
The European experience on integrated urban conservation
Example Cairo
Conclusion

3. Cairo Today

4. Cairo in the 19th century La place Sala el-Dîn, with
Sultan Hassan mosque
Typical City houses

5. Introduction
Historic cities are an important indicator of cultural sustainability and sustainable urban conservation.
They are witnesses of urban heritage and part of cultural change and development
The aim of this paper is to introduce a scenario for cultural sustainability of historic cities, where the needs of the inhabitants are also considered

6. The nature of conservation
Conservation means the act of conserving, which is defined as “the controlled use and the systematic protection of resources, natural or built”
Historic cities are characterized by three factors: population growth and rapid urbanisation, need of more housing and the rapid growth of new mega-cities
They face several physical problems as lack of maintenance, inadequate repair of historic buildings or environmental pollution

7. The nature of conservation
The old city of Cairo has been declared by the UNESCO as a world heritage site
But historic conservation can be seen as a relatively new discipline compared to European countries
Most of the conservation activities in the core of old Cairo focused till now on single buildings, not considering the surrounding environment
But conservation must be used in a dynamic or active way, including the whole environment considering the socio-cultural factors, the needs of the people

8. Conservation and cultural sustainability: a conceptual model
Conservation in historic cities can be seen as a process of sustainable development
Although the awareness for the need of an overall approach considering the environmental issues is growing, a new model for cultural sustainable conservation is needed
Local knowledge and culture must be considered as important factors of cultural sustainable conservation

9. Conservation and cultural sustainability: a conceptual model
The author proposed a conceptual model based on three keywords: participation, reuse and building craft
Local people of historic areas have to participate in the conservation process, their opinions should be considered
Historical buildings and areas should be kept in beneficial use
The conservation should be done with the help of skilled craftsmen

10. The European experience on integrated urban conservation
In 1975 the Council of Europe introduced the term ‘integrated conservation’, which deals both with the physical loss of urban heritage and the social maintenance of the existing population
As a result the built heritage is a part of the social life and for the benefit of present and future generations
The elements of Cultural heritage are non-renewable resources, which need to be managed for the use of the society (European Urban Charter(1993))

11. Conservation projects in historic Cairo
Over the last 50 years several conservation proposals and studies have been made to conserve the historic city core
With the declaration of historic Cairo as a world cultural heritage in 1980 by UNESCO new attempts started
Various proposals and concepts are identified under the heading Conservation of the old City Of Cairo, UNESCO, 1982, Rehabilitation and Upgrading ,
But most of them are focused on single building restoration and are not realized yet

12. Example: Al Darb Al Asfar project
The Al Darb Al Asraf district in the old Cairo is a good example for a cultural sustainable conservation approach
The restoration in this area started with three single buildings, then the surrounding also get improved
Around 100 families live in this district and they were asked to participate in the conservation process
Regular meetings and discussions were held, so the families form a neighbourhood society to preserve their district

13. Example: Al Darb Al Asfar project
Adaptive reuse has also been considered
Some representative residential architecture from the 19th century were now used for cultural purposes, as museums, or neighbourhood house
This project is unfortunately one of the few good examples in old Cairo, which is interested in the urban heritage with an integrating approach of all factors, like buildings, area and social life of the people

14. Example: Al Darb Al Asfar project
Renovation of El Suhaymi House(1648)
in the Al Darb Al Asfar District,
funded by Fund Arab Association
For social Development

15. Example: Al Darb Al Asfar project
Sharia Darb al-Asfar street
Al-Suhaymi house after renovation

16. Example: Al Darb Al Asfar project
Houses build in 1796
Jumba is called mashrubbeyeh.

17. Conclusion
Urban conservation in historic cities is a culturally sustainable process of change and development, which involves restoration, demolition and the physical and socio-economic impacts
Sustainable conservation deals with the whole surrounding including the inhabitants
In the case of The old City of Cairo all the approaches till now have to be reconsidered and a ‘vision of preserving the old city as a living social and physical entity’ must be developed.

18. References
Ashraf M.A. Salama, Ph.D.,(2000) `Cultural sustainability of historic cities :Notes on conservation projects in Cairo` IAPS 2000 Conference Metropolis 21st century: Cities, Social Life and Sustainable Development,4-7 July 2000,Paris
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