Workshop 2

Summary

The workshop was divided into two days. The first day, participants toured Fatimid Cairo, led by Alia Nassar, to have first-hand experience of examples of layered Egyptian tangible and intangible heritage. The second day of the workshop was attended by participants both online and in person. Participants included industry professionals in architecture and heritage, academics from architecture, government officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and students. The workshop aimed to facilitate and encourage open discussion about layered narratives of heritage, sustainable heritage, and innovation in digital heritage. Presentations discussed the sustainable re-use of heritage, layered heritage, and community heritage projects to provide a base of knowledge for participants to explore in parallel discussions. Four themes were chosen to inspire discussion on important and relevant issues in sustainable heritage management for the most significant results: preservation management and sustainable development; innovative techniques in preserving cultural heritage; policy development, decision making and key stakeholders; digital documentation. 

Participants

Participants included Egyptian government officials such as Dr. Shadia Mahmoud, students and graduates from Ain Shams University, academics from the University of Lincoln and Ain Shams University, and industry professionals from institutions such as Takween.

The variety of participants meant that discussions stemmed from diverse experiences, leading to interdisciplinary outcomes and recommendations in the report. 

Day One

The first day of the workshop included an enlightening tour of Fatimid Cairo by Alia Nasser. Nasser took participants on a journey through the layers of heritage within the location, from Islamic to Coptic, Fatimid to modern. Nasser first introduced participants to the Fatimid gate, Bab Zuwayla (locally known as Bab al-Mitwalli), which had once separated the location from the outside world. She highlighted that the gate was partially demolished when Sultan al-M’ayyad Shaykh built his mosque, indicating the intricate layers of history which intertwine at the site. 

Next, participants walked to the nearby mosque which has historically been used as a school to see Islamic art and Arabic calligraphy. Then, Nasser took participants to the hidden spa which now lies out of use and covered in rubbish. 

Participants then walked through the streets of Fatimid Cairo to look at local stalls and markets. Participants had the rare opportunity to witness traditional crafts, such as leather making, inlaid production, and bread making. Participants took this opportunity to engage with local craftspeople, asking them about their experience and taking in the intricate skills of their work.

Finally, participants stopped for a lunch at Al-Azhar Park, where they took in the plush greenery and local scenery. Participants had the opportunity to talk with project leaders and other participants, connecting on LinkedIn and having lively conversations about their own practices and education. 

Day Two

Summary

Following the immersive experience of day one, participants met again to listen to interesting presentations which centred on heritage preservation, adaptive use of heritage building, and layers of cultural heritage. Ideas from these presentations were adopted in the subsequent themed parallel sessions, where participants had the opportunity to discuss and create their own outcomes. 

Presentations

Dr Mohamed El-Saiedi 

Dr Mohamed El-Saiedi opened the presentations by describing the recent works in Luxor Temple, to remind participants of Luxor as the focus of the workshop. He discussed the difficulties of piecing together heritage, to uncover the story, as well as considering the various layers of heritage which are found along the way. 

Alia Nassar

Nassar explored the connections between ancient and modern cemeteries, highlighting heritage as a continuing force which connects the past and the present. In discussing tangible elements of cemeteries, such as the architectural design and grave descriptions, Nasser highlighted that cemeteries are places where social meaning and position is displayed. 

Dr. Heba Safey Eldeen

Dr. Eldeen presented on her work with children of a variety of ages in Architecture and Children to encourage an early interest in architecture. Through this, she focuses on instilling within them the importance of sustainability and considering tangible, intangible, and natural heritage through critical thinking and relating to their own lives. 

Mohanned Selim

Selim discussed projects at Sigma Properties, and how to use best practice to create adaptive use of heritage buildings. He highlighted that, in Cairo, much tangible culture has been demolished, including religious and political buildings, as well as social buildings such as homes and community centres. Selim took workshop participants on a journey, exploring how to conduct projects to be sensitive to the surrounding culture and history. He explained the process included assessing the location to discern whether it would be suitable for building reuse, and any potential difficulties which may arise. 

Rania Seddick

Seddik is the founder and managing director of GebRaa, and introduced the social enterprise to participants. Seddick believes that by reintroducing traditional Egyptian crafts into the wider market, projects such as GebRaa can restore Egyptian identity. She highlighted that the current economic issues facing Egyptian trade means that it is difficult to import goods, and the industrial revolution has negative effects on traditional skills; through this, it has become important for Egypt to improve internal production. 

Dr. Alaa El-Habashi

El-Habashi explained how to incorporate heritage attributes into architectural design, not only to maintain physical heritage, but also encouraging community culture and social living. He highlighted that most projects end with an architectural product; his aim was to invite life into the end project by restoring the building considering, both its cultural context and present context, so that the local community can use the space meaningfully. El-Habashi used the example of the hara in historical Cairo, which was a community who lived behind closed doors until they were destroyed by the French as they represented a threat to Napolean’s troops. Today, haras can rarely be found. El-Habashi’s goal is to reinstate courtyard houses in Cairo to return to cultural life, and improve social life through these community spaces. 

Networking and Lunch Break

Following the final presentation, participants engaged in another networking event which was paired with a buffet of delicious Egyptian food. The participants were given the chance to reflect on the presentations as well as centre their thoughts for the parallel sessions. Also, the participants had the opportunity to engage in conversation with presenters and fellow participants, to create lasting connections which will impact their future work.


Parallel Discussions

Participants reflected on their experience and the earlier presentations in parallel discussions. Participants were split into four groups to discuss: preservation management and sustainable development; innovation techniques in preserving cultural heritage; policy development, decision making and key stakeholders; digital documentation: tangible and intangible.

Feedback

The workshop was successful, and generated thoughtful discussion between organisers, participants, and presenters. After the final discussions, participants were asked to provide feedback on the two-day workshop (see below).

Participants and presenters described their positive experience at the workshop on social media. Select quotes from statements on LinkedIn included: