In the shadow of the Mamluks

Al Ahram Weekly (Sherif Sonbol)

Like many of the rulers who have ruled Egypt since antiquity, the Mamluk Sultan Qalawun (1279-1290) destroyed the constructions of his predecessors in order to raise buildings that reflected his own rule on their foundations. As a result, the magnificent Qalawun Complex of buildings in the heart of Islamic Cairo is built on the foundations of an older Fatimid palace.

This tradition among Egypt's rulers of building over the works of their forbearers continued well into the 19th century, when Muhammad Ali and his son the Khedive Ismail demolished many older monuments and used the stone either to build roads or to erect new monuments extolling the virtues of their rule.

While this tradition gave rise to some splendid buildings, not least those of Sultan Qalawun, it came to an end in the 20th century as a result of growing awareness of the value of older monuments.

However, one thing that unfortunately did not always end was the neglect that many of Cairo's historic buildings and monuments have suffered over the years. It is this neglect that the present minister of culture, Farouk Hosni, has pledged himself to stop, and over the past 20 years or so the ministry, under Hosni's guidance, has taken on the task of redressing past negligence and bringing back the glory of Egypt's sometimes neglected heritage.

Last week, Hosni, in the company of a group of writers, journalists and ministry officials, set out on a walking tour of Fatimid Cairo to inspect the restoration work that has been done and to mark the imminent completion of the project's final phase.

See the above for more, with photographs