EGYPT: An "open air museum" made by pedestrianising a road historic Old Cairo and making it a pedestrian-only zone

The historic Cairo neighborhood of Nahaseen, home to some of the most important sites in old Islamic Cairo, was made a pedestrians-only zone on Tuesday (April 24), transforming it into what the Egyptian authorities call an "open air museum". Nahaseen's main thoroughfare, al-Muizz a-Deen Lillah al-Fatimi street, which is flush with historic mosques from the Fatimid era (10th to 12th centuries AD), has long been a hidden treasure of Old Cairo. For many potential visitors, however, the street's charms were obscured by the din of traffic, the stench emanating from a defunct sewage system, and rumours of thieves lurking in the alleyways. But a government restoration project that has seen many of the ornate mosques and old houses revived, and the area's infrastructure updated, has created hope that Nahaseen will take its rightful place among Egypt's many other historical tourist attractions. On Tuesday, Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Husni inaugurated a new phase in the restoration project whereby cars will be banned from the area from 0800 until 2300 local time, opening it during that time to tourists and freeing it from the pollution of the crush of daily traffic. "We are today in a sample of old Cairo, and in particular used al-Muizz street because we consider al-Muizz street is an open air museum, historical, and very beautiful," said Husni. While restoration work continues, the designation of parts of Nahaseen as one of the few no-go areas for cars in central Cairo is seen as an important step in the project. The Egyptian government has long been accused of neglecting sites of great historical importance such as the treasures of Islamic Cairo. In a country where many rights groups say corruption is endemic, the government of long-time Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is viewed by many Egyptians as having squandered the country's wealth and neglected its rich heritage. With 350 million Egyptian pounds -- about 61.5 million U.S. dollars -- invested in the restoration project in Nahaseen, the government will be hoping to change this perception. The infrastructure in Nahaseen will be set up to accommodate the new vehicle-free environment, with ambulance points, security stations and public bathrooms set to cater to the hoped-for influx of tourists. Muhammad, who is the co-owner of an antiques shop on al-Muizz street, says he, for one, is grateful for the project. "I wasn't opening, and the store was closed for four years and the street was a mess. And now as you see the street is beautiful. Very nice, wonderful," he said. So far the government says it has finished restoring 101 different sites in Nahaseen with 34 of them visible on the main street of al-Muizz. "Thank God that the night is over and this place can put on a smile on your face and it is so beautiful and God preserve it and its now our turn to keep it in good shape, forever," said another shop owner, Hagg Said. The main attraction in the new pedestrians-only area is al-Muizz street itself, a 1,200-long road lined with intricate-designed mosques and ancient houses left over from previous, more resplendent times. The street begins at the Bab al-Fatouh gates and ends at Bab Zuweila, the massive 11th century Mamluk era gate from which Sultan Saif a-Din Qutuz is said to have hung the severed heads of the Mongol messengers who delivered threats to invade Egypt. The area of Nahaseen has also gained contemporary fame as the setting for several of the novels of Egyptian writer and Nobel Prize winning author, Naguib Mahfouz. Many residents of Nahaseen are hoping that the restoration project that entered a new phase today will finally give their area the attention it deserves. Freed from the crush of cars, the blaring of horns, and car exhaust fumes, it is hoped visitors will finally be able to view their area's rich legacy in relative peace and quiet.

ITN Source | April 25, 2007

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