In Cairo’s Islamic quarter, the once bustling hubbub of tourists and Cairenes enjoying the area's treasure trove of mosques, mausoleums and madrasas has been replaced by the sound of progress.
A transformation of unprecedented scale is under way. Gone are the huts and rundown kiosks that once lined many of the area's main roads, replaced by thrumming construction equipment and workers purposefully stride from site to site in hard hats and neon vests.
The air is thick with the smells of cement, dust, and concrete, punctuated by the occasional whiff of rubbish carried on the breeze, a reminder of the nearby Hay El Zabaleen, or “garbage collectors' quarter,” where tonnes of rubbish are sorted daily.
The once-bustling square of Sayyida Aisha, where vegetable sellers like Om Siham, 53, used to set up shop, is now almost empty of the vendor stalls which numbered in the hundreds only four years ago.
“It's not like it used to be,” Om Siham said. “The square was always crowded, with cars and microbuses and people everywhere. Now it's almost empty. Police officers have been moving any sellers deeper into the neighbourhoods, they don’t want us out in the more visible parts of the area.”
The Egyptian government's plan to redevelop the quarter has been years in the making. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the goal is to “rectify the negligence that resulted in thousands of residential buildings being illegally constructed around these great relics” by relocating residents to more suitable housing and renovating the area for tourists.
The scale of the project is staggering. Large swathes of residential buildings have been cleared, including 100 buildings in Sayyida Aisha square alone. Residents and shopkeepers have been relocated to new settlements on the outskirts of the city, built by the government to absorb the population.
The Sayyida Aisha bridge, a rickety metal structure that taxi drivers are critical of due to its unevenness often damaging their cars, will be demolished under the new plan. Its replacement will connect to a network of flyovers completed as part of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's road network project.
Hundreds of homes and 2,760 tombs in a large necropolis have been relocated to make way for the new bridge, a move that has been decried by conservationists and the families of those buried there. Many were asked to relocate their family members' remains themselves.
The necropolis, a Unesco heritage site, is located just a few hundred metres east of the Citadel, a historic fortress built by the conqueror Saladin in the 12th century and expanded on by succeeding dynasties, including the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the Mohamed Ali dynasty.
The government remains committed to its plan. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced that the area lining the Saladin Citadel’s western wall will be transformed into a hub of modern bazaars and stores for tourists, complete with an 82-room hotel.
The construction of the hotel and other structures is being carried out by the country's armed forces engineering authority and several affiliated developers.
A historic site on every corner
As one walks through the area, it's clear that the renovations are not limited to the removal of residential buildings. Many of the area's mosques, including Al Hakim bi Amr Allah and Al Aqmar have been renovated. Many have been installed with modern lighting systems that light up at night.
The walls of the Old City, founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century, who gave the city its name of Al Qahirah, or “The Conqueress” in English, are also undergoing renovations, with the northern wall currently being renovated.
Portions of the wall will be rebuilt, while others will be cleaned and retouched. Additionally, three towers in the northern part and six towers in the eastern part will be restored, the ministry said on August 6.
The Old City is home to 537 sites officially registered as antiquities by the ministry, Mr Madbouly said. The area's history is rich with mosques and mausoleums dating back to various eras of Islamic rule. The Rahman mosque is currently under renovation with its minarets shrouded in scaffolding.
Relocation, Relocation, Relocation
While some have welcomed the changes, others are more sceptical. Hussein El Soksa, a microbus driver who used to ply his trade in Sayyida Aisha Square, expressed concerns about the impact of the renovations on the local community. “The government says it's for the best, but what about us? What about the people who used to live and work here?”
Zaki El Falah, who runs a horse-riding operation near the pyramids, said the government's plan to relocate residents and shopkeepers to new settlements is not unique to the Islamic quarter. “They're doing the same thing around the pyramids,” he said. “Thousands of residents of the settlement of Nazlet Al Seman have been relocated to new cities like Al Asmarat to make way for construction projects.”
As the day's last light casts the Citadel’s long shadow over Saladin Square, the sounds of construction gradually recede, replaced by the intensifying sounds of passing cars that congest the surrounding streets.
The mosques and mausoleums, once obscured by a labyrinth of stalls and kiosks, now stand revealed, their intricate stone carvings and ornate facades glowing with a soft, golden light. But amid the grandeur, it's hard not to feel a sense of loss for the community that once called this place home.
As the government's plan nears completion, it remains to be seen how the changes will affect the local community and the tourists who flock to the area. One thing is certain, however: the Islamic quarter of Cairo will never be the same again.
