HiddenMysteries: Neglected no longer

Rehabilitating Islamic Cairo is part of the cultural heritage mission successfully accomplished by Jan Figel, the European commissioner for culture, education, training and youth, who was in Cairo last week to inaugurate a number of EU-funded cultural projects, Rania Khallaf reports

It is a long walk through the alleys of Khan Al-Khalili and Gammaliya to reach Wekalet Al-Maghrabi. On a sunny day the area is buzzing with tourists and street vendors, and this was just another routine day, nothing unusual. On one of the narrow streets of Wekalet Al-Maghrabi, however, a new mood had been growing. There, at 14 Wekalet Al-Maghrabi, stands the house of Farouk Abdel-Aal, which has been rebuilt and rehabilitated by the RehabiMed project sponsored by the European Union.

It was not only Abdel-Aal's house that was in need of urgent renovation to prevent imminent collapse. Twenty workshops specialising in producing metalwork such as plates and other household items were also in a state of deterioration. All were renovated and rehabilitated by the project.

Hadil, Farouk's youngest child, smilingly says, "I am not afraid anymore. The house was about to collapse, and I just couldn't study my lessons properly. Now, I feel safe."

But she complains about the smoke coming out of the workshop chimneys, which hurts her lungs. "The roof was full of garbage. It was a living room for animals. Now, it is a clean place where I can play freely with my mates. My neighbours envy me." She laughs wickedly.

Wekalet Ahmed Al-Khatib, recently named Al-Maghrabi, includes four small industrial and traditional crafts for metal turning, metal washing and painting, manufacturing brushes and hand decorated brass. The wekala was constructed in the 18th century, and Ottoman architectural features are clearly visible. Shops and markets have always been a main feature of this relatively poor area, where urban development is slow.

"The RehabiMed Project has been tailored to preserve the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean countries, and to develop and further enhance the working conditions of artisans, which is why Gammaliya was chosen, a neighbourhood rich with many historical buildings in an advanced state of demolishment," engineer Mohamed Khalifa, the project manager, said. "If more money were pumped into this project, the wekala should be the one step towards the recovery of the neighbouring wekalas," he added. "The cost of the whole project has amounted to 145,000 euros."

Renovation work started in August 2007 and was completed last March. The RehabiMed project for the wekala faced many problems, notably from the Ministry of Waqfs because the house is an old one. "There were also challenges pertaining to the nature of historical Cairo in general, such as the problem of ground water and unsuitable use of the historical and traditional buildings due to social and cultural unawareness," Khalifa said.

After touring the area Figel said his impression of the project was positive. "I think it is good to combine restoration with rehabilitation. It is important not only to talk about cultural heritage, but also about people," he told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Rehabilitating the workshops means helping people to sustain their lives. It is important to give artisans the proper chance to work, live and earn money," he pointed out.

The project is also being implemented in three other Mediterranean countries: Cyprus, Morocco and Tunisia.

"I think we need more such inspirational projects," Figel says. "Now we have enough proof to believe that such a type of partnership and projects should be multiplied and disseminated throughout the Middle East."

Discussing the importance of the participation of the local community in enhancing local development projects, he said: "our philosophy at the European Union is to give a hand to such cultural projects in developing countries, but then we expect that local governments take action and resume carrying out similar projects.

"I think it is important to motivate and mobilise the domestic potential, not only to expect external assistance, but rather to combine and unite local forces," he told the Weekly.

Asked to what extent he believed the EU-funded projects in Egypt had succeeded in conveying and applying the European mechanism of work, bearing in mind that there was still a massive need for foreign-funded developmental projects throughout Egypt, Figel replied: "Our philosophy is to teach the poor man how to catch a fish. It is the local authorities' responsibility to mobilise forces and resources together. However, I think that Egypt is one of the Middle Eastern countries that is keen on enhancing its local developmental mechanisms and authorities.".

After more than 50 years of involvement in development projects in the fields of economy and agriculture, the EU is now more into cultural dialogue and educational developmental plans. Figel finds this shift of policy "a sign of maturity".

"It means that we care more about people, about their concerns, needs and ambitions," he says.

He considers human and cultural development the first priority over economic development. "Of course, developing the economic infrastructure is very important, but what is central is humankind and human dignity. Infrastructural projects should help people to improve their status. People should not be just instruments in such industrial projects.

"It is the cultural development which makes people feel content," he adds. "We need to consider cultural development as a complex operation, where economy plays an important role."

Figel believes education is the core of any sound developmental scheme. "Educated people can easily be empowered to improve their status and participate in local developmental projects," he says.

During his visit, Figel signed a financing agreement that will pump in the sum of 120 million euros, scheduled for three years, to enhance the governmental education sector and support Egypt's reform plans in the educational field. Figel also gave a speech at the closing session of the Regional TEMPUS Conference on improving the quality of higher education.

Among the events that are taking place during the month of May, and are supported by the European Commission, is a two-day open air food fair in Alexandria organised by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The purpose behind this celebration is to highlight the diverse ways of cooking and encouraging the exchange of experiences, traditional recipes, stories and dishes from the different communities.

Another event is a concert offered by the Egyptian Philharmonic Orchestra within the framework of the project "The Orchestra: A Guest in Schools" and addressed to the students of Ain Shams University. This is part of a series of educational performances of classical music for Egyptian schoolchildren. Other EU-funded cultural projects in Egypt include a project with UNESCO to safeguard traditional Egyptian festivals.

On another note, the third round of the Euro-Arab Cinema Caravan, SEMAT, was held earlier this month, this time with films focussed on "dialogue with the other". The Caravan, funded by the European Union, takes place twice a year in Cairo. While the May round is reserved for long films, there will be another week for short and documentary films on November. The session closed last Monday with the Lebanese film Under the Bombs, which won first prize at this year's Dubai Film Festival. The caravan has successfully proven the merit of keeping to the policy of "showing the Egyptian audience a different standard and some uniquely-produced movies," as Maha Galal, head of SEMAT, puts it.

The films shown at the caravan are produced either in Europe or Arab countries, or are a co-production between Arab and European production companies. And for the third consecutive year, SEMAT is organising a workshop for talented young Egyptian and Arab artists. The outcome of the workshop is four documentary films that will be shown at international documentary film festivals. "The European fund facilitates our various activities and provides for good contacts with European production companies," Galal told the Weekly.

SEMAT has three partners: Al-Rowad in Jordan, the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris and the Rotterdam Film Festival in Holland. "Similar caravan festivals take place during the year in these cities, with mostly different movies," Galal added. "Believing that Egypt is abundant with young and yet ignored talents who need high quality training, our plan for next year is to enlarge the number of participants of the workshop, and also to bring more foreign professionals in film criticism, photography, and directing, all fields that will yield more unique ideas," she concluded.

ahram.org.eg

Neglected no longer

Friday, May 30 2008 @ 09:17 PM CDT