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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 23 - 29 November 2000 Issue No.509 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 23 - 29 November 2000 Issue No.509
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A cry in the dark
By Nevine El-Aref
Saved from certain desolation, the newly-renovated sites of Al-Ghouri and Al-Kekhya mosques are other spots polished clean in the groaning network of Old Cairo's ancient monuments
Leafing through pictures of the monuments of Old Cairo is like fingering the pages of an Egyptian history book writ large. Mameluke styles give way to Ottoman flair and Islamic architecture vies for attention alongside Coptic churches. In Cairo's oldest quarters, though, many sites are headed for a fate of altogether different, but nonetheless historic proportion: devastation.
Al-Kekhya mosque
Renovations at Al-Ghouri
Decades of neglect and the steady encroachment of inhabitants of the area have dealt a heavy blow not only to historic structures, but to the living memory of streets that were once filled with splendour. Pollution, subsoil water and high humidity have all contributed to the fast-decaying situation now faced by antiquities officials and active steps are being taken to restore the medieval quarter's cultural heritage.
Two of the lucky monuments to benefit from this programme are the Al-Ghouri and Al-Kekhya mosques, which were opened in an official ceremony last week. The opening marks the completion of nearly 11 years of active restoration in the area by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) -- work that has cost an estimated LE25 million. There to assess the returns on their investment were Prime Minister Atef Ebeid, Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the SCA.
In addition to the environmental problems endemic to the area, Al-Ghouri and Al-Kekhya have been plagued by leakage from the ablution fountain, and a century-old decaying sewage system. The 1992 earthquake only compounded these problems, but Culture Minister Hosni explained to reporters last week that the greatest harm has been done by people of the area themselves.
"One of the most serious causes of damage has been the misuse of both mosques by visitors, as well as the encroachment over the centuries of traders and inhabitants -- especially in the case of Al-Ghouri," Hosni said. Shopkeepers renting space along the narrow street that runs parallel to Al-Ghouri Mosque were unwittingly chipping away at the historic site as they broke away parts of the mosque's supporting walls to accommodate their shops.
"As a result, the walls cracked, masonry was damaged, and the mihrab (prayer niche) was in a critical condition," Hosni explained. In 1993, restoration teams moved in to rescue the once exquisite structure. By this time, ceiling decorations had been completely obscured and most of the flooring was broken.
Built by the Mameluke sultan Qansuh Al-Ghouri in 1504, Al-Ghouri Mosque is a fine structure with a large, beautifully decorated open court surrounded with four prayer halls. It was part of a larger complex built by the sultan that includes a palace, a mausoleum (where Al-Ghouri is buried), a sabil (water fountain) and a kuttab (Qu'ranic school). The mosque also has an adjacent wikala, a commercial outlet built to accommodate migrant traders and now housing numerous shops.
Above: Culture Minister Farouk Hosni flanked by Prime Minister Atef Ebeid (right) and Cairo Governor Abdel-Rehim Shehata
photo: Mustafa El-Senoussi
The mosque has been thoroughly revamped, its walls reinforced, its floors refurbished and missing and decayed stones replaced. Workers have painstakingly cleaned and desalinated the masonry and all the damaged columns of the prayer hall and the open courtyard have been dismantled, restored and reassembled.
Al-Kekhya Mosque, located on Al-Gumhouriya street, received similar treatment. The elegant late-Ottoman structure, built by Osman Katkhuda Al-Qasdoghli in the 18th century includes both a madrassa (school) and a hammam (bath). Abdallah El-Attar, head of the Islamic and Coptic department at the SCA, explained that this is in fact the second restoration of Al-Kekhya Mosque. The first, carried out by the Arab Preservation Antiquities Committee in 1933, renewed the main facade and demolished many of the workshops and bazaars that clogged its entrance.
This latest set of restorations revamped the large open court, decorated with gypsum windows inlaid with stained glass, and tended to the interior of the mosque. The lavishly decorated wooden ceiling, the black-and-white marble floors, and the doors demonstrating the splendid art of interlocking woodwork were all carefully restored. "Every effort was made to ensure that all original architectural features were retained," SCA Secretary-General Gaballa noted, explaining that columns were installed beneath the mosques to reinforce their foundations. Hopefully, this will stave off the harm caused by drainage and water leakage.
Finally, a new lighting system has been installed in both mosques, both inside and out, and they will be lit at night, making the surrounding areas a pleasant sight amidst reigning chaos. The areas around both monuments have been upgraded and the traders who once encroached on Al-Ghouri mosque were relocated in collaboration with the Cairo governorate.
Al-Ghouri and Al-Kekhya were lucky, but many other sites remain obscured by decades of accumulated grime and destruction. One can only hope that the rewards of upgrading this sagging quarter will warrant that the trend of restoration continues.
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