The art of documentation
To protect world heritage sites from the detriments of urban expansion,
Nevine El-Aref explores the latest measures to preserve the richness of the region's heritage
LOCATED at the Smart Village two kilometres before the Cairo-Alexandria toll station, the stark white three-storey building of CULTNAT is a national treasure in its own right -- an institute devoted to the documentation of Egypt's cultural and natural heritage.
Since its establishment four years ago, CULTNAT has documented various aspects of Egypt's tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and as well its natural heritage. The scope and magnitude of its work propelled it from a mere branch of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology with the goal of creating a digital archaeological map of Egypt, to a full-fledged independent affiliate of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
The first floor is considered the most impressive section of the institute, housing five showrooms and a lecture hall. The Culturama hall displays a variety of cultural exhibitions and activities using state-of-the-art technology on a 180-degree interactive screen. The Micro Gallery displays information and sample products of the different projects and activities of CULTNAT. The Folklorama exhibit hosts sculptures of characters from the famous folkloric Helaliya Epic, the first Egyptian work to be added to UNESCO's World Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage. Digital documentation of this epic and its renowned characters are also on display.
Star Riders displays replica astrolabes and other astronomical instruments illustrating the pioneer work of the Islamic civilisation in astronomy. Virtual representation of the components and the use of such instruments is an integral part of the exhibition. The Galleria is a café for an alternative art gallery, with the exhibition changed on a monthly basis.
The extent of treasures documented by CULTNAT is vast, and divided into several sub-projects dealing with specific aspects of the country's heritage.
ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: Documentation of the 19th and early 20th centuries architectural buildings of Egypt, starting with Cairo's downtown as a pilot project and continuing to its outskirts and other cities.
NATURAL HERITAGE: Pioneer of computerised documentation and dissemination of data on Egypt's natural heritage, including the protectorates, the habitats and their components in the country. Detailed information of the flora, fauna, geological formations and cultural features related to specific sites or protected areas is made available through this project.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MAP: Offers three consecutive levels of information; the first is on a national level, whereby every site is referenced on the map and recorded with a set of data. These include recent and old photographs, and information about related objects in museums across the country. The second is on the site level, where each site is mapped in detail to show its structures. The third is on the monument level, showing details of architectural elements of individual monuments.
THE FOLKLORE, MUSIC, PHOTOS AND MANUSCRIPTS: A library includes a rich array of Egypt's folklore, science and mathematics manuscripts, as well as photographs taken by famous 19th-century historians and travellers to Egypt. The folkloric library covers ethnological and analytical activities, popular themes, traditional feasts, folktales and proverbs as well as music, local traditions and customs. The rare Egyptian music and songs that were popular from the 1920s to 1970s are also documented, along with photos that have been shot by 19th-century historians and travellers. This aspect of the institute's work also covers manuscripts, including the documentation of Islamic scientific manuscripts available in various institutions and private collection on the national and regional levels. The vision is of an encyclopedic electronic library of sciences and mathematics of Dar Al-Islam at its climax from Samarkand to Casablanca. Other topics in the project scope include cosmography, physics and chemistry manuscripts.
