REHABIMED Rehabilitation of Traditional Mediterranean Architecture Pilot Project in EGYPT CAIRO The REHABIMED project extends all along the Mediterranean area. Due to efficiency and organisation reasons it has been chosen four implication levels which on one hand allow to study in depth certain actions at sub regional level and on the other hand grant a global incidence, increasing the actions’ realistic and catalytic effect. The Project Global objective Basically, the preservation of the historical and cultural identity of traditional architecture shared by the different Mediterranean nations, and the contribution to a common strategy so as to create a solid space of coexistence and knowledge in which environmental, economical and social life conditions of a vast spectrum of the population will be improved in the mid term This objective implies the increase of traditional architecture rehabilitation as a strategic factor within the sustainable and respectful development of the Mediterranean area. The definition of traditional architecture adopted in the Project The Project is interested with current and inhabited architecture, essentially civil and domestic one, which is the fruit of a pre-industrial tradition transmitted from one generation to another. An architecture, which was always built by artisans and masons, rarely by architects and specialists. Today, this architecture is a fundamental expression of the culture of every community and its relation with natural territory.
6 countries that constitute the REHABIMED Consortium Spain, France, Cyprus, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco 4 localities, distributed geographically in the less favoured sub regions of the Mediterranean area will be the experimentation poles, thanks to the participation of representants of all the Mediterranean countries in the pilot operations Lefkara (Cyprus), Cairo (Egypt), Tunisia (Tunisia) and Marrakech (Morocco) Cairo has been chosen to execute a pilot Project which interested with current and inhabited architecture, essentially civil and domestic one, which is the fruit of a pre-industrial tradition transmitted from one generation to another, and for conservation traditional architecture throw a rehabilitation project aiming developing and upgrading traditional craft.
luigi mayer, principal square in ground cairo, with Murad Bey’s palace ( the qaramidan, 1801. color lithograph, 23.2 × 31.3 cm Cairo : Rare books and special collections library the Ibn-Khaldun wrote: American . university in (…. He who has never seen Cairo has not known the cairo glory of Islam, for it is the capital city of the earth, the garden of the world, the assemblage of nations, the birthplace of humanity, sanctuary of Islam, seat of monarchy looming with places and lawns, full of flourishing khanqahs and schools, shining with its scientists, and th nile banks are paradise-like (…..). Still, we speak of the country and how advanced it in civilization and riches.). 4
Pilot Project in Cairo Pilot project is located in historical Cairo as it keeps a lot of traditional urban tissues in spit of degradation, decay and neglecting for several decades. The exposed to losses in many of its traditional urban tissues and historical buildings. An organize buildings and urban areas speeded all over historical Cairo. And located in Northern Medieval District: called AI- Gamaliyyah. This area was enclosed within the royal Fatimid city of al-Qahirah (Latin: Cairo), walled with mud brick in( Egypt 969AC) . The l.1km2 area was enlarged twice, and made available to the general populace by Salah al-Din in 1171, when many royal functions were transferred to the Citadel. A dense mix of religious and domestic monuments from Mamluk (1250- 1516 AC) and Ottoman (1517-1805 AC) periods is here. Shops and markets have always figured highly in this heavily populated and relatively poor section of Cairo, where urban redevelopment is slow and sometimes unsympathetic. The overriding impression is of a rapidly expanding ... population within a restricted medieval infrastructure with limited modern services. Northern Medieval District
Historical Cairo General Problems : Since the 90's of the last Century restoration and rehabilitation specialist determine the general problems which w affect the restoration and rehabilitation project and should b considered. Those problems could be summarized as follow • The problem of the ground water which lead to humidity in the buildings through capillary action and affecting the durability of structure elements, plastering and ATC. Also, the settlement of the soil which affects the Azhar street stability of the structure causing the damage of the building. • The problem of traffic causing vibrations and pollution affecting deterioration of building materials. • The neglecting of maintenance for long periods due to social and political issues. • Unsuitable usage of the historical and traditional buildings due to social and economical issues. • Many of the buildings including urban areas facing deterioration and demolishing. • The Spreading of unorganized residential buildings Cairo within the urban fabric. The government only gives attention recently for only the monuments not for the urban traditional architecture. Ghoria street
Site chosen:- Nineteenth- century rood construction in and around The process of chosen the convenient site by limitations as; the historic city . dotted lines indicate une xecuted Represents traditional Caireen architecture, Includes workshops progects. Author’s drawing for traditional crafts, hasn't any connections with projects after J. abu-lughod executed or prepared, Easy to deal with inhabitance and their true need for upgrading, Ability to deal with governmental administrative sectors. The site was chosen is called Wekalet Ahmed El- Khateep recently named El- Magraby and located in historical Cairo. The Wekaleh was constructed in the Eighteen Century where the Ottoman architecture features appears. It was built by Ahmad Elkhateeb as it appears on the maps of the French Military mission in Egypt. It is located in khan Abo Takiya Street, Gamalia district. Wekalet Ahmed El- Khateep
A visual study and condition of building around the Wekaleh
Description of the building: The building consists of two stories where the workshops on ground floor and residential flats on the first floor. Several uses found for the Wekaleh, commercial in the front shops opening on the Khan Abo Takiya Street. Traditional crafts and small industrial workshops are located around the open court in the middle of the building and part of the first floor with a separated entrance. ground floor plan at Wekaleh Firest floor plan at Wekaleh
The residential ceiling The residential uses are at the first floor consists of stair two flats with a separate stair case leading to court another entrance direct to the street. workshops The façade in hewn lime wall stone for the ground floor while the first floor was constructed by fire break coated with lime plaster . The main entrance located on the eastern façade and leading to a vaulted entrance (Dehllez) which opens on the court of the Wekaleh surrounded with workshops. And a staircase leads to the first floor where some of the workshops are located. The second entrance located at the southern façade leading to staircase where two residential flats are located.
The Wekaleh consists of two floors of 9.72m height in total. The first floor height is 3.62 m, the second floor is 5.20m, and at the top comes a brick parapet with 0.9m. The Wekaleh has two elevations: - The northern façade - The eastern façades - The northern façade The eastern façades
CROSS SECTION ( 1 - 1 ) at Wekaleh court CROSS SECTION ( 2 - 2 ) at Wekaleh court CROSS SECTION ( 3 - 3 ) at Wekaleh court
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