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

Rare books and special collections library the

American . university in cairo

Cairo : Ibn-Khaldun wrote: (…. He who has never seen Cairo has not known the

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

Egypt

Northern Medieval District

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(

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.

Azhar street

Cairo

Ghoria street

: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

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

within the urban fabric.

The government only gives attention recently for only the

monuments not for the urban traditional architecture.

Nineteenth- century rood construction in and around

the historic city . dotted lines indicate une xecuted

progects. Author’s drawing after J. abu-lughod

Wekalet Ahmed El- Khateep

Site chosen:- The process of chosen the convenient site by limitations as;

Represents traditional Caireen architecture, Includes workshops

for traditional crafts, hasn't any connections with projects

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.

A visual study and condition of

building around the Wekaleh

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.

Description of the building:

Firest floor plan at Wekaleh

ground floor plan at Wekaleh

The residential uses are at the first floor consists of two flats with a separate stair case leading to another entrance direct to the street. The façade in hewn lime 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 residential

ceiling

stair

court

workshops

wall

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 ( 3 - 3 ) at Wekaleh court

CROSS SECTION ( 2 - 2 ) at Wekaleh court

CROSS SECTION ( 1 - 1 ) at Wekaleh court

Work shops and Crafts:

The Wekaleh include four major small industrial and traditional crafts work shops.

1- Metal turnery workshop.

• This workshop industrialize spare parts of another machines used for manufacturing golden, silver and brace jewelry.

• This workshop distribute its products all over the zone for all shops which working in manufacturing jewelry. This kind of product is very important to that kind of manufacturing.

• The developing of the lathe workshop is suitable from the economical point of view for the existence of suitable market around its area with no transportation. Three workers with moderate level of profession are working in the metal lathe and they live outside historical Cairo at Beaulaq and Shobra.

2- Metal wash and painting workshop:

• This work shop uses comical materials for washing and painting (brass – aluminum) products.

• This kind of traditional crafts is very important for Egyptian markets especially in the surrounding zone which deal with jewelry products.

• Three workers with moderate level of profession are working in this craft and they live inside the Wekhala at the residential area in the first floor.

3- Work shop for manufacturing brushes:

• This work shop manufacturing tissues brushes from old clothes for polishing metal products.

• This kind of traditional crafts is very important for Egyptian markets especially in the studying zone which deal with jewelry products.

• Six workers with moderate level of profession are working in this craft and they live outside the Wekhala at Gamalia and Manshiet Naser.

4- Hand made brass decorated lathe products work shop:

• This work shop manufacturing brass lathe products, and located near the market for traditional products (khan elkhalily).

• Two workers live outside historic Cairo working in this traditional craft.

Wekaleh-Deterioration aspects of El: Deterioration features of the northern and eastern facades

Vertical and inclined cracks on the first floor façade's

walls.

Worn of the façade's stones and cantilevers.

Lime paints on top of stones.

Falling of portions of the first floor and roof plaster

finishes.

Usage of red bricks in some part of the facades.

The separation of paints finishing from the walls.

The vanishing of gypsum cornices from the facades.

Accumulation of dirt and dust on top of the facades.

Appearance of disjointing at the walls' corners.

Unaesthetic finishing material choices.

Bad condition of opening(doors and windows):

o Loss of frames, wooden leaves, accessories and

glassing.

o Total loss of inner wooden panels

o Some opening is covered with wooden or metal

sheets.

o Appearance of cracks and worn in all woods.

o High percentage of humidity in the woods.

o Some wood are affected by insects.

o Bad condition of the painted surfaces.

o Wrong restoration of some doors and windows.

:Deterioration features of the courtyard and workshops

Deviation and inclement in some walls.

Unaesthetic finishing material choices.

Plaster finishes on top of some craved stones.

Appearance of vertical and inclined cracks with

different lengths and widths in the first floor's wall.

Semi-total deterioration of flooring and ceiling.

Separation and fallen of plaster finishes from the walls.

Bad condition of wooden ceiling, doors, and windows.

Appearance of rust on top of metal doors and windows.

The absence of paint finishes on the first floor courtyard

facades.

The worn and missing of some stone cornices and

craved stones.

:Deterioration features of the residential floor

Appearance of vertical and inclined cracks with

different lengths and widths in some walls.

Deviation and inclement in some walls.

Separation and fallen of plaster finishes from the walls.

Bad condition of lime painted surfaces.

Total deterioration of the ceiling

Bad condition of doors and windows, as describe in the

façade deterioration.

Bad condition of wooden paints.

Deterioration features of the residential staircase: Worn of the residential stoned staircase.

Appearance of disjointing at the staircase walls' corners,

and the appearance of vertical and inclined cracks with different lengths and widths.

Deviation and inclement in some walls.

The separation of plaster finishing from the walls.

Bad condition of lime paints.

Deterioration features of the roof: Accumulation of dirt and dust at the top of the roofs.

Worn of the flooring's Maasarany tiles and the missing

of some of it.

The unevenness of the parapet. General deterioration features in the El-Wekaleh:

The building has a bad situation of conservation because of the lack of maintenance work for long time and for the absence its real owner, where the inhabitance didn’t pay any rental fees any body, although they pay legally for using services (electric water supply).generally the building needs consolidation for somof the construction elements (bearing walls – wooden ceilings

also rehabilitation and renewal of infra structure services

All of this traditional crafts work shops need revitalization and rehabilitation for (machinery, tools and services) besid

the restoration work for the Wekale