Cairo - a unique walk with the HH Aga Khan Trust seeing Old Cairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Tour

  This is the whole area covered by the HH Aga Khan Trust in its restoration work in Cairo  

This map is the edited version showing just the buildings excluding the garden etc

We were extremely fortunate in seeing a part of Cairo which tourists usually don’t see, certainly not accompanied by the people involved with the restoration of these magnificent ancient sites. Due to my daughter’s involvement with heritage, art and culture in India, we were invited by some of the HH Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) restoration members to see the Trust’s work over the past few decades. We reached Azhar Park in Old Cairo – about 25 min away from our hotel. We were met at the Park entrance by Mr Amir, the Operations Manager of the Trust, his assistant, the English guide Miriam, the local Park guide Atif Mohammad and two security men who were tasked to ensure nothing happened to us in Cairo’s old town. We went around in a 10 seater golf buggy so that we could move from one restoration site to another without getting tired. We were told that there are around 500 people actively involved with the HH AKTC restoration work in Cairo.            The city was originally known as El Khaira or Conquered Star (El Khair). There are eight gates to the walled city. The Mitwali gate is 11^th C. the city walls are from Saladin’s time 1170 AD. 

Historic Cairo is very rich in cultural heritage and has a number of magnificent and valuable historic buildings, significant architecture and traditional handicrafts. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is engaged in heritage conservation and restoration, as well as the rehabilitation and development of the area. Visiting the Azhar Park and al-Darb al-Ahmar area provided my family with a unique historic experience of Cairo, its architecture and traditions. The main areas cover the recently excavated archaeological site (at the north of the park) with important Fatimid (969-1171), Ayyubid (1171-1250) and Mamluk (1250-1517) remains indicating the foundation of Cairo and its development. 

We began at the Amir al-Tinbugha al-Maridani mosque. It has the oldest foundation dating from 1340, the era of the Mamluk Sultanate. Located just outside the Bab Zuweila, it was built on the outskirts of medieval Cairo by Amir Altinbugha al-Maridani with help from Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad. When constructed, it was unique because of its first fully octagonal minaret and large dome, as well as other architectural innovations. 

To build the mosque, the sultan appointed his master builder, al-mu'allim al-Suyufi and provided about dhirams 15,000 worth of wood and marble.  The inside has a very warm feeling to it due to its small inner hall. Repair work is underway all over. The ceiling, the walls, the windows and the wooden facade are all being carefully restored with tender care. The facade has features unusual for Mamluk architecture. The points of the arches are framed with a continuous moulding that curls into a loop at the top of each arch, and stucco carved niches and medallions alternate in the spandrels of each arcade. We saw three restorers busy at work on the mashrabiyya upon which is a large inscription from the Qur'an. This wooden screen mostly shades the sanctuary from the courtyard's light, making the double windows in the outer wall necessary. 

We were told that the Khayer Bek complex has a corridor under the walls which goes right up to the famed Citadel on the far side of the city. The Mosque was built between 1502 and 1520. The AKTC under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities began a project to restore the entire complex. The missing section of the minaret was reconstructed as per historical documents in 2003 and the conservation of the mosque and mausoleum was completed by 2006.

The Blue Mosque or Aqsunqur Mosque is a unique example of early Mamluk architecture. It is also the largest mosque in the Bab el Wazir area of Cairo. It was built in 13^th C but the blue Iznik tiles are from 1684 AD.  There was major earthquake in 1992 which damaged large sections. The mausoleum, its supporting walls, and the tiles had deteriorated and the marble had also cracked. Hence restoration began in 2009 and completed in 2015

The Bab Zuweila (or Zouela) Gate, which was ahead of us, was from the time of the 1^st Islamic Capital. It’s rather beautiful and imposing in structure. Bab al-Mahruq, one of the important gates of the Historic Wall, provides access to al-Darb al Ahmar district and Aslam square that houses Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque and a gallery selling handicrafts produced by local and traditional craftsmen in the community. We just loved walking through this gallery and the embroidery work on display was beautiful.

Bab Zouela, the famous gate of Cairo, the Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque, the Maridani Mosque, the Umm al-Sultan Sha‘ban Madrasa and Mosque, the house of al-Razzaz, the Mosque and Mausoleum of Khayer Bek, the Aqsunqur-Blue Mosque, the Alinaq Palace and the Tarabay Mausoleum are among many of the architectural jewels of al-Darb al-Ahmar district dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.

 

Azhar Park, where we began and ended our fascinating tour, was 20 years ago a site for dumping trash. This park is listed as one of the world's sixty great public spaces by the Project for Public Spaces of New York. Today, it has the biggest garden in Cairo spread over 30 acres. It’s beautifully laid out, scrupulously well kept and Cairo residents flock to it. The development cost was around US$ 30 million - a gift from the Aga Khan IV. 

“In 1984, Aga Khan IV was visiting Cairo on a conference. From his hotel balcony Al-Darassa hill was visible: mounts of rubbish amassed during 500 years. He decided to intervene and offer the city of his ancestors the much-needed gift of an oasis in this urban desert. Works of excavation, grading and replacement with appropriate fill began in 1992. A total of 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble and soil were moved, which represents over 80,000 truckloads".

"While the designers grappled with the technical difficulties at hand posed by the terrain and soil the government introduced an additional unexpected constraint halfway through the process: three cisterns were to be integrated into the terrain to improve the supply of potable water to the city of Cairo. Work had to be interrupted and the design revised. The new revised layout of the park was then carefully designed according to the landscape of the hill and the three water tanks". 

"The designers insisted on integrating traditional Islamic landscape traditions in both their design and choice of greenery, thus allowing the past flow of the city to come back to life. Tradition and historical legacy were preserved: this legacy can be seen in a variety of styles from different periods and different regions". 

"It is reflected in the bustan-like orchard spaces, the shaded sitting areas (takhtaboush) and the Fatimid archways used in the construction of Park buildings, among other elements. Persian and Timurid elements are also reflected in the water channels and fountains. The Nile, symbol of Egypt and Cairo, also finds a place in the new project as the river is designed to feed the water ponds in the park". 

"The choice of plantation was also carefully made, according to landscape and quality of soil. The central terraced formal gardens, emphatic use of fountains, Mamluk multicoloured stonework, sunken gardens, intersecting waterways and bold Islamic geometry are all integrated into a contemporary site design; cafes are situated at the entrance, playgrounds and scenic overlooks are arranged along curving paths. The site is supported by a reservoir constructed for the project” Wikipedia. 

 We are extremely grateful to the AKTC team members for sparing their time and showing us around a Cairo which we would never have otherwise seen. It is a wonderful memory to treasure always.  Thank you. 

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