Revitalization of old Cairo

Abstract

The unique historic urban landscape of Old Cairo is after decades of decline in danger. Even after first projects and measures for the rehabilitation of the last years an intensive, complex and comprehensive strategy, including bottom up approaches to integrate the inhabitants, entrepreneurs, traders and initiatives of today is needed to keep Old Cairo as the most important core of the rapid growing mega city Cairo. The revitalization of downtown and historic Cairo should get the highest priority on the urban development agenda of the whole inner city of Cairo and is also a task for the international community to preserve one of its most unique world heritage cities, to maintain and enhance the long lasting coexistence between the medieval Arabic urban structure and the modern urban structure of the 19th century as an unique urban ensemble of the collision of orient and occident.