University of Turin International Training Centre ILO

Mariam Elias  

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University of Turin International Training Centre ILO

Turn ing The Baron Pa lace Into a S i te -Spec i f ic Museum & A Cu l tura l D istr ict

Democratizing  Cosmopolitan  Architecture  of  Egypt  

&  Enhancing  a  Local  Collective  Memory  by  Using  Abandoned  Sites  &  Monuments  to  Create  a  Visual  Chronology  of  Modern  Egypt  

Mariam Elias

Abstract: Modern history in Egypt has been neglected and rarely documented, as both tangible and intangible heritage are neither part of the public discourse nor are preserved or conserved as touristic sites. Inspired by Yudhishthir Raj Isar’s book Heritage, Memory & Identity, Peter Tomlinson’s lecture on entrepreneurship, Walter Santagat’s on Cultural District & David Throsby on The Production & Consumption of Arts, this is a proposal for a series program that aims to renovate modern architecture such old palaces, cinemas, theatre halls, factories and turn them into site-specific museums that promotes narrative history of intangible heritage and cultural production in the socio-political context of modern Egypt. The Baron Palace is taken as a case study, as the project aims to turn the palace into a museum that displays the urban structure of the initial plan of Heliopolis district, its demographics and the private collection of its inhabitants. However the Baron project cannot be extracted from its context, for that it is suggested without depth study that the Baron is renovated in the context of redesigning the district by transforming Heliopolis into a touristic cultural district and creating an association for modern palaces in Egypt with a website. The area around the palace will be dedicated to several shops for young entrepreneurs working in the field of art & design and thus promote traditional Egyptian crafts with high quality and contemporary designs.

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Table of Contents

Part One: Preservation of Modern Heritage In Egypt Through Community Involvement

Introduction.…………………………………………………………………………….5

Background & Justification……………………………………………………………6 UNESCO ’s Convention of Modern Heritage……………………………………...12 Tourism Context In Egypt……………………………………………………………13 Economic Context In Egypt………………………………………………………….15 Cultural Context In Egypt…………………………………………………………….15 Diagrams For Overall Problems Analysis & Objective……………………………16

Part Two: Turning The Baron Palace Into a Site-specific Museum Surrounded by a Cultural District

1-Site Identification and Description of Property

Governance For Project Implementation…………………………………………..19 Site identification……………………………………………………………………...20 Historic context of the city of Heliopolis…………………………………………….22 Social-Economic context……………………………………………………………..27 Historic Context of Baron Empain …………………………………………………..28 Cultural context………………………………………………………………………..29 Site Plan ……………………………………………………………………………….31 Summary of qualities characterizing the site/place………………………….........39 Present management of the site…………………………………………………….41 SWOT…………………………………………………………………………………..45 2-Problem analysis and Interpretations

Core problem identification46 Core objective identification……………………………………………………………47 Stakeholder analysis…………………………………………………………………...48 3-Project Description General objective……………………………………………………………………….50 Target group…………………………………………………………………………….54 Strategies and priorities………………………………………………………………..55 Assessment Matrix……………………………………………………………………..56 Logical Framework…………………………………………………………………......57

Part Three: Project Planning, Financing and Monitoring Project Work-plan……………………………………………………………………….60 Finance & Economic Feasibility………………………………………………………..62 Monitoring & Reporting………………………………………………………………....68 Annex……………………………………………………………………………………..69 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………….70 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………....71

 

 

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Turning The Baron Palace

Into a Site-Specific Museum & A Cultural District

Democratizing Cosmopolitan Architecture of Egypt & Enhancing a Local Collective Memory by Using Abandoned

Sites & Monuments to Create a Visual Chronology of Modern Egypt

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Part One: Preservation of Modern Heritage In Egypt

Through Community Involvement

Introduction

Rather than a single project, this proposal runs as a complex program or an integrated plan that aims to include several stakeholders and multiple initiatives with sustainable investment program. For the cause of this proposal, the Baron Palace in Heliopolis district of Cairo is taken as a case study.

The project aims to use both tangible heritage to promote the intangible archive and vice versa by using both to enhance a local collective memory and promote modern Egyptian history of the twentieth century until recent times. The proposal aims to find a solution for several palpable problems one of which is the lack of documentation and censorship over history practiced by several regimes. Another problem is the abandon of several sites like palaces, theatres, cinemas that have a historical significance yet still don’t receive any care since most of funds and developments in Egypt goes to the ancient and old buildings rather than a 100 years old one. On the other side, these abounded spaces will be renovated as site-specific museums to promote the same period’s intangible heritage and create a visual historical chronology by using multimedia, interactive installations, augmented reality and private collections. These renovated sites of palaces, cinemas, theatres, factories and halls will be connected through an integrated online network and association. The project has four main outputs for two main goals: The first is an online web 0.2 site that aims to document and narrate lost socio-political modern Egyptian history through community involvement. The website aims to be an online display for lost information and personal documents of the people. The website is entitled www.egyptory.com (Dummy web on http://batatahoaa.wix.com/egytory). The second output is an association that aims to connect all modern buildings like palaces, factories and abandoned places by transforming them into site-specific museums and creating a digital map on the web with other publications. In the second part, the Baron is taken as a case study to be turned into a site-specific exhibition that narrates the story of Heliopolis and developing its surrounding area to a cultural district. Although the project focuses on the Baron as a museum, however taking the Baron out of its context would be impossible. Especially the Baron Empain was the creator of Heliopolis district and all the historic buildings complement each other. After eight and nine months of planning the project two initiatives were discovered which are a local initiative entitled “ Heliopolis Heritage Initiative” and on the 29th of April the Belgium government proposed a collaboration project with Villa Empain in Belgium that is also constructed by Baron Louis Empain. Both initiatives were contacted for future collaboration with the proposal.

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Background and Justification Although Egypt is thrived with heritage that dates back to ancient times, documentation and historical analysis of recent history such as the remnants of late 19th and 20th century history remains lacking. In-fact, there are several restriction concerning finding an objective history of modern Egypt, one of which is the over dominance of physical archival research as the only reliable factual resource. This has made memories, oral testimonies and autobiographies always dismissed since they fall under the auspices of fiction rather than informative knowledge.1

Another important issue has been the lack of transparency and accountability in the past

authoritarian regimes that made many information censored. Especially during state-building era post the 1952 revolution, documents that did not promote a certain view of Egyptian history and the ruling new system were either discarded or destroyed. And with the continuation of the military rule over the past sixty years, the National Archive of Egypt continued to be run within the state’s coercive grip where the State Security (Amn-Al-Dawla) played as an arbitrator & collector of information, restricting the access of documents to everyone except few privileged using it as a means for the state’s manipulation.2

For that, a huge part of the nation’s memory and conscious is kept in the hands of police officers who became gatekeepers of Egypt’s past and the regime’s professional historians that determine what should be revealed or what should be censored. Another issue is the eradication of huge collection of public and private documents due to several issues such as several cataloguing problems, disorganization, theft, conflict, lack of funding or interest.

In fact, it is believed that the 1952 revolution was responsible for ending the Belle Epoque of late nineteenth, early twentieth century Egypt by ending the cosmopolitan elite and ensuing benefits for the proletariat. Apart from the classist segregation of this period into Effendi, Bek and Basha, many scholars thought that Egypt before the officers’ revolution had an enriched liberal experiment and was a hub for many foreign nationalities and workers like the Greek green grocer, the Italian cabinetmaker and the Armenian photographer. Still, references to this era are either too romanticized or in other cases demeaned to give credibility to the post-revolution’s project. This has changed the demographics and the urban structure of the city, downtown area for example that was built by khedive Ismail to be a commercial centre and a political nexus. Later many middle class inhabitants moved out of the city center and into more modern suburbs such as Nasr City, the process by which downtown lost its residential character. Generally speaking the foreigners that came to work in Egypt after the 1869 Suez Canal was built, l had their property nationalized later in 1956 by Gamal Abdel Nasser. This explains why most of the heritage that are remnant of pre-1952 whether tangible or intangible usually was left neglected with no preservation or documentation, as it was thought that acknowledging it would losen the new regime’s credibility and weakness its legitimacy. With the nationalization project, several palaces were transformed into governmental offices or schools and

                                                                                                               

1- Omar. Hussein, “ Making Memory History”, Speak Memory, 2010.

2- IbidP.23.

 

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the open-door policy privatized again these palaces and replaced with huge residencies of multiple apartments.

A photo in newspapers post the 1952 revolution stating that the Egyptian peasant is now sitting on the thrown, the photo is taken in Abbadin Palace.

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For that the aim of the program is to recognize these sites, declare them as a national heritage and renovate them to become a site-specific history museum for its context, such as: an old cabaret, a cinema hall from the 20’s, a theatre hall for puppetry. For example, Cinema Radio in downtown can be turned to a cinema museum that displays film posters and various objects from the Egyptian cinematic archive using the assistance of private collectors. Palaces like Abadin Palace, Champlion Palace, Seragaldin Palace, Muhammad Ali Pasha Shobra Palace, are among several important sites that are either not declared as antiquity, left empty or used by the state as governmental office as it is believed that they are valueless since they only date back to few years ago rather than ancient history.

On   the   other   hand,   several   intangible   heritage   or   historical   archive   are   scattered   in   open  markets,  private  collections,  museum  storage  areas  or  galleries.  For   that,   the  project  aims  to  create   a   context   where   both   the   tangible   and   intangible   heritage   of   modern   Egypt   can   be  displayed  together  to  formulate  a  narrative  visual  history  for  modern  Egypt.    

 

Muhammad  Alia  pasha  Shobra  palace,  designed  with  an  island  in  the  midst  of  the  palace,  Cairo.  

Sarageldin Palace, Cairo, photo by Xenia Nikolskaya.

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The urgency of this project was highlighted after the last civil appraising in Egypt, as the revolts opened the discussion for two major issues: the destiny of the presidential palaces and the continuous demolish of 20th century heritage that was faced with rejection from the citizens. In Mubarak’s era, many important palaces that are the remnants of Belle Epoque were under his grip, some were used for presidency and the rest were closed without any benefit. These palaces include Abadin palace (That was used as a monocracy palace from king Ismail to Farouk then later by Sadat), Ras El Tin Palace, Kobba Palace (That was president Nasser’s official Office), El Ethhadya Palace, Montaza Palace, El Ismailia Rest House, Qatar Rest House and Tahra Palace in Heliopolis.3 Several suggestions appeared to use only one to three palaces for presidency like the White House, while the rest of the palaces will be turned to touristic sites and hotels, especially that many candidates claimed that they would rule from their current houses. According to analysts, such as Mr. Mohamed Abd El Maqsood who is the general manager of the high antiquities, this initiative will help the presidency income to be reduced from unnecessary items like electricity, while it will help in increasing the national income and tourism.4 On the other hand, several initiatives on the social media network started to promote the idea of these presidential palaces as common goods that should become public to display the history of modern architecture and society in the modern era since it belongs to the human civilization at large. Another palpable issue is the continuous demolish of modern buildings with the excuse that “they aren’t all that special”.5 This has caused to the disappearance of any evidence of early 20th century middle class Egyptian society with its cultural references, its economic or societal conditions and its cosmopolitan domestic spaces. Beside that, intangible heritage such as photography, film or culture is neither documented nor archived and scattered among several collectors which made memories and identities easily manipulated. Especially after 25th of January 2011, several historic places have been demolished such as the Greek Club and the Jewish business guru Chickoreil’s palace in Alexandria or being sold such as the century old bar George in Ismailia. It is said that Alexandria has been losing a lot of valuable historical buildings

                                                                                                               

3- Dakhakni.Fathia, “The Destiny of the Presidential Palace in the Second Republic of Egypt ”,Al Masry El Youm, Mon 07/05/2012 http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/824221 4- Ibid.,P2. 5-El Shahed. Mohamed, “ On Heritage Landscapes”, www.cairoobserver.com.

Cinema  Radio,  photographed  by  Xenia  Nikolskaya,  Cairo  

 

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such as filmmaker Asia Dagher villa on the Glym tram tracks, Count Zogheeb Palace in Raml, Prince Tooson’s Palace near the Antoniadis Gardens, and Bayram El Tonsi’s house in Anfoushi.6

Post the downfall of the ex-president, many Egyptians felt that their continuous sense of defeat and self-accusation was broken and many started cleaning and painting the streets. This sense of belonging and responsibility has been always under attack from the authoritarian regime in order to dictate people and increase their sense of despair. It is said that the regime worked a lot to undo this sense of empowerment that January revolution inspired in the past 15 months.

This surely had its implications in culture and heritage that although they have been always outside the popular discourse, only in the past year many people started to create an alternative way to protect and share their undiscovered legacy. For example during the eighteen days of the revolts, several civilians went to protect the Egyptian Museum In Tahrir Square from illicit. Also, recently several initiatives on the social media network appeared to restore the lost collective memory through old photos of the society. Some on the other hand, use web 0.2 applications to create an archive for the Egyptian Cinema such as www.elcinema.com by Bassem Hefny.

There is no doubt that the events of 25th of January made many realize the effect of social pressure and demonstrations; some of these brought positive results. Like in the case of Alexandrian Chikoriel’s palace, were many citizens wrote a petition to the prime minster Mr. kamal El Ganzoury after he removed the palace from the list of B antiquities and give a command to demolish it to be replace with a shopping mall, yet because of this community objection the order was stopped.

                                                                                                               

6-­‐  Morayef.Soraya,“Demolition of disused Alexandria Greek Club highlights larger problems”, Egypt Independent, Sun, 29/04/2012http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/demolition-disused-alexandria-greek-club-highlights-larger-problems.

Chikorielle Palace that was going to be demolished in 2012 by the government, Alexandria.

Demolition  of  Alexandria  Greek  Club  that  dates  back  to  the  1920’s  to  be  replaced  with  a  shopping  Mall,  Photo  by  Emad  Maher.  

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Another good example of these initiatives is the group entitled “ Heliopolis Heritage Initiative” by Mr. Ahmed Mansour and Mrs. Dalia Nabil who were contacted also for cooperative collaboration with this proposal. The initiative was successful in attracting several volunteers who are Heliopolis residents and even in working with Heliopolis parliamentary representative Mr. Amr Hamzawy.

For that local initiative and community based collectives’ form an important alternative for cultural rediscovery that is not based on the authority of the state or a business elite who might be interested in controlling heritage to their benefits.

At the end of the series of program, a network or association will be formed to connect all these sites together using mobile application, or shared services. If this program is applied, the story of the recent history of each governorate will be narrated in its site-specific museum that was an abandoned palace. This is helps the local inhabitances of a place to understand its history they and become engaged in activities related to that space. Each museum will contain a section that is the result of community involvement through an interactive multimedia display of their testimonials and personal photos or the display of their private collections.

The suggested program starts with Heliopolis, as it is the most neglected with a great potential. Due to its homogeneous design and specific story, can be easily turned into an urban historic area attracting several tourists and engaging its inhabitance. Heliopolis is the gate of Cairo and the first location a tourist passes by after arrival from the airport. Although it has many hotels, the district is only marketed as a residential area with no mention for its monuments. Another point, arts & culture spaces are mostly centralized in downtown Cairo and one hardly finds an ongoing event away from that place. However, with the creation of New Cairo, Heliopolis became another alternative for the city centre that still lacks any heritage, cultural or touristic activity.

Logo  for  Heliopolis  Heritage  Initiative,  &  Facebook  group.  

Current  View  of  Baghdad  St.  a  central  street  in  Korba,  Heliopolis.  

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UNESCO ’s Convention of Modern Heritage It was in early 2001 when UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Working Party on the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO) started a joint program for the recognition, documentation and promotion of the built heritage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 7

Internationally speaking, modern heritage has always been the most vulnerable as it has weak legal protection, low appreciation among the public and un-objective standards of evaluation and thus the least listed and conserved. In 1989, a proposal by a council of Europe stated a range of activities and recommendations that would raise public awareness of such neglected heritage.

Even if its in the near past, the twentieth century is thrived with incidents and major changing points, especially with the introduction of modernism as a technical term in the 1950’s that accompanied the processes of individualization, democratization and industrialization that started in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also from a geopolitical point of view it is said that the duration of the twentieth century is a mere seventy one years that is measured with the beginning of the modern age that starts with the end of the First World War & the Victorian Age.

Another hinder that faces the declaration of modern inheritance as world heritage is the over representation of architectural sites in the list. Following several negotiations about the list, an expert meeting of UNESCO and ICOMOS was held in June 1994, which noted a severe imbalance with regard to certain categories of heritage and regions. One of which is “the over-representation of European-based heritage in relation to the rest of the world; historic towns and religious buildings in relation to other types of heritage; Christianity in relation to other religions and beliefs; historical periods in relation to prehistory and the twentieth century; ‘elitist’ architecture in relation to vernacular architecture”. 8 Later, the session that was held at UNESCO Headquarters in February 2001 started discussing the preservation of modern architecture in the context of the twentieth century considering the World Heritage List and its regional or state-oriented basis.

Also because of the initiatives taken by ICOMOS, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Centre, categories of ‘cultural landscapes’ and ‘industrial heritage’ started to be considered in the nomination of the World Heritage List. Also, there was a revision of the meaning of the authentic value to be more exclusive to include the authenticity of the idea, the form, the construction and the materials. It was said that the early years of the twentieth century in Egypt featured a great symbols of modernism and cosmopolitanism, as business elite had several urban planning development projects such as Ismail’s new downtown that he called “ Paris On the Nile”. Then after the 1952 revolution the new republic used cultrue and heritage to shape identities and edit history. The military regime held parades, created monuments, edited history books to promote their new military autocratic project.

They established a ministry of culture that was called back Ministry of Guidance, signifying that the role of the government is to guide Egyptians towards the new cultural and national identity, which relied on a certain understanding of past heritages.9 For that, modern Egyptian heritage was seen as colonial                                                                                                                

7-Van Ores.Ron, “ Introducation to the Programme On Modern Heritage”, Identification And Documentation of Modern Heritage,UNESCO,P.8. 8-Ibid.,. 9- El Shahed. Mohamed, “The “ White City” and Egypt’s Modernist Heritage”, www.cairobserver.com.

 

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inheritance especially post the militarily regime. Because, artistic and historical value is subjective, preserving such legacy was not always a priority. Accordingly it was perceived that such national possession lacked any economic value too, which made many of these sites always neglected, mismanaged and even exposed to demolition.

Although these buildings are documents that narrate the histories of a community, the government would give a legal permission to destroy them with the argument of that they lack any significance leaving no proof of early 20th century middle class Egyptian society with its cultural references, societal conditions or domestic spaces.10

In 2003, UNESCO added Tel Aviv’s “White City” to its list of world heritage sites that was made of three zones of around 4,000 buildings built from the 1930s to the 1950s in various interpretations of the modernist architecture. UNESCO considered the White City significant for its authenticity in urban planning with a declaration, which states that “None of the European or North-Africa realizations exhibit such a synthesis of the modernistic picture nor are they at the same scale”.11

In fact such statement that implies the lack of a precedent modernist heritage in both Europe or its geographical surrounding area of North Africa, will actually lead to disregard any modernist initiatives in that region. However, the case of Egypt has several proofs of modern movement in urban planning that is aware of the international discourse and was successful in creating its local individuality that was seen as a nationalist response to the previous three decades of ornamental architecture.

It is then arguable that both cosmopolitan architecture and the later modern architecture not only were able to create an authentic narrative to the Egyptian recent history, but they were a method to create a national voice and an alternative to the colonial heritage. However due to the Eurocentric perspective of history, the Egyptian modern experience was always seen as unoriginal or less important.

In later years, the modern project was demolished as the state used to perceive it as mundane and protecting it was unworthy and “unofficial heritage” like the ancient and Islamic. Between political agendas, capitalists greed, lack of preservation, Eurocentric narration and shortage of state protection, modern Egyptian heritage was easily exposed to loss and damage.

Thus the rediscovery of Egyptian modern project can lead to the inclusion of such an important chapter in the Egyptian history that for sure will have an international significance if it was justified in the right context. It is then worth mentioning that the addition of Egyptian modern heritage in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list implies that the modern project was not only monopolized by the west or regionally represented in Israel’s White City only. However, it proves that the human modern legacy is diversified with several international versions.

On the other hand, the only modern Egyptian site that is inscribed in the WHL is the “ New Gouna Village” that is designed by Hassan Fathy that is only incorporated because it accidentally is falls under the boundaries of “Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis”.12 The Alexandria Bibliotheca is another modern property that has a potential of being represented under the title of “Alexandria: ancient remains and the new library ” that is currently on the Tentative List. It is then suggested that modern heritage can be classified among two groups, one of which is “Royal Family Heritage” or “Colonial Heritage” that includes palaces like Montazah Palace & Gardens and the other is “Earthen Heritage” which are Vernacular Architecture designed by Hassan Fathy and Ramsis Wissa Wassef.

                                                                                                               

10-Ibid.,. 11-Ibid.,. 12-Abdel Tawab,Ayman, “ Modern Heritage In Egypt : Significante and Outsanding Potentials”,P.5.

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Tourism Context In Egypt

According to the American Chamber of Commerce’s report of 2005, tourism sector in Egypt has been always a major contributor to the national economy, whether through direct or indirect means by contributing with a major share in the GDP almost by 11,5 % and 15 % of the employment.14 According to the Ministry of Tourism, the number of foreign visitors between 1980 and to 2005 increased more than six times, reaching 8,607,810 tourists in 2005.15 There are two main categories of the Tourism in Egypt which are international (foreign) tourism and internal (domestic) tourism, however it is the international tourism that represent the most important source of foreign currency for the country which can be classified into three main categories: Traditional Cultural Tourism, Recreational and New Cultural Tourism. Historically speaking, Egypt was the first non-European country that was visited for tourism by the rich and educated elites. Some historians date back the rediscovery of ancient Egyptian heritage as a touristic hub, after the military and scientific expedition of the Napoleon invasion of Egypt in 1798-1801. Yet, it is said that the flourishing of the industry in Egypt came after the pioneer “tour operator” Thomas Cook and Son had set its businesses in the country in 1880’s.16

However, in the last two decades the Egyptian tourism industry has also been subject to several shocks caused by terrorist attacks and conflicts in the region. Still, all that was not as harmful as the recent events of the Arab revolutions, where Egypt became on the black list of several Embassies, while several countries restricted its citizens from going to Egypt. Also, the rise of the Islamic fundamentalists raises a major concern to the future of tourism in the country. By 2012 and due to ongoing street aggression, Tourism Industry was highly effected as it saw 32% drop in the number of visitors. The industry which was the main contributor in the GDP generating more than £8bn a year and was believed to employ one in eight of the workforce, has been a £2.5bn decrease fall in tourism revenue alongside 32% fewer visitors.17 In an Interview with the Guardian, minster of tourism Mr. Mounir Fakhry Abd El Nour said the following: “ We are living through an unprecedented crisis in the history of this sector," And continued explaining "We have faced tourism crises before following one-off events [such as the 1997 Luxor massacre in which terrorists shot dead 62 holidaymakers at an ancient Egyptian temple], but this is different because [the revolution] is a continuous state of affairs".18 To conclude, internal tourism has been always targeted for the beach resorts and usually cultural internal tourism is not frequent. On the other hand, ancient heritage and recreational trips are the main attraction for the international tourism. For that modern heritage needs a strong management plan in order to compete with the two other official categories, as it would have a different target group who are more from the creative class and visitors looking for experimental trip or experience tourism.

                                                                                                               

14- American Chambre Commerce Egypt, (2005),Tourism Sector Developments in Egypt. 15-Ibid.,. 16- Santagta,Baig,Bertacchini, “Cultural System and Local Sustainable Development”, P.16. 17- Shenker,Jack,“Egyptian Frustration As Tourists Atay Away”,The Guardian,19 january 2012. 18-Ibid.,.

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Economic  Context  In  Egypt    

Before the last civil appraising, Egypt was run by a governmental cabinet of Businessmen guru who although were able to increase the GDP By 7%, they widened the gap between the rich and poor as the economy was designed to benefit few corrupt elite whose main concern is to sustain the regime. One year after the events, leaders at the 2012 World Economic Forum in Davos started to stress the urgent needs for a more accountable economic framework that promote broad-based growth while creating jobs, inclusive economic chances for youthful labor force and reducing the wide gaps between the rich and the poor.19 However, the continued discontent and violent unrest lead to the several counter results with lack of tangible economic developments.

The Tahrir Square with the post- revolution government, proposed several ideas to solve the recurrent financial issues that included the establishment of a new minimum wage for government workers, tax exemptions for more government workers, and the retention of fuel, housing and food subsidies and significant funding for workforce training. Yet, it became impossible to recover from a steep post-revolution slouch. “ GDP growth has stalled, foreign reserves have fallen from $36 billion pre-revolution to under $20 billion in January 2012, unemployment remains high and over 40 percent of Egyptians are either below the poverty line or perilously close to it,” writes Raymand Gilpin in his article “ From Tahrir to Davos: Employment & Equity in post-revolution Egypt”.20

With all these stressing issues, the government refused to enter a program with the IMF in mid-2011and instead of using some political capital to pass through the transitional period of reform, it chose to delay taking decisions and only perform transitional work. On the other hand, usually polices of economic freedom and international cooperation’s fail to find acceptance within a post-conflict phase like the current situation in Egypt where business gurus are sent to jail, foreign NGO’s are kicked out with an accusation that they are secret agents for foreign agendas. For that, culture and heritage comes at the end of the state’s financial agenda and many projects has been stopped or suspended such as turning Abo El Elah Bridge into a museum and the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Cultural Context In Egypt

As explained before in the background and justification section, modern heritage in Egypt is highly neglected. Especially its intangible heritage of photographic, filmic, musical, oral heritage, are always exposed of being lost, stolen, or damaged. It is enough to mention the illicit of several artifacts from the Egyptian museum during the revolts and the theft of Van Gogh’s “ Poppy Flower” from Mohamed Khalil’s Museum, to prove the very week management and security of these heritage institutions. On other level, several valuable objects are scattered among various collectors, dusted in drawers or preserved away from the accessibility of the audience.

A good example of that is the valuable collection of the rare Books at the American University In Cairo that is neither exhibited and accessing it needs permission. Creswell, Hassan Fathy, Salah Taher, Waly El Din Sameh, Ramses Wissa Wassef are among the other precious collection that the AUC owns but is only available for its students on display in rare occasions. Museumlogy in Egypt is a neglected field to the extent that, not only there are no museums dedicated to its history of photography, its 100 years cinematic heritage or urban history of the city, but the genre is not even studied at universities and some research NGO’s are accused of using the money of the funds in brokerage rather than development.

                                                                                                               

19- Gilpin.Raymond, “ From Tahrir to Davos: Employment and Equity in Post-Revolution Egypt”, International Network for Economics and Conflict, http://inec.usip.org/blog/2012/jan/30/tahrir-davos-employment-and-equity-post-revolution-egypt 20-Ibid.,.

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Diagrams  For  Overall  Problems    

Analysis  &  Objective Fig 1:Problem Tree of Overall Subject

Loss  of  valuable  tangiable  &  

intangiable  heritage.  

Egyptian  Modern  Heritage  and  History  is  not  part  of  the  

hegemonic  public  discourse  and  dialogue.  

Several  important  sites  are  neglected  and  abandoned.  

Modern  heritage  is  underestimated  compared  to  the  ancient  heritage.    

Several  palaces  ,  theartres,  halls  being  nationalized  and  in  bad  

condition.  

Lack  of  documentation,  historical  data  and  

accumulation  of  research  

Memoirs,  oral  testimonies  and  autobiographies  always  dismissed    

unadquate  number  of  professionals  in  

the  ^ield.  

Loss  of  collective  memory  &  unclear  national  

identity  causing  increase  of  intolerance.    

  17  

   Objective  Tree  of  Overall  Subject

Restoration  of  several  abonded  

sites  and  declaring  it  as  

national  antiques.  

Egyptian  Modern  heritage  &  history  becomes  part  of  the  hegemonic  public  discourse  

&  dialogue  

Restoring  old  buildings  and  

turning  them  to  a  site  -­‐  spec^ic  museums  

Cooperation  between  urban  planers,  curators,  

artists  and  historians  on  each  site.  

Raising  funds  by  creating  a  PPP  models  for  and  around  the  site.    

Documentation  of    historical  data  and  accumulation  of  

research  

Creating  a  web  0.2  platforms  and  centre  for  collecting  oral  history  and  private  

collections.    

Creating  a  training  centre  to  publish  and  devlop  skills  of  

R  &  D.      

The  exsitance  of  visual  and  textual  chronolgy  of  modern  

intagiable  and  tangiable  heritage  &  history.    

  18  

Part Two Turning The Baron Palace

Into a Site-specific Museum Surrounded by a Cultural District

  19  

Part Two Turning The Baron Palace Into a Site-specific Museum Surrounded by a Cultural District

1.1Governance  For  Project  Implementation    

Project name:

The Baron Palace as Site-Specific Museum and restoration of Heliopolis as a Cultural District. Preparation Date: August 2011.

Starting Date: March 2012

Tentative Duration For Museum: 3 years.

Tentative Duration For Heliopolis Renovation: 7 years.

Tentative Duration For Ongoing Project: 15 years.

Starting Date (indicative) of Phase One: January 2013.

Geographical Coverage P/1: Heliopolis, Cairo.

Project Site Region P/1: Korba & Salah Salem Road

Region Department Country P/1: Cairo Governorate

Project Language: English/ Arabic

Responsible Government Agency: Supreme Council of Antiquities

Definition of Management Model: Public Private Partnership & International Cooperation.

Executing Agency: Supreme Council of Antiquities

Implementing Agency:

Belgium Company for conservation assigned by Villa Empain in Brussels.

Donors: The Belgium Government through the Belgium Embassy in Egypt.

Other Suggested Cooperating Agency, Partners, Consultants:

Heliopolis Heritage Initiative, Docomo International, Docomo Egypt, DEDI, Cultnat

Rare Books of American University In Cairo, Institute of Cultural Affairs for Middle East and

North Africa (ICA-MENA),

  20  

1.2 Site Identification

The program aims to restore several palaces and halls of the late ninetieth to twentieth century around Egypt in Cairo, Alexandria, Portsaid and Ismailia. The Baron Empain Palace was taken as a pilot & a case study for the program. Located in Salah Salem St. Heliopolis. Cairo The Palace is located in the main road that connect the city to the airport and exist out of Cairo. The palace was built between 1907-1910. Surface Area: 12,500 squared meters. Heliopolis City: Initiated by Baron Louis Empain in 1905 on a 6,000 feddans in the desert, 15 kilometers away from Cairo.

Baron  Palace  &  Heliopolis  District/  Google  Maps

  21  

   Baron  Palace  &  Heliopolis  District/  Google  Maps  

 Baron  Palace  On  Google  Earth

  22  

1.3 Description of the Property Historical Context of the City of Heliopolis Heliopolis is an old lost Pharonic city, where the site of the ancient Heliopolis lies in the Cairo suburb of Matariya that straddles the metro line by the edge of the current modern Heliopolis city. The remnants of the ancient Heliopolis city is probably found fifteen or twenty meters beneath the slums of Matariya district. 21 The significance of Heliopolis city was because it was the place where some religious texts were written after which several myths about the universal creation appeared. Heliopolis means the “city of the sun” as it was named after the sun that was a god and the central figure of the creation myth. It is also said that Heliopolis was the place were the form of the obelisks were originated, as it was the gift by a king “ Son of Ra” to the universal creator the sun. These obelisks are currently scattered around the world and only one is left in Egypt. Then, in 383 the Christian Emperor Theodosius ordered the closure of all pagan temples throughout the empire as a new religion has appeared. However even in 1195, many statues were still standing high and Heliopolis was considered as an ancient city. Later Mataryia became an upscale suburb for new bourgeoisies and the British in the Nineteenth and early twentieth century. This continuously mounting metropolis has engulfed the city and Heliopolis had to be reborn elsewhere by the Baron Empain who invited Belgium Architect “ Ernest Jasper” to a trip and looked out of the desert off the Suez road and said “ I want to build a city here”.22 It is said that the Baron Empain who was one of the nineteenth century giants who pushed the innovations of industrial revolution to their limits, as he was one of the builders of the financial and technical bases for the age by constructing railroads and pioneering electricity powered transport system. He was then part of what the called the “ march of progress” that was hailed back then. By 1900’s Cairo was a flourishing modern town, as Khedive Ismail started to construct his own “ Paris On The Nile” since 1860’s, the posh district of Garden City was laid out, the Swiss started to upgrade the area in Zamalek on a Nile Island, while the Empain paid a mere Egyptian pound per feddan to buy the site of Heliopolis which was ten Kilometres from Cairo and close to road to Suez in Abbasiya dessert costing a total of five thousand pounds for the land alone.23

                                                                                                               

21-Dobrowolska,Agnieszka&Dobrowolski,Jarostaw, “Heliopolis:Rebirth of The City Of The Sun”,AUC,2006,P15. 22-Ibid.,.P37. 23 –Ibid,.,P.45

The distinctive Neo-Moorish style created the urban architectural pattern of the city with an aesthetic sustainability that preserves its originality within different decades

  23  

Several changes happened during the rule of Nasser who nationalized Heliopolis Company; even though most Egyptians didn’t look at Empain as colonialist but they saw him as a man whose life became attached to the country that he chose to be buried under the Basilica leaving a huge contribution to the Egyptian urban history. Heliopolis was designed to attract a well paying clientele and a special area of the city was designed to house services workers or servants to be a pioneer in “ Social Architecture” in Egypt. Later, the company started to develop a race track, an aerodrome, the Luna park amusement centre and other public spaces to act as a touristic attraction for the European clientele. The residential buildings around the Basilica were designed with faux minaret that has no other function except an aesthetic urban sense of the city of thousand minarets. These faux minarets were lost after 1992 earthquake as it is said that it was removed because it symbolizes a religious purpose. Eight percent of the districts were dedicated for public gardens, parks and playgrounds. The district offered four types of residential living: villas, bourgouis flats in apartment buildings, small apartments in blocks of flats or garden cities & austere bungalows for the working class. Thus, the original architecture of Heliopolis has much in common with art nouveau with historic Islamic architecture to create the Neo-Moorish style.

  24  

Initial plan for Heliopolis was designed to be formed of two Oasis: Oasis 1 was designed for residential and touristic oasis, while Oasis 2 was an industrial & commercial one. However due to economic crisis in 1907 the construction of Oasis 2 didn’t happen and only Oasis 1 was completed to be the current Heliopolis that we know today. (Plan is a still from Heliopolis Heritage Initiative film)

The Basilica was designed to be in the central plan of Heliopolis as a message from Baron Empain who was also a Roman Catholic and from it there were four paths on its axis, one leading to the Baron Empain palace, other to the race track, to a Hotel and also to the market area & mosque. (Plan is a still from Heliopolis Heritage Initiative film).

  25  

Historical Photos of Site & Palace

  26  

Significant landmarks:

On the left, Mansion of Egyptian-Armenian businessman-statesman-diplomat Boghos Nubar Pasha which is currently a military headquarters and on the right the tomb of Baron Louis Empain under the Basilica.

On the left, the Hippodrome Club that used to host international horse race currently filled with restaurants and is called the Merryland. On the right, Luna Park that was the first amusement park in Africa and the Middle East, few buildings of its structure remains but it became a commercial area called Roxy with no evidence of the existence of the park.

Heliopolis Palace Hotel, used to have a 400 luxury rooms, later became the seat of central government in Nasser’s era and then the presidential palace in Mubarak’s era. Several discussions are recurrent now in turning the Palace to a hotel for the public again.

  27  

1.4 Socio-economic Context

With the existence of the Egyptian Military headquarters, The Egyptian Air Force headquarters, The Almaza Military Airbase and the site of Heliopolis Palace Hotel that became the Egyptian Republican Palace and the president's office, the district gained a special political and military importance in the country in recent decades. Also, the regional headquarters of some international organizations such as the World Health organizations and the Red Crescent are also located within the area. While it is said that the Israeli Air Force bombed the district during the Yom Kippur War, causing damage to some of its historical buildings.24

Heliopolis was designed to be a cosmopolitan area that hosts all religion sects as it had several landmarks such as: The Basilique Catholic church situated on Al-Ahram Street and the burial place of Baron Empain, numerous Islamic mosques, Christian Saint Maron and Saint-Rita church, a protestant church and the Jewish Al Missalah Street synagogue. All that, prove the morals of tolerance that the city established itself on. It was also the host of several international nationalities like the Armenians, the Belgium and Greek as well as several aristocratic Egyptians.

Even after Nasser’s nationalization project in the fifties, it became home to Cairo's educated middle class. With the expansion of greater Cairo, the huge distance between Heliopolis and downtown has vanished to become integrated inside the city. Because of the increase in population, the original gardens that filled the city were replaced by construction and the district was designed to provide its inhabitance several pedestrian areas and that recreational places became crowded with cars and traffic jam.

Entertainment and facilities were major elements in the creation of the place as from 1911 until 1915; Heliopolis had Luna Park, Africa's first amusement park, an airport, a hippodrome, a sporting club, hotels, cafes and an airport. Later, it hosted Normandy Cinema in Al-Ahram, Cinema Roxy, and Cinema Heliopolis along with the new cinemas in Horreya Mall and City Stars, the largest shopping mall in Egypt. Recently with the new parliamentary elections, Amr Hamzawy a liberal politician that was running in this region succeeded because of the educated class that still living in it.

                                                                                                               

24- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliopolis_(Cairo_suburb)

An old overview of Heliopolis.

  28  

1.5 Historic Context of Baron Empain Palace Built in the early 20th century (between 1907 and 1910) by the Belgian-born industrialist, Baron-General Eduard Louis Joseph Empain (1852-1929), who was the owner of the palace & the initiator of the new city of leisure and luxury that was called Heliopolis. A district that has proven to be sustainable for 100 years with a high innovative urban planning that protected the niche demographics of its inhabitants until now.

It was an ambitious project of converting the desert into a region with wide-open areas of residential masterpieces, villas, spacious roads, facilities and amenities to suit the royal elite and together with his Cairene socialite partner Yvette Boghdadli, they initiated the new district, building several facilities and services and fine residential housing for the elite.

Eduard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain (20 September 1852 - 22 July 1929) was a wealthy Belgian engineer, entrepreneur, financier and industrialist, as well as an amateur Egyptologist, known for his extravagant lifestyle who in 1881 founded his own bank, Banque Empain, which later became the Belgian Industrial Bank ("Banque Industrielle Belge"). The Empain had a vast group of companies that expanded greatly throughout the 1890s, including electric urban tramlines in Europe, Russia, China, the Belgian Congo, and in Cairo, Egypt. 25

Aiming to be independent of electricity producers, Empain became involved in forming a number of electricity companies to power his projects. Eduard Empain arrived in Egypt in January 1904, intending to rescue one of the projects of his company S.A. des Chemins de Fer de la Basse-Egypte which was working on the construction of a railway line linking Mansourah to Matariya from Port Said and despite losing the railway contract to the British, Empain stayed on in Egypt.26

In 1907 he received the title of Baron, but he also suggested to Belgian Egyptologist Jean Capart that he would excavate at Heliopolis and made it possible for him to acquire some fine ancient artifacts for the Brussels Museum. He died at Woluwe, Belgium and was buried under the Our Lady of Heliopolis Basilica (known as La Basilique Notre-Dame d'Héliopolis) where he constructed a path from the church under which he was buried towards his Palace where he was resident. His palace hosted many prestigious guests such as the Belgian King Albert I. In 1906, Empain established the Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oases Company, which purchased a large land at the northwest of Cairo with a very low price from the colonial government and proceeded with the building of the new town of Heliopolis, in the desert ten kilometers from the center of Cairo.

                                                                                                               

25-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Empain 26-­‐Bizzari.Heba,”  The  Baron’s  Palace  Fables,  Legends  and  Controversies”    http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/baronspalace.htm  

Sample of the ticket for Cairo Electric railways Heliopolis Company.

  29  

Inspired by Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Hindu temples of Orissa, the Baron Empain palace was designed by French architect Alexander Marcel with the assistance of the best Indonesian artists and sculptors to implement it spectacular façade. They built it on an artificial elevation to enable the Baron to watch the rising of Heliopolis. For the exterior, Marcel reproduced a motley of busts, statues, elephants, snakes, Buddha's, shivers and Krishna's, While Georges-Louis Claude created its sophisticated interior. It is also notable to mention, that this duo was responsible for the construction and decoration of the Oriental Pavilion attached to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Belgium.27

Other lofty palaces such as the Arabesque palace surround the Baron palace, which originally was the home of Boghos and Marie Nubar Pasha who assisted Baron Empain in purchasing the 6,000 Acres of empty desert at one pound each. The palace became later a military Headquarters after nationalization. Also, in an opposite view stand the former residence of Sultan Hussein Kamel, who reigned over Egypt between 1914 and 1917and was used in the past regime as a presidential guesthouse.28

                                                                                                               

27- Bizzari.Heba,” The Baron’s Palace Fables, Legends and Controversies” http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/baronspalace.htm 28-Ibid,.,

  30  

1.6 Cultural Context of The Palace The palace is a subject to many legends and rumors more than any other monument in Egypt, such as the construction of the Palace around a type of turnstile that would rotate the whole building so that its windows were always facing the sun. In-fact, it is not a surprising fact for a Hindu style building in the urban structure of Cairo, to evoke all kinds of imagination among its inhabitance with fables that it was haunted by bats, stray dogs, and ghosts. These myths are varied from stories about the structure of the Hindi palace such as an enchanted chamber that was a pink bedroom in the basement and turned into red after the death of the Baron, or stories were narrated about the family of the baron such as his sister the baroness Helena that fell from one of the balconies or about his daughter Miriam committed suicide after a failed love affair at the service of the elevator.29 As far as it is an architectural appeal, it was also an attraction for the underground scene of youth & musicians who would sneak towards the palace and play their compositions, drink beer and smoke hash. In the late 1990’s, the police caught several youngsters who were believed to be practicing Satanism with odd acts like filling the place with tattoos, devil-worshipping, and writing their names in rats' blood on the palace's walls. Currently, its only through bribing the doorman at the front door then you can have access to the interior of the palace that remains mysterious even to its neighbors. One then will be surprised to discover that the huge spectacle facade contains only a small villa from the inside that consists of two floors with two additional subterranean floors. The underground floors contain a family mausoleum, a kitchen and the servant's room. There is an elevator and even a tunnel that connects with the nearby church built by the Baron.

                                                                                                               

29 -http://www.baronpalace-project.net/myths.html

A detailed view for the wall ornamentation and wood carving in the palace.

Baron palace Currently filled with graffiti that is said to be the remnants of the satanic parties in 1992.

  31  

1.7 Plans and Sections of the Palace Site Plan

Site plan for Baron palace surrounded by 3 sides by residential areas & Salah Salem main road on the front. Plan copyright by: http://www.baronpalace-project.net

Site plan for Baron palace & garden. Plan copyright by: http://www.baronpalace-project.net

 

  32  

Ground Floor:

The First Floor is surrounded by a balcony form all sides and has three entrances with most doors closed without restoration. The first floor is an entrance hall and is composed of three main sections, one of which has a chimney and the other has a door that leads to the rest of the floors of the palace. After opening the first floors, one will see a circular stairs, a room for an elevator, a small kitchenette and another stairway for the rest of the floors. Several antiques are stolen or broken and thrown with carelessness on the floor. Also, through the damaged top one can see the hanging ceiling and through a door that is blocked with two big stones, one can get to the other floors in the palace. (Plan copyright: http://www.baronpalace-project.net)

A detailed view from the ground floor showing the detailed ornamentation on the walls.

  33  

From top to down:

Main entrance at ground floor, the hall is open to two other similar halls .the hall on the left has a chimney and the hall on the right has a door that is blocked with stones yet allows the entrance to the other floors of the palace. The three has a door that views a balcony.

  34  

First floor

A circular stairy tower, an elevator and a normal staircase connect the entrance hall with the first floor and the rooftop. A balcony also connects the rooms like a belt, where each room has access to this balcony and a separate bathroom for each. The old ceramics of the toilets with the bathroom ban do still exist with its rare tiles. ((Plan copyright: http://www.baronpalace-project.net)

  35  

The  second  floor  has  3-­4  bathrooms  for  the  rooms  with  some  remnants  of  the  bathtubs  and  ceramic  tiles.  

  36  

Roof Plan

The best way to access the rooftop is through the circular wooden stairs that is currently worn out, the rooftop has many sculptures and seating areas and looks over the whole city of Heliopolis that the Empain built. Yet the most significant thing on the rooftop is the circular room that echoes the sound and has an opening in it’s ceiling which was created to endure the sun like in the ancient Heliopolis city. Plan copyright: http://www.baronpalace-project.net

Circular stairs tower son the side of the palace.

  37  

Circular Sunroom with an opening enters light continually,

Below: the rooftop full of sculpture.

  38  

Section

Section copyright: http://www.baronpalace-project.net

The door for the elevator service room, however the main body of the elevator is not hanging.

  39  

1.8. Summary of Qualities Characterizing The Site/ Place The area surrounding the palace has several qualities, one of which its relative quietness and surrounded by posh shops like Azza Fahmy, 5 stars hotels and fine residency area. The existence of several hotels in this area, like the Meridian, can be a good guarantee for the area to turn into a cultural district and a touristic site.

In previous years, there have been several successful attempts to close the near by Bagdad Street of korba area and turn it into a pedestrian only path to organize a street festival for the celebration of 100 years of the creation of Heliopolis. Such an initiative can be also repeated in the same st and in the area surrounding the palace. A new line of underground is also being constructed in order to connect Heliopolis with the rest of Cairo in few minutes.

The Palace is a true enchantment that continues to be a rare reminder of a significant era of grandiose proportions, leisurely celebrations, exotic decorations and grand balls of royal presence. A legendary palace of mysterious reflections and architectural elements that stir one’s imagination, as it stands today in the modern district Heliopolis to echo the magical period of the Baron and early Twentieth century Egypt.

It has a unique architecture that mixes the orient with the art nouveau aesthetics, to create an original masterpiece that has no resemblance in the entire Egypt. Alexander Marcel’s design inspired by Angkor Wat  in Cambodia and the Hindu temples of Orissa, still had an eastern oriental inspiration to it. As even with its Asian style, an oriental style can still be depicted to make the palace fit to its surrounding area. It still stands today, remaining one of the finest examples of early creative use of concrete, of which it was entirely built. The construction of the exterior and interior of the palace was assigned to specialized teams to enable the professional execution and recreation of a residential Hindu temple.

  40  

The open courtyard surrounding the palace is landscaped with several pathways, while the main and largest pathway, wide enough to accommodate several vehicles, leads to the grand staircase of the palace. On either side of the main pathway are statues of snakes, elephants, Buddha and Krishna’s that are frozen in time with skillfully created expressions. Today, some of the sculptures remain in good condition, the majority however are fragments of the statues, but are more than enough to invoke the most vivid of legends. Unfortunately, the grand size of the palace and open yards exist today as deserted rubble and guarded grounds that were once filled with lush greenery and foliage, creating an exotic contrast to the mythical stone sculptures.

The palace building itself has two main floors, with other underground divisions. The exterior of the building is ornamented with chiseled stone, relief architecture, with the focal point being a Hindu style dome. As the palace was located in one of the most prestigious locations, so were its neighbors, who included kings and pashas of the time. The guests of the Palace that Empain hosted were of course of equal stature, among who were King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians.

The Palace itself accommodated the Baron's entire family, ending with his grandchildren who sold the Palace to Saudi buyers. Both the Baron and his son in full effect enjoyed the splendor and excessiveness of the Palace. The Baron's grandchildren however weren't so keen on the lifestyle or architectural tendencies of there parents, and thus handed over their mythical home to their buyers of choice.

Detailed view on the ornamentation of the façade of the building.

  41  

Baron  Surrounding  Area  &  potential  Cultural  District    

The Baron Palace is currently surrounded by few shops that sell Egyptian crafts; Such as the international jewelry designer Azza Fahmy and Orange Square, which is an Egyptian brand for suits tailored especially for the costumer. The proposal of the culture district aims to bring other Egyptian brands and restaurants for the area around the palace. An Example of that would be the Egyptian restaurants Abo El Sid (http://www.abouelsid.com) and Zooba ( http://www.zoobaeats.com ) Another suggested Egyptian brands are Nagada (http://nagada.net/clothes_egypt_fashion_egypt.htm), Tanis, Amina K (http://www.aminak.net), Ramsis Wisa Wassif ( http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com) and Sami Amin Leathers http://www.sami-amin.com.

Arts & Gems Currently located around the Baron Palace

Orange Square, Egyptian fashion brand around the Baron

Azza Fahmy, International Egyptian accessories around Baron.

  42  

1.9. Present Management of the Site: (Institutional Frame, Agencies, Tools)

In the past years, the palace had several problems with the owners, as a lawsuit was raised by Eduard Empain, grandson of Baron Empain, claiming to have rights to his grandfather's property, the Baron's Palace in Heliopolis, after it fell under the control of Nasser Social Bank.The Empain family continued to host parties in it until two more generations, until they sold it in 1956 to a Syrian and Saudi business partners who tried to turn the palace into a hotel or casino but never the permission of the authorities, causing to the deterioration of the garden and building.

Not until the 100 anniversary of Heliopolis city in 2005, the Egyptian government brought the palace and started renovations to bring its gardens back to life. Renovation of the house from inside has not started yet, and it will be difficult and very costly. For now the garden is used for TV events, conferences and musical concerts. Prior to 2005, it was not allowed for anyone to enter even the courtyard except through bribing the guard.

Today, the Palace is registered as an antiquity, yet still the Egyptian government didn’t do any restorations form inside or opened the palace for visitors. It remains as a silent architectural masterpiece on one of the most used motor-highways in Egypt on one side and a quite area from the other, but still it continues to invoke new and old legends, stories, fairytales, and mythical imaginations that spread along as rumors, echoing the morbid silence of its walls, while several will entre in the night to damage it and fill it with their graffiti.

In 29th of April of 2012, the newspapers announced the discussions between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Belgium ambassador to collaborate in doing a joint project with villa Empain in Brussels that was also constructed by Louis Empain, to turn the baron palace in Heliopolis into a cultural centre.30 In an interview with Mr. Mohsen Ali Al Sayed, head of Sector of Islamic Monuments, he explained that the Belgium government is ready to finance the project in case it guarantees economic sustainability.

                                                                                                               

30-http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/804161

A furniture exhibition held at the garden of the baron palace, as the state was used to generate money through renting the garden for events after 2005.

  43  

The palace is full of graffiti that is said to be the remnants of the satanic parties in the 1990’s and cardboards that cover the windows or doors to protect the palace from the sun.

The garden is neglected and left only for a policeman and a doorman that uses the garden for personal duties like washing the cars. On the other side, a banner that dates back to 2005 with logos of involved parties and a statement that declares the auspices of Mrs. Susan Mubarak (who is the first lady of the ex- Egyptian president that the court declared the removal of their names from governmental properties) for a 100 years celebration of the creation of the city.

  44  

Only in 2005, the government did some renovation of the palace’s garden as well as Korba district. And for the celebration of 100 years of founding Heliopolis district, Bagdad Street was turned into a pedestrian to host a street music festival with parades and exhibitions. This festival was repeated couple of times annually and was organized by Heliopolis Development Association and visited by the ex-president’s wife. While several concerts started to take place in the Baron garden. All these were stopped later and currently the Bagdad st host the construction of another underground metro line and the palace became neglected again.

  45  

1.10 SWOT Analysis

• Strengths Opportunities

• Convenient location in a high profile district area, surrounded by villas, hotels, cafes & shops and on the main road leading towards Cairo’s gateway and airport.

• Recently declared as national antique with some renovation made for the Castle’s garden.

• The Palace is characterized by a distinct

fusion of architectural styles between the Hindu, gothic and Arabian. It can also be seen in the context of an early 20th century Cairene revival of various historical styles.

• The new city of Heliopolis also

represented the first large scale attempt to promote what later came to be called the "modern Arab style", known in its own day as the "Moorish style".

• Some local Egyptian brands like Aziza

Fahmy Jewelry designs are already located in the area surrounding the palace, can give chance to other brands to be located in the same area and turn the space into a cultural district of shops for artisans, local designers and entrepreneurs.

• Possibility of forming PPP with several stakeholders and parties.

• Turning the area surrounding the palace to

a pedestrian area can be an option since it is not a crowded area and it can be managed.

• With a distinctive architecture that invokes

new and old legends, stories, fairytales, and mythical imaginations & rumors, the palace can be an attraction that serves the curiosity of locals and tourists.

Weaknesses Threats

• Turning the site into a mass touristic area might find objections from the surrounding neighbors and inhabitants who would seek a calm resident area. • Its location on al Oruba st. can also be a weakness as it’s a high-speed connecting road and practicality concerning parking and traffic jam can be a problem? • High Costs of interior restoration. • Problems with inheritance on the sites.

• Unstable political circumstances of the

country, makes any plan uncertain. • Decrease of foreign tourism to the

country. • Lack of funding especially with an international economic crisis and local downfall of the economy. • Lack of interest to support heritage and culture in the transitional period of state building. • The current military rule and the increasing influence of religious influence in the parliament can affect future of arts, culture and heritage in the country. • Rejection of PPP models by the public due to previous history of corruption involved in the privatization process.

  46  

2-Problem Analysis & Interpretations Fig 1:Problem Tree

The  palace  is  destroyed  over  the  years  and  exposed  to  illicit.  

Baron  Palace  is  abandoned  and  unutilized.  

The  cultural  and  economic  value  of  the  building  is  

unknown.  

Egyptians  are  not  educated  about  their  

modern  history  .    

Potential  pro^it  for  the  palace  is  uncalculated.  

Problems  with  the  legal  statues  of  the  palace  and  its  inheritance.      

lack  of  a  proper  

management  plan  for  the  palace.      

Lack  of  ^inancial  

resourses  to  buy  and  conserve  palace.  

The  palace  is  not  used  as  a  touristic  

site.  Modern Heritage  of  Heliopolis  remains  

undiscovered.    

lack  of  local  cosmopolitan  cultural  identity.  

Unemployment  in  the  local  

heritage  sector.  

General  Public  is  not  aware  of  the  value  of  palace.  

  47  

   Objective  Tree

Baron  palace  is    preserved  and    conserved  for  

future  generations.  

Baron  palace  is  utilized  and  managed.    

The  cultural  &  economic  value  of  the  palace  is    well  

estimated.  

Creating  Educational  Programs  about  modern  

heritage  for  Egyptians.  

Potential  pro^it    for  the  palace  is    calculated.  

Baron  is  declared  on  the  A  list  of  the  

national  heritage.    

Development  of  a  proper  management  

plan.  

Financial  rescourses  becomes  accessible.      

Baron  palace  becomes  a  visted  touristic  site.  

Modern  heritage  in  Heliopolis  is  rediscovered.  

General  public  is  sensitized  about  the  value  of  the  

palace.  

Cosmopolitan  cultural  identity  is  strengthned.  

Employment    in  heritage  management  

sector.  

  48  

 

2.4  Stakeholder  Analysis:    

Stakeholders

Characteristic

Interest & expectations

Potentials & Deficiencies

Implications & Conclusions

Myself

Idea initiator -Freelance writer & curator.

Cooperation with other stakeholders.

Not related to an institution.

Intermediates between various stakeholders.

Cultnat http://www.cultnat.org/ Arteast http://www.arteeast.org/ Docomomo Egypt www.docomomoegypt.com)

Non profit Organizations that aims to promote Egyptian heritage, arts Culture & modern history

Find opportunity for cooperation and joint exhibitions.

Conflict of interest and competition is palpable.

 Joint  festivals  together,  provide  services  for  publications  for  their  exhibitions.    

http://www.villaempain.com

Boghossian Foundation is a Center of art and dialogue between the cultures of the East and the West in the famous Villa Empain, Brussels that was also made by the Same Baron Louis Empain.

Cooperation Funding & Joint projects

Lack of interests or funding

Joint  program    &  exchange  of  residency  and  educational  programs,    marketing  and    promotion  campaigns.      

Ministry of culture

The oldest organization with several halls around the country.

Cooperative and joint work, be part of the ministry’s agenda.

Bureaucracy and closed-minded way of looking at the arts.

Implementation  of  PPP  model  

Funding organization

Yatf, Moured, Ford…etc. Have specific agenda for their funders

Finding projects that they can fund in their interest.

Lack of interest, Economic depression. Favoritism.

Essential  for  the  beginning  of  the  project  and  should  have  return  benefit    

Publishers and print houses like AUC press or Phaidon / Taschen and Gestalten

Most of them are English press.

Several cooperation with travel guides/ directory or distribution in bookstores.

Competition and lack of interest.

Joint  projects  &  researchers,  translations,  co-­‐op  in  travel  guide  &  distribution.  

  49  

Young & established entrepreneur and designers (Ex.Azza Fahmy- Amina K )

Good initiatives to promote local brands but still needs recognition and venues.

Promotion of their brands and crafts.

Lack of finances to rent a shop in the area.

PPP  Model  can  be  implemented  to  help  the  young  entrepreneurs    

Local Audience & Tourists

Mostly young people or Works in the arts

Find knowledge and entertainment.

Not reaching wider audience.

Advertisement  in  print  and  audio  media,  travel  guides.  

Artists, architects and researchers.

Some are established with international arena and others are young and emerging.

Find place to exhibit and be published about.

Lack of information, inability to provide artist Fee. Inability to limit choice.

Provide  artists  studios,  Recognition  through  prints  &  training.  

Travel Agencies

Looking after profit, and competitive edge between each other.

Be part of the touristic program and create knowledge.

Inability to provide monetary benefit.

 Cooperative  work  through  shared  benefits.      

Local governorate of Egypt

Currently unstable with several political changes.

Develops the surrounding area.

Beraucracy and lack of interest.

 Well-­‐managed  plan  for  the  area  and  the  Site.  

Supreme Council of

Antiquities

The main legal responsible party for the development of the project & the owner of the palace.

Positive interest in improving the structure of the palace to generate income for the state.

Lack of financial means, especially after the revolution where the budget for heritage has been cut off.

 Cooperation  with    Other  donors  to  provide  funding  for  the  project.  

Belgium Embassy In Egypt

Local Representative of the Belgium government in Cairo and the bridge between the two formal entitles.

Positive interest to preserve Belgium Heritage in Egypt & the inheritance of their community.

Economic Crisis around Europe and setting other local priories

Cooperation  with  legal  government  with  a  guarantee  for  economic  sustainability  and  share  benefits.  

Ministry of Tourism

Currently headed by Mounir Fahkhry Abd Al Nour.

Seeks to enhance tourism especially after the drop due to political disability.

Lack of finances

Promote  the    project  in  its  brochures  and  programs.    

 

  50  

 

3-­Project  Description  

3.1  General  Objective    

As   it   was   described   before,   the   project   runs   as   a   program   of   projects   rather   than   a   single  initiative.  It  aims  to  enhance  the  local  knowledge  of  arts,  culture  and  heritage  of  modern  Egypt  by   using   abandoned   places   like   old   cinemas,   theatres,   palaces   and   turning   them   into   a   site-­‐specific  history  museum  that  displays  immaterial  heritage  of  arts  and  culture  of  the  period  in  integration  within  the  socio-­‐political  context  and  in  the  shadow  of  a  historical  monument.  The  Baron  Palace  in  Heliopolis  district  was  taken  as  a  case  study  for  the  initiative.  The  main  aim  is  to   turn   the   Baron   palace   into   a   history  museum   for   Heliopolis   district,   the   resident   that   he  developed  with  special  exhibition  for  the  French  architect  and  famous  artists  of  that  time  like  Van  Leo   the  Armenian  photographer.  The  area   around   the  Baron  Palace  will   be   transformed  into  a  cultural  district  that  aims  to  promote  young  entrepreneurs  and  professionals  working  in  the  field  of  art,  design  and  heritage.  

 

3.2  Diagram  of  the  series  of  the  program:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1-­‐Promoting  Modern  Heritage  

2-­‐Program  to  develop  modern  palaces  to  touristic  sites.  

3-­‐Developing  Heliopolis  city  to  a  heritage  site    

4-­‐Developing  area  around  Baron  into  a  cultural  district    

5-­‐  Developing  baron  to  a  site-­‐specific  museum    

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3.3  Overall  Program  Description    

As explained before, extracting the Baron palace from its context can be difficult and will weaken the project if it stood alone as the only cultural & touristic site in the peripheral Cairo. Also, the Baron palace cannot be extracted from its bigger story, especially that Baron Louis Empain is the reason behind the existence of Heliopolis and his existence in Egypt has historical indication to that modern period in the Egyptian history that left several cosmopolitan heritages. For that, its better to develop the baron palace within an overall program for developing modern Egyptian heritage by reusing abandoned buildings and another of turning the city of Heliopolis into a cultural district that would be composed of historical hotels, touristic heritage sites and art centres. Both programs are only suggestions that are not studied in this proposal, yet they compose the outer framework after which development of the Baron place will be more valuable and justified.

After the project’s presentation at the ITCILO in Turin in December 2011, a collective group on facebook entitled “Heliopolis Heritage Initiative” started announcing about its activity at the beginning of 2012 and aims to transform several historical places into touristic areas, by engaging the surrounding community This initiative had several similarities and overlapping ideas with the project presented to the thesis masters of WHW that lead to a collaboration between the two.

By tracing the suburb’s history, it becomes clear that several important landmarks were the creation of the Baron Empain or his company Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oases Company developed most of them, such as: the palace, the Notre Dame Basilica, the tram, Heliopolis Palace Hotel, the Hippodrome and Luna park. There are also some important villas that dates back to the same period such as Sultan Hussien kamel palace and Mansion of Egyptian-Armenian businessman-statesman-diplomat Boghos Nubar Pasha which now a military headquarters.

The program will map out these places by developing an interactive visual chronology as the following:

The Tram: Several historical photos of the old tram will be exhibited inside the cabinets with an MP3 connection or narrates the history of the suburb or an interactive sound installation designed by a Multimedia artist. Also, the banners on the front body of the tram can become a moving exhibition for Heliopolis landmarks. An example of that was done in this photomontage to illustrate the idea.

The Baron palace: The palace will turn into a site-specific museum that documents the history of Heliopolis, the palaces mythical stories, narrative testimonials of the old inhabitants and a cultural centre with the collaboration of villa Empain in Brussels. Project is described in details, further in this document.

  52  

Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace: The palace has been used as an experimental local school that led to the damage of several parts of the palace. However according to Mr. Mohsen Ali Al Sayed, head of sector of Islamic Monuments, the Supreme Council of Antiquities registered the palace as an antiquities and emptied the school for the student by constructing another building for them in 2011. The plan was to return the palace to its original form, yet due the financial crisis post the revolution the work on the project has been delayed and the palace would only receive few maintenances or few repairs of damaged objects. It is suggested the palace would turn into a museum for the work of modern Architects in Egypt, such as Alexander Marcel, Ernest Jasper, Leon Rolin, Habib Ayrout, Ramsis Wissa Wasef , Hassan Fathy and others. It can also host several modern artistic productions of that era such as fine arts, plastic arts, music or photography. All that beside several halls for ongoing exhibitions, cultural activates or joint events with the Baron Empain.

Korba District/E-korba

Few years back, Bagdad Street has been turned into a pedestrian street to host the annual Heliopolis Spring music festival; such initiative has been successful and is advised that it would be repeated in the future. Especially after the completion of the underground metro station, this area can be a touristic attraction that hosts Basilica Church under which the Baron is buried, the mosque on Haroun Al-Rashid Street and a Jewish synagogue. However, many local and kitsch shops would ruin the aesthetics of the façade and erase its historical value. It is suggested the through a microcredit program and the contribution of young Egyptian architects, there will be a redesign for the shops scattered around the area so that it won’t exceed the limit of protuberance with their ceramic banners and also to create a coherent urban experience in the area. It is suggested to be a touristic booth or centre that has maps and sound guides through mobile applications or other means of digital walking tours similar to the services available in e-Brussels (http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm?id=4220).

  53  

Heliopolis Palace Hotel:

It seams impossible to reuse the Heliopolis Palace hotel, since its currently the presidential palace that is widely known as Kasr al-'Uruba (Arabian Palace) and at times Kasr al-Ittihadiya (Federation Palace). Although there is currently a discussion about opening several presidential palaces to the public, the 400 rooms hotel doesn’t seam to be a priority in the plan even if listed as a monument. However, public pressure and community petitions can contribute in making the authorities reconsider such a valuable space with that capacity to become a public place.

Merryland & Jewish Synagogue: The Merryland that now hosts several international brand restaurants was previously a hippodrome for horse races that is used for attracting international elites. It is suggested that the old entrance and façade would be rebuilt, while the garden will start hosting again bazaars and international events like before. Another suggestion is the Jewish synagogue that is currently closed and abandoned. The synagogue can become a museum for the history of the Jewish community in Egypt or even a restaurant.

The Project Description: For the sake of this research, the framework of the overall program will be mentioned and explained,

however the study will focus on two outcomes to be analyzed in this document: One of which is creating a website that is inspired by http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/, the web aims to collect the information created after the first phase of R& D in the project and act as an educational program that precedes the augmentation of the Baron Museum and other suggestions in the overall program. The Website will be entitled “www.egyptory.com”( Dummy web : http://batatahoaa.wix.com/egytory )and aims to have partnership with several entitles like the rare books at AUC which owns important archive for Van Leo’s, other private art and antiques collectors, personal photos of people, history and sociology departments and many others. A dummy website will be created to attract audience and advertise for the project with a goal to find sponsors or a fund from an NGO. The Website aims to be the first product of the project as it can be the most feasible for being cheap and adaptive for continuous updates.

The second outcome of the project is turning the Baron palace into a site-specific museum that displays the history of the Baron Empain and his re-born Heliopolis city. Although the palace has a spectacle façade, in-fact has a relatively smaller interior that will not be able to contain several exhibitions or displayed object like expected. There are several suggestions for the exhibitions such as: A 3d model for old Heliopolis, photography exhibition of rare photos of the suburb, interactive map, multimedia installation for the myths of the palace and a sound installation for the testimonies and narration for its old inhabitants. It is suggested that several video artists will be involved in the creation of the installations such as the case of peter Greenaway’s films in La Venaria Reale. Other halls can host an ongoing exhibition or a joint even with villa Empain in Brussels. The garden will also be renovated to host big cultural events after the closure of the exhibition at night. Such events and music concerts will be used to generate income and money for the palace to guarantee economic sustainability for the project and thus its continuation.

  54  

3.4  Target  group  

The  main  target  group  of  this  program  is  the  local  Egyptian  citizens  at  large  as  it  aims  to  make  narrative  history,  national  heritage  part  of  the  hegemonic  public  discourse.  It  aims  to  search  for  the   lost   and   found   in   the   historical   archive   and   analyze   the   socio-­‐political   context   of   its  creation.  In  specific,  The  Baron  Palace  cultural  district  aims  to  attract  tourists  seeking  for  a  high  edge  contemporary  local  designs  and  quality  products  and  also  who  aims  to  know  more  about  Egypt   in   the   19th/   20th   century.  Residences   of   Heliopolis   area   should   also   be   involved   in   the  decision  making  of  the  renovation  of  the  site,  as  they  will  be  affected  by  any  development  on  it.  The   project   will   be   implemented   by   the  ministry   of   culture   and   the  ministry   of   tourism   and  funded  by  the  government  &  through  possibilities  PPP  partnership.  

Other  Involved  Parties:  

• Local  hotels  around  the  area.  • Governorate  of  Cairo.  • Private  collectors.  • AUC  print  house.  • Entrepreneurs  working  in  the  field  of  art  &  design.  • Travel  agencies  and  Guide  Books  • Heliopolis  residents.  • Youth  &  creative  class  • Tourists  &  expats.    • Heliopolis Company  (http://www.heliopoliscompany.com)  • Villa Empain In Brussles  • Aga Khan / Rare Books AUC/ Collector Amgad/ Ismailia Company.  • Contemporary Artist & writers  • Architecture, design & film students.  

Expected  Contributors:  

 

 

 

Tourism  Sector    

• Hotels  around  area  like  Le  merdian    • Travel  agencies  • Tourists  • Tourism  websites  • Minstery  of  Tourism       Fu

ndrasing    Sector    

• Doners    • Private  enterpneurs    • Belgium  Government    • Egyptian  Government  • Fundraising  Foundation  (Ford)  • Banks  (  Bank  Audia)  

Local  Com

munity  

• NGOs  • Collectors  • Young  Ehnterprneurs  • Heliopolis  residents  • artists  • architects    • Intiative  of  heliopois  heritage  • parliment  candidate  

  55  

 

3.5 Strategies & Priorities

The objective mentioned above will be implemented by the following strategies

Respect of Cultural Values: The project’s main priority is respecting cultural values by renovating, documentation, archiving and promotion. By displaying the multicultural cosmopolitism environment of early twentieth Egypt and showing the effect of political circumstances & polices on the production intangible heritage, the project aims to promote ideas of tolerance and liberalization of Egypt in the past. Economic Sustainability: Many young designers and entrepreneurs appear in Egypt every day with new innovative ideas, however most of their projects don’t continue due to lack of funding, sustainability or marketing skills. By turning the area around the baron into a cultural district, the project aims to encourage young entrepreneurs working in the area of crafts and design. Sustainable Usage: Due to its neglecting for The Baron site has been subjected to several restoration, young people, for example, used to enter without permission and write graffiti on its walls. Another point is its location on the highly dense street of Al Oruba St. might harm the façade of the building. Sustainability of the district if turned to a pedestrian one or the palace renovation and conservation is one of the main priorities of the process. Data Collection & Archiving: A process of data collection and archiving of intangible heritage, scattered abandoned sites, and private collections will be done through a team of researchers and historians. Later, workshops and trainings will be held to develop the skills of writers in the field of research and development. Documentation & Publishing: After archiving, documentation and publishing of the researched data will take place. In joint venture with publication houses several books, brochures, maps will be published.

E-Promotion & Awareness: The project will be structured around the usage of multimedia in display and promoting the project through social media and interactive Web 0.2. Tourism: Organization with travel agencies, travel guides and websites will be arranged to promote the palace as a heritage site and monument. Public Integration: Since the palace will turn into a site-specific museum about the district, it is important to integrate the locals both in the archiving and curatorial process of the museum and the formation of the district.  

 

 

 

 

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3.6 Assessment Matrix

 Assessment  criteria  

 Weighting  factor  

Option  A  Turning  the  palace  into  a  museum  &  a  

cultural  district  

Option  B  Creating  a  web  0.2  platforms  for  collecting  oral  history  and  

private  collections      

Option  C  Creating  a  training  centre  to  publish  and  develop  skills  

of  R  &  D.    

Would  the  project  find  support  from  

the  local  government?  

 

 20  

 3  

 2  

 1  

Would  it  promote  the  palace  as  a  heritage  site  and  touristic  area?  

 

35

 5  

 3  

 2  

Would it increase knowledge of the place, its creator and the historical

era?

 20  

 5  

 4  

 2  

Does it include economic,

environmental and cultural sustainable

plan?

 15  

 3  

 3  

 3  

 Is  it  feasible  in  within  a  five  years  plan?  

   

 5  

 3  

 3  

 5  

 Can  the  project  adapt  to  a  PPP  management  or  attract  private  or  international  

funds?  

 5  

 4  

 2  

 3  

 Total  

   100  

 440  

   295  

 275  

From  the  total,  Option  A  receives  more  weight  than  the  other  two.      

 

  57  

3.7 Logical Framework  

   

Intervention  logic  

 Objectively  verifiable  indicators  

 Source  of  

verifications  

 Assumptions  

Overall  objective    

Modern  Egyptian  tangible  &  intangible  heritage    &  narrative  history  becomes  part  of  the  hegemonic  public  discourse.      

Increase  of  knowledge  awareness  among  the  public  about  these  palaces  as  national  sites.    Increase  of  intangible  heritage  and  cultural  production  of  the  time.      

Data  collection  of  visitors  through  entrance  fees.            Surveys  and  focus  groups  will  be  conducted  before  and  after  the  program/projects.        

A  stable  political  context  of  the  country  and  a  desire  to  invest  in  heritage.  

Project  purpose  

At  the  end  of  the  project  Heliopolis  will  turn  to  a  touristic  areas  with  a  strong  infrastructure  for  accumulative  research  and  public  awareness.    The  Baron  Palace  becomes  a  well-­‐visited  site  and  touristic  area.    

The  Baron  site    receives  X  number  of  visitors  each  day.    X  Number  of  sites  in  Heliopolis  will  be  renovated  by  2015.  

Surveys  on  social  media,  focus  group/entrance  fees.    Evaluation  &  reports  

 People  would  be  still  interested  in  heritage  development  in  Egypt  with  the  current  political  instability.    

Results    Local  tourism  and  engagement  of  heritage,  arts  and  culture  increased.  

 Intangible  heritage  becomes  known  &  Part  of  historical  discourse.    

 Illumination  of  deconstruction  of  valuable  sites  to  be  replaced  with  profitable  resident  buildings.        

 Cooperation  of  several  stakeholders  such  as  travel  agencies,  publication  houses,  directory  websites,  government  and  companies.    Enhance  educational  programs  and  training  workshops.      

   Yearly  database  collection,  evaluation,  reports,  focus  groups.  

   Economic  crisis  will  not  effect  the  purchase  power  or  tourism  to    Cairo.  

  58  

Local  entrepreneur    Finds  a  venue  to  sell  their  products  and  crafts.    Community  awareness  with  the  history  of  their  place.    

 

Activities      Create  a  Fiscal  plan  to  develop  a  site  each  year.    Cooperative  project  with  schools  and  universities.    Training  a  team  of  researchers  and  curators    Develop  web  0.2  models  for  the  project  to  write  an  interactive  social  modern  history.    Usage  of  multimedia  and  new  media  to  the  site  specific  museum    

 Monthly  activity  of  cultural  events  to  enhance  the  area  as  a  cultural  district.      Create  a  community  based  collective  to  develop  the  suburb  as  was  in  the  past.    International  art  fairs  would  be  held  at  villa  empain  and  baron  palace  at  the  same  time.    Develop  e-­‐  programs,  mobile  applications,  3d  interactive  games  website  and  others  to  promote  the  city.  

 

 PPP  models  with  ministry  of  culture  &  ministry  of  tourism,  supreme  Council  of  antiquities  and  other  non-­‐state  organization.    Work  with  young  designers  web  and  graphic.      

 Costs  include  recruitment  &  employment  salaries,  transportation  costs,  renovation  costs,  renting  costs  of  the  place.    

 Restrictions  on  PPP  law.    The  renovation  of  the  site  might  not  be  in  the  state’s  priorities.    Lack  of  financial  means.    Disinterest  of  the  Belgium  government.    Continuous  unrest  within  the  country.  

 

 

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Part  Three    Project  Planning,  Financing    

&  Monitoring  

       

 

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Part Three Project Planning, Financing and Monitoring

 

3.8  Project  Work-­plan  

 Phase    

   Duration    

 Main  Activities    

 Main  Output    

 Phase One: Research & Development    

     Six  Month  Duration      From  Jan  2012-­‐June  2013  

Interview and research with locals around the area develop a team of researches Translate interviews into English Research old maps and data of old Heliopolis Research and interview private collectors Create a team of architects, curators, and designers. Collect Funds. Find Young entrepreneurs of designers.  

 Encyclopedic  Data    with  photos,  names,  Maps,  historical  information,  videos,    &  personal  belongings.  …….etc.  

Phase Two Creating The Web 2.0 Website

 From  Jan  2012  till  ..ongoing.  

 Organize with other institutions like Cultnat, Docomoegypt, Docomointernational, Cairobserver and other organize from Web 0.2 site from modern history of Egypt. Organize with a web developer and Graphic designer. Bring a team of writers and researches. Organize with universities and academic Institutions.  

 www.egyptory.com  Dummy  example  on  :  http://batatahoaa.wix.com/egytory

Phase Three Renovation of the interior of Baron Empain Palace  

 From  Jan  2012  till  Jan  2014  

 Bring team of conservators, architects and designers. Work with team of workers. Renovate lighting & accessories, paper paint.  

 Interior  of  Baron  Empain  is  renovated  to  accept  visitors.  

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 Phase Four Developing The Exhibition    

   Duration  One  year    &  Six  Month  From  June  2013-­‐Jan  2015  

Assign exhibition roles within museum team Conceive exhibition ideas and specify new media designers Appoint specific staff of admisntration and curation.  

   The  inside  palace  of  the    Baron  turns  into  a  museum  and  ready  for    accepting  visitors                

 Phase Five Brand Identity, Marketing & Opening Ceremony    

 Duration  3  Month  From  November  2014    till  Jan  2014    

Design and create website. Create an audio Electronic guide to Publicize and market palace in website & tour guide books. Create Logo and Cooperate identity. Connect advertising campaigns, magazines, Billboards for advertising. Organize opening ceremony.

   A well recognized identity & broad market Exposure.  

Phase Six Collaboration activities with Villa Empain .

Jan 2013 till ongoing

Exchange program, stuff, website and Publications.

An international culture centre that promotes dialogue and cross culture.

End of Project & Beginning of Overall Program phases  

 

   

Phase Seven Developing a Cultural District Around Baron Palace  

 Duration  one  year    From  Jan  2015  till  Jan  2018  

Create workshop for contemporary local design and handcrafts. Open small shops for young designers in fashion such as Amina- K or furniture design such as alchemy. Create a pedestrian area around the baron Work with hotels around the area to promote the district.  

 Baron  surrounded  by    A  cultural  district  that  display  young  talents    &  Contemporary  local  culture.  

Phase Eight Renovation of Heliopolis & korba to be a touristic heritage site.

 Jan  2013  till  Jan  2020  

Work with a team of architect, conservators, and designers to develop Heliopolis into a preserved heritage site.

 Conserved  buildings  and  better  urban  planning  of  the  district.  

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3.9 Financial & Economic Feasibility Estimated budget:

Expenses

Units

No of Units

Unit Rate In Euro

Costs in Euro

First Output: Website for Modern Egyptian Heritage Entitled

“www.egyptory.com”

Phase One: Research and Development for Modern Heritage

1.1 Project Manager Per month 1 2000 2000

1.2. Project Assistant Per month 2 1000 2000

1.3. Office rent Per month 1 1000 1000

1.4. Office consumables Per month 20 300 6000

1.5. Curator of project

Per month 1 1000 1000

1.6 Driver and logistical team Per month 2 625 1,250

1.7 Accountant Per month 1 1000 1000

1.8 Fundraising Executive Per month 2 500 1000

1.9 Marketing & PR Executive Per month 1 700 700

1.10 Team of Historians Per month 3 1,400 4,200

Sub Total Phase One

20,150

Total For 6 month of Phase one

Per month

6

20,150

120,900

Phase Two: Creating Website to Promote Egyptian Modern Heritage

2.1 Web Designer

Once per project 1 1000 1000

2.2 Graphic Designer Once per project 1 1500 1500

2.3 Writer Once per project 2 1000 2000

2.4 Photographer Once per project 2 1000 2000

2.5 translator Once per project 2 1000 2000

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2.6 Social Media Executive Per month 1 700 700

2.7 Web Developer Once per project 1 800 800

2.8 Obtain Image Copyrights Once per project 1 1000 1,000

Total Phase Two

11,000

Phase Three: Website Launch & Event

Hall Rent at Baron garden Per Event 1 2000 2000

Catering & Reception Per Event N/A 4000 4000

Flyers & Publication Per event 1000 3 3000

Conference & Panel Discussion Equipment Per event N/A 1000 1000

Total Phase Three 10,000

Total First Output: Website for Modern Egyptian Heritage Entitled “www.egyptory.com”

141,900

Second Output: Turning Baron Palace into Site-specific Museum

Phase One: Research & Development For Heliopolis & Baron Palace

1.1 Project Manager Per month 1 3000 3000

1.2. Project Assistant Per month 10 1000 10,000

1.3. PR Executive Per month 1 1000 1000

1.4. Exhibition Curator Per month 1 1500 1500

1.5. ICT expert Per month 1 700 700

1.6 Driver and logistical team Per month 5 250 1,250

1.7 Accountant Per month 1 1000 1000

1.8 Fundraising Executive Per month 1 800 800

1.9 Marketing Executive Per month 1 800 800

1.10 Architects, Designers & Urban Planners Team

Per month 5 1000 5000

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1.11 Team of History Consultant Per Month 2 1000 2000

1.12 Team of Writers & Researchers Per Month 3 1000 3000

Subtotal For month 12 month 30,050

Subtotal per year

12 Month

360,600

1.11 Identify/hire oral/video history producer/crew Per Project 5 1000 5000

1.12 Identify/hire video researcher/script writer Per Project 1 1000 1000

1.13 Supplies and Equipment Rent Per project Included under item 1.11

2000 2000

1.14 Contract Consultant &writer Per project 1 750 750

Subtotal for per project items 8750

Total for Phase One For One Year

12 month

394,400

Phase Two: Turning Baron Palace into a site-specific Exhibition

1-Human Resources Cost

Management Committee: 1.1. Project Manager 1.2. Project Assistant 1.3. PR Officer 1.4. Museum expert 1.5 Museum Curator 1.6 Historian 1.7 Architect/ Constructor 1.8 Urban Planner 1.9 Display / Interior Designer 1.10 Conservator 1.11 Community collection curator 1.12 New Media designer 1.13 ICT expert 1.14 Accountant 1.15 Financial Expert 1.15 Tourism Expert 1.15 Secretary 1.16 lawyer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Subtotal For Management Committee

One Year Total Management Committee Advisory Committee 1.16 Representative from Ministry Tourism 1.17 Representative from Ministry of Culture 1.18 Representative From University of Cairo / Architecture department 1.19 Historian of Modern Egyptian Era 1.20 Representative from Belgium Embassy 1.21 Representative Of Villa Empain in Belgium

Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month 12 Honorarium Honorarium Honorarium Honorarium Honorarium Honorarium Honorarium

1 10 1 1 1 3 3 5 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

5000 1000 1000 2000 2000 2000 2000 1500 1500 1500 2000 1500 1000 2500 2500 800 2000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000

5000 10,000 1000 2000 2000 6000 6000 7500 3000 3000 8000 1500 1000 2500 2500 800 2000 63,800 765,600 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000

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1.22 Representative Of Rare Books at The American University In Cairo Subtotal For Advisory Committee Operation Committee: 1.21 Security 1.22 Office boy 1.23 Receptionist 1.24 Bookshop seller 1.25 Employees 1.26 Trainer 1.27 Technian 1.28 Conservator 1.29 Set / Display Designer 1.30 Driver & logistics 1.31 Cleaning Stuff 1.32 Gardener 1.33 Office Boy Subtotal For Operation Committee

Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month

10 1 2 2 10 2 2 2 2 5 10 4 4

500 200 900 700 1000 1000 500 1500 1000 300 150 150 150

21,000 5000 200 1,800 1,400 10,000 2000 1000 3000 2000 1500 1500 600 600 30,600

First Year Operation Committee 367,200

Subtotal For Human Resources

1,153,800

2-Equipment & Supply Costs

2.1. Office consumables 2.2. Office maintenance 2.3. Telephone 2.4 Internet 2.5 Electricity 2.6. ICT hardware 2.7. Insurance 2.8 Security and Fire protection 2,9. Operating software 2.10. Application software 2.11 surveillance cameras 2.12 Furniture 2.13 paint 2.14 lighting

Per month Per month Per month Per month Per month Per project Per project Once per project Once per project Once per project Once per project Once per project Once per project Once per project

15 1 1 1 1 1 10 10 10 10 10 N/A N/A N/A

1000 1000 300 300 300 700 2000 6000 1000 1000 6000 200,000 100,000 50,000

15,000 1000 300 300 300 700 20,000 60,000 10,000 10,000 6000 200,000 100,000 50,000

Subtotal For Equipment & Supply Costs

473.600

3-Palace Conservation & Exhibition Installation Preparation

I 3.1 Team of Conservators

Per month

20

1500

30,000

3.2 Conservation Supplies

Included In 3.2

N/A

N/A

50,000

3.3 Purchase Insurance

Once

N/A

N/A

20,000

3.4 Purchase Storage Equipment

Upon request

Misc

To Be Calculated

25,000

3.5 Packing and Shipping

Upon request

Misc

TBC

20,000

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3.6 Obtain Image /Object IP Rights

Once

N/A

N/A

15,000

3.7 Purchase Heliopolis Antiquities

MIsc

TBC

TBC

200,000

3.8 Design/ Purchase Display Objects

Misc

Misc

Misc

70,000

3.9 Contractors & Builders

Per Month

40

140

5,600

3.10 Documentation & Site Architects

Per Month

3

500

1,500

3.11 Mechanical & ventilation Construction

Per project

TBC

TBS

200,000

3.12 Internet & Networking

Per project

TBC

TBC

1 10,000

3.13 Install Fire Protection System

PP

TBC

TBC

40,000

٣۳ 3.14 Install Security Alarm System

PP

TBC

TBC

60,000

3.15 Install Lighting System

PP

TBC

TBC

100,000

3.16 Light Designer/ Engineer

PP

1

15,000

15,000

3.17 Acoustic and Sound System

PP

TBC

TBC

200,000

3.18 Sound Designer/ Engineer

PP

1

15,000

15,000

3.19 Building maintenance

Per month

1

2000

220000000000

3.20 Carpentry workshop

Per project

4

1000

4000

3.21 Purchase Multimedia Equipments

Once

TBC

TBC

80,000

3.22 Multimedia Designer

Once

2

3000

6000

Total For Palace Construction & Exhibition Installation

1,169,100

4- Brand Identity & Marketing

4.1 Designer For Baron Logo & Cooperate Identity for publications –tickets

PP

1

3000

3000

4.2-Creative Team For Print-Outdoor Advertising Campaign

Per project

3

3000

9000

4.3 Purchase Banners & Magazines Slots

PP

TBC

TBC

5000

4.5 Website Developer Team

PP

3

1200

3600

Subtotal For Brand & Marketing

20,6000

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Total For Phase Two

2,817,100

TOTAL For Baron Palace

3,043,702

Overall Total Of Project

3,211,500

Expected Return of Investment

 

Enhancing  Tourism    

Entry  fees  pro^it      

Increasing  enterprneurship  Creating  more  jobs    

Increasing  research  &  development  abt  

the  suject    

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3.10 Monitoring and Reporting

After the completion of the project, the project management committee will conduct monitoring reports after each three-month then annually and at the fiscal year. During the process of developing the project especially in the first phases, evaluation will be monthly and after each phase. In the first phase of research an external evaluator and an advisory committee will review the results. The second phase of website will be monitored by both the users of website through a web 2.0 format and an external evaluator and the project management. The project manager, which will assess the progress of the project, will also prepare a quarterly report of the difficulties or problems faced by the project and recommend any actions to be taken to improve the quality of the project. The Project manager will also conduct meeting with each department of the implementing committee on a weekly basis to update the advisory and management committee on the progress of the project.

Quality Factors

1-Participation & Ownership by Beneficiaries: Main beneficiaries and Heliopolis community would participate as partners in this project whether through the creation of the exhibition, its activities or by suggesting ideas and community services for their suburb. 2-Financial & Economic Sustainability: Project succeeds in generating income that covers its costs, create revenues from tourism and also would by able to finance itself to sustain its maintenance and ongoing activities.

3-Policy Support: As it’s a state property, the project should receive policy support in seeking donors and defining the relationship with the partners and other stakeholders. Also, projects of microcredit and cultural district need to be backed up by a strong rule that can by only applied by the government.

4-Environmental Protection: Restoration of Baron palace and other buildings should be keen on abiding to preserving old worn out materials, save open spaces and landscapes, doesn’t interfere in the organic lifestyle of the inhabitance so that changes are received with acceptance and the usage of eco-friendly local materials. 5-Socio-cultural Aspects: The main cause of the project is to create awareness on a neglected period in the Egyptian history to reestablish morals of liberal or cosmopolitan local identity and enhancing social cohesion & aesthetic appreciation.

Every  three  month    

Annualy  

Every  ^iscal  year    

(5  years)  

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Annexes:  

No   Name     Institution    

 1  

 Dalia  Kamel    

 

 Former  Architect  at  Aga  Khan  Housing  

Foundation    

2    Mohamed  El  Shahed    

 

Bloggger  at  www.cairoobserver.com  &  Architect  &  phd  candidate  

3    

Shaimaa Samir Kamel Ashour

Cairo University, Department of

Architecture  

4    Monica  Hanna    

 

 Egyptologist  &  Heritage  Worker  

5    Ahmed  Mansour    

 

 Heliopolis  Heritage  Initiative  

6    Khaled  Fahmy  

 Historian  &  head  of  history  department  

at  AUC.  

7   Mohsen  Ali  El  Sayed      

Head  of  Islamic  Monuments  sector  

 8    

 Ola  Sief    

Head  of  Rare  books    at  AUC.  

 9  

Mrs. Diane Hennebert

 

Responsible  at  boghossian  Foundation    However  no  answer  or  reply  on:  

diane@boghossianfoundation.be,  

 10  

Amr  Kafrawy      Artist  &  graphics  designer  

     

 

 

 

 

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Appendix:

A petition was circulated on the social media Networks and facebook groups such as “save Alex”, requesting the preservation of Chikorial palace in Alexandria. The social pressure was successful in forcing the government not to demolish the building. Another announcement for a strike occurred recently to stop the state from pulling down Villa Agion in Alexandria. (https://www.facebook.com/events/372678249462937/ )

Gentlemen The rule of Field Marshal / Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed

ForcesDr / Kamal Ganzoury the Prime MinisterDr / Saad Katatni head parliament

Peace and mercy of Allah

Egypt is one of the richest countries in the architectural and urban heritage, which is one of the

oldest in the world, to its prestigious civilization, which is represented in architectural excellence

and buildings that tell the history of civilization and pride and distinction. But unfortunately - more

recently - and in the midst of democratization of the state, this heritage is being threatened as

destroyed on a daily basis buildings of value to the towers in lieu thereof, which Evading not only

the architectural heritage unique, but we lose also an opportunity for the life of urban cream

together, when is replaced by the villas and buildings of old buildings giant the same streets and the

same facilities, in addition to cutting down trees and build on green spaces, which was among the

old properties, happens necessarily throttling traffic by increasing the number of cars each property

as well as deterioration of the network infrastructure of sewage, electricity and water, all of this

falls on the cities and streets, as well as for congestion and increasing environmental pollution as a

result of the increased densities without the governor, And on the foregoing, we the undersigned

urge you to pass legislation in the form of a law or decision of a sovereign's1 - stop issuing licenses

to the demolition of villas public2 - to stop issuing licenses for the demolition of buildings that were

built before the fiftieth year of the previous decision3 - imprisonment penalty on violators where the

punishment is limited to a fine not enough4 - limiting building permits replace the buildings have

been demolished already - before the issuance of this decision - for buildings similar in height and

Responses. That specific legislation is one year from the date issued until the conditions of stability

of the country

Help us to preserve our heritage and the quality of life of Egyptian cities

April 23, 2012

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