Nadin Helmi FORGING HERITAGE PRESERVATION: ROAD MAP FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALEXANDRIA MA Thesis in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Central European University Budapest June 2020 CEU eTD Collection FORGING HERITAGE PRESERVATION: ROAD MAP FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALEXANDRIA by Nadin Helmi (Egypt) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ Chair, Examination Committee ____________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________________ Examiner CEU eTD Collection ____________________________________________ Examiner Budapest JuneBudapest 2020 Month YYYY FORGING HERITAGE PRESERVATION: ROAD MAP FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALEXANDRIA by Nadin Helmi (Egypt) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ External Reader CEU eTD Collection Budapest Budapest MonthJune 2020 YYYY FORGING HERITAGE PRESERVATION: ROAD MAP FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALEXANDRIA by Nadin Helmi (Egypt) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ External Supervisor CEU eTD Collection Budapest June 2020 I, the undersigned, Nadin Helmi, candidate for the MA degree in Cultural Heritage Studies: Academic Research, Policy, Management declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of the work of others, and no part of the thesis infringes on any person's or institution's copyright. I also declare that no part of the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, 18 June 2020 __________________________ Signature CEU eTD Collection Abstract In recent years, the issue of demolishing heritage buildings in Alexandria has caught the attention of the public, most notably, the buildings protected by Law 144, enacted in 2006. This pattern highlighted the circumstances in which the buildings were demolished and also raised questions about the efficiency of the system that manages it. Moreover, the ambiguity of the law caused a conflict in the proceedings for listing and registering heritage buildings in the national heritage list. As a consequence, several heritage buildings were removed from the heritage list based on court rulings stating the illegality of their initial listing in the national heritage records. Social movement was established in this regard, ‘Save Alex’, to demand the preservation of the city's heritage. The thesis explores the role of civil society movements, in particular, the "Save Alex movement," in setting off a wave of heritage activism to claim public spaces and heritage back for the people. This thesis analyzes the tools of mobilization that influence policymakers’ decisions and approaches concerning state policy in heritage and urban management. Moreover, the thesis views the potentials of involving the public in adaptive reuse projects through the case study of Société Immobilièr building by SIGMA properties. Throughout the thesis, I argue that adopting a bottom-up approach for the protection of heritage will improve the failing system of urban governance. This thesis demonstrates that community engagement is the most efficient way to safeguaurd Egyptian architectural heritage. CEU eTD Collection 1 Acknowledgments I am grateful for many people who pushed and encouraged me to be able to produce this thesis. I would like to thank first, my supervisor Katalin Wollak for her constant support and encouragement. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the professors and the instructors I had the opportunity to work with. It has been a pleasure and an authentic learning experience. I would also like to thank Prof. Alice Choyke and Prof Jozsef Laszlovszky for supporting this project and dedicate their time and efforts to help in such hard times, and for that, I will be forever grateful. This academic opportunity would not be possible without the support of my friends, Nouran, A. Saleh, and Mahmoud N. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Nourhan Sherif, Ahmed Hassan, and Mamoon Azmy for guidance and inspiration throughout the research journey. Special thanks to the family I found in Budapest; Soraya, Alexander, Saher, and Fatemeh. You all taught me how to be strong, peaceful, and forgiving, and I owe to you the person I am today and will be forever grateful for the love and kindness you brought to my life. Finally, I dedicate this work to my sweet daughter Sophia. And Now! Falyakon Ma Yakon. CEU eTD Collection 2 Table of contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 1 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................. 2 List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... 5 List of Abbreviations............................................................................................................. 8 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1. Legal protection and management of heritage in Egypt ............................... 18 1.1 Right to cultural heritage in the Egyptian Constitution ............................................... 19 1.1.2 Cultural heritage in subsequent constitutions....................................................... 25 1.2 Regulations for the protection of urban heritage ......................................................... 28 1.2.1 The protection of monuments.............................................................................. 28 1.2.2 On the protection of architectural heritage........................................................... 31 1.3 Actors in heritage management .................................................................................. 32 1.4 Listing architectural heritage ..................................................................................... 34 1.4.1 Listing criteria .................................................................................................... 34 1.4.2 Listing process .................................................................................................... 36 Chapter II | Alexandria … Why? ..................................................................................... 39 2.1 The governance and administrative system ................................................................ 39 2.2 Historical remarks in urban city planning................................................................... 41 2.3 Documenting the city urban heritage ......................................................................... 49 2.3.1 Surveying Alexandria Heritage ........................................................................... 49 2.3.2 The Alexandria architectural heritage record ....................................................... 52 CEU eTD Collection 2.4 Issues with the listing process .................................................................................... 56 Chapter III Heritage activism in Alexandria ................................................................. 59 3.1 The initiation phase | - Kick into action ..................................................................... 60 3.2 Emerging alternatives for re-use ................................................................................ 66 3.3 Lobbying phase ......................................................................................................... 68 3 3.4 Litigation for the protection of urban heritage ............................................................ 75 3.5 Tactics for mobilization ............................................................................................. 78 Chapter IV Adaptive reuse and social integration ........................................................ 87 4.1 The cultural influence of Fouad Street ....................................................................... 87 4.2 Presenting a model: the case of Societé Immobilière .................................................. 91 4.3 Adaptive reuse and gentrification discussions ............................................................ 98 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 103 Reference List ..................................................................................................................