Dr. Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo, attended the awards ceremony and exhibition for the competition “Developing a Vision for Upgrading the Urban Space of Basilica Square and Al-Ahram Street in the Heritage Area of Heliopolis,” held at the Granada Cultural Center in Heliopolis. The event was attended by Eng. Mohamed Abu Saada, Head of the National Organization for Urban Harmony and a member of the judging panel, and Dr. Sameh El-Sayed, Managing Director and CEO of Misr for Housing and Development and a member of the judging panel.
The ceremony was also attended by the competition’s judging panel, which included Prof. Dr. Khaled Zakaria El-Adly, Professor of Urban Planning at Cairo University; Prof. Dr. Soheir Zaki Hawas, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University; Prof. Dr. Seif Abu El-Naga, President of the Egyptian Architects Association; Mr. Shokry Asmar of the Heliopolis Heritage Initiative; Prof. Dr. Heidi Shalaby, Professor of Urban Conservation at the National Organization for Urban Harmony; Dr. Ahmed El-Zayyat, Lecturer of Architecture and Planning at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University; and Eng. Ahmed Mansour, Architect.
The Governor of Cairo emphasized that the gathering brings together thought, creativity, and the preservation of the memory of place, noting that the competition has opened an important avenue for discussion about the future of one of Cairo’s most significant areas in terms of its historical and urban value.
Dr. Ibrahim Saber pointed out that preserving Cairo’s heritage and safeguarding its cultural identity lies at the heart of the Egyptian state’s vision for building the future. This vision, he noted, has been emphasized by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, on numerous occasions, through stressing that the development of Cairo cannot be separated from protecting its heritage and revitalizing areas that represent part of the nation’s collective memory.
The Governor explained that the Sur Magra El-Eyoun development project is a clear example of this vision. The development did not treat the historic aqueduct as an isolated monument, but rather formed part of a broader vision for restructuring and revitalizing the surrounding area.
Dr. Ibrahim Saber stressed that development should not be limited to historical and archaeological landmarks, but should also extend to the adjacent land and sites, ensuring the integration of the overall urban landscape.
He explained that the core of the vision is based on protecting heritage, developing its surroundings, and restoring the relationship between people and place. He noted that the same approach has been extended to Historic Cairo and the development of areas such as Fustat and Old Cairo, as well as the development projects at Tahrir Square and in the Khedival Cairo district. This confirms that the state views heritage as an active component of development, rather than merely a preserved memory.
The Governor affirmed that this vision has also extended to Heliopolis, with the aim of preserving the district’s urban character and upgrading its areas and landmarks, from Baron Palace—which has been developed and reopened—to Korba, Meriland, Al-Ahram Street, Roxy, Heliopolis, and other sites that form the distinctive urban fabric of Heliopolis.
The Governor emphasized that the significance of the competition, whose winners and projects were announced and presented today, lies in its focus on developing a vision for upgrading the urban space of Basilica Square and Al-Ahram Street, two of the most important elements of Heliopolis’s urban landscape. He added that the objective is not merely to improve the visual appearance of the area, but to develop an integrated vision that reorganizes the relationship between buildings, streets, squares, pedestrians, and activities, while preserving the area’s historical character.
The Governor highlighted the pivotal role of the National Organization for Urban Harmony, stressing that urban harmony has demonstrated that heritage protection can be transformed into a comprehensive project for improving quality of life, rather than merely restoring façades. He explained that this is clearly demonstrated in the development of Downtown Cairo and Khedival Cairo, where the organization participated in developing a vision to improve the visual character of the area extending from Tahrir Square through Talaat Harb and Mostafa Kamel Squares and Qasr El Nil to the Opera House. This included upgrading building façades, standardizing colors and signage, removing visual distortions, restoring some lost architectural elements, and developing pedestrian routes, sidewalks, and nighttime lighting.
He added that the vision extended to Al-Azbakeya Garden and Opera Square, as well as studies on allocating certain streets for pedestrians, making development directly connected to people’s comfort, movement, and use of public spaces.
The Governor affirmed that urban harmony does not view the city as merely a collection of buildings, but as an integrated environment in which people live. Therefore, heritage protection is also connected to the environment, mobility, pedestrians, lighting, services, and the quality of public spaces, achieving a balance between beauty, functionality, and sustainability.
The Governor noted that Heliopolis represents a particularly distinctive model in this field. Since the establishment of Heliopolis in 1905, more than 120 years ago, the area has been based on an advanced urban vision that brought together planning, architecture, open spaces, and services, making it one of the most important experiments that shaped modern Cairo.
He explained that Misr for Housing and Development has been closely connected to the history of the area since its establishment and has contributed over the decades to developing, managing, and expanding a significant part of Heliopolis’s urban fabric. He referred to a number of the company’s assets and projects in the area, including Korba, Meriland Park, and the historic Granada complex, in addition to the company’s portfolio of land, residential, and investment projects in Heliopolis and surrounding areas, as well as its modern projects for reinvesting in and developing its assets.
The Governor added that the Granada Complex represents an important model in this regard. The company restored and developed the historic building while preserving its architectural character. He stressed that holding today’s event at the Granada Cultural Center carries special significance: “We are not celebrating heritage preservation in a place separate from our subject; rather, we are gathering inside one of the examples that demonstrates how a heritage building can regain its role in cultural and community life.” He emphasized that genuine preservation is about restoring a place’s function, presence, and impact, not merely its appearance.
The Governor affirmed that the competition also demonstrates that development cannot be the responsibility of a single entity, but rather the outcome of a genuine partnership between the state, the private sector, specialized institutions, civil society, and creative professionals.
He highlighted the importance of the private sector’s social responsibility, explaining that the required role is no longer limited to financing an initiative or implementing a project. Rather, the private sector should become a partner in creating public value by restoring a heritage building, developing a square or public space, sponsoring a cultural project, supporting young architects and designers, or contributing to the maintenance and sustainability of completed development projects.
The Governor explained that the experience of Downtown Cairo offers an important model in this regard, as the sustainability of development has been linked to community participation and the involvement of property owners, shop owners, and restaurant operators in preserving façades and the urban landscape. The state can initiate development, he said, but its continuity and protection require the partnership of stakeholders and the community.
He stressed that this is the responsibility needed in Cairo—the city that is now 1,057 years old, carrying within it successive layers of civilization and urban development. Preserving it is not the responsibility of a single generation, but rather a trust passed from one generation to another and a right of future generations to inherit a city that knows its history and preserves its identity.
Dr. Ibrahim Saber affirmed that the value of the competition lies not only in the designs being presented, but also in the idea behind them: “to give the past a new opportunity to live, and to make development a means of protecting identity rather than a cause of losing it.”
The Governor of Cairo added that Basilica Square and Al-Ahram Street deserve a vision worthy of their history—a vision that meets the needs of people today and places Heliopolis on a path toward a future that preserves its unique character without isolating it from the momentum of development.
🖋️ Source: Media Department, Cairo Governorate
