الصیانة وإعادة استخدام المبانی التراثیة فی القاهرة التاریخیة

Abstract

Egypt is one of the richest countries with monuments and historical sites that hold architectural and cultural value, connect the society with its roots, attract tourists and cultural visitors, and generate national income. Beginning in the early 20th century of Pharaonic monuments and then of Islamic monuments, a movement started in Egypt to conserve historical sites, many buildings were preserved to ensure their survival and protect them from neglect and degradation. The axis of this movement was the Historic Cairo that was founded in the 10 th century and is one of the world's oldest Islamic cities. The city has many Islamic antiquities and historical buildings, it was listed as a world heritage site in 1979 but only in 2010, the Egyptian official bodies in collaboration with the UNESCO have launched the Urban Regeneration Project for Historic Cairo (URHC). The third phase of this project has recently been launched with the aim of successful urban renewal and community development. Before URHC several Experimental projects took place for preservation, restoration, and urban regeneration. After restoration some buildings were reused, the successful adaptive reuse of these historical buildings is one of the key factors for the success of any urban renewal project as it employs the buildings within their urban fabric and local communities, and revive them to produce cultural, economic and historical values. ​​ This paper focuses on the concepts of conservation and adaptive reuse, it analyzes and evaluates selected historical buildings located in historical Cairo that are reused in cultural and economic activities. It also sheds the light on the problems and dangers that threaten these buildings. The paper ends with conclusion and recommendations. Keywords: Conservation, Adaptive Reuse, Historical Cairo