Mogawra celebrates 10 years of community engagement, preservation, and restoration

Amira Noshokaty , Monday 20 Dec 2021

Last Saturday Al-Khalifa district celebrated 10 years of community engagement at Al-Khalifa Heritage and Environmental park.

Mogawra
Photo by Amira Noshokaty

Lots of colourful traditional lamps decorated the trees of the park that was originally the local dumpster of the neighbourhood. This is the result of the community engagement of Mogwra, the government, and the local community.

The brainchild of Architectural Historian May El-Ibrashy, Mogawra Environment Collective is a twin organisation that brings together an NGO and an architecture firm. It has worked in  Al-Khalifa District in Sayeda Zeinab, Al-Hattaba District down by the citadel, and Al-Imam Al-Shafii District.

Mogawra’s participatory conservation initiative kicked off with Al-Athar Lina, an initiative that aimed to establish modalities of citizen participation in heritage conservation based on an understanding of the monument as a resource not a burden.

‘Spend Your day at Al-Khalifa District’ is an annual 5-day event that puts the district in the limelight with all its touristic tangible and intangible heritage sites that are worth exploring.

The annual festival includes unique historic walks that end at green areas and public spaces that have been either preserved or restored through community engagement efforts.

Mogawra also has a plan for the ancient Hattaba District; one that includes the establishment of a handicraft centre, and a bunch of other plans and initiatives.

Here is to more years of inspiring work!

 

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