Renovating the Azbakiya Gardens

Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 10 Jul 2024

Cairo’s Azbakiya Gardens are to regain their allure as a vibrant cultural attraction and natural retreat for city residents after decades of neglect.

Renovating the Azbakiya Gardens

 

Egypt’s historic gardens, often constructed during the time of the former ruling Mohamed Ali family, are among the most beautiful and magnificent in the world. Some of them have been recognised as important historic monuments that must be preserved for their unique collections of plants as well as their significant historic buildings.

Originally established in the 19th century by khedive Ismail, the Azbakiya Gardens in Downtown Cairo were one of Egypt’s major botanical gardens, showcasing a distinguished European architectural design and featuring a collection of plants and trees from around the world spread over 20 feddans of land.

However, time took its toll on the gardens, which fell into neglect and lost more than half of their space to urban encroachment. Today, work is underway to renovate the gardens in line with the renovation of Khedival Cairo and in recognition of their cultural, historical, and touristic significance.

The gardens are being rehabilitated by Sites International, an architecture consultancy firm. The designs and master plan for the renovation aim to restore the gardens’ significance in the city’s socio-urban and cultural landscape. The project includes urban planning and design, infrastructure improvements, landscape architecture, and garden design, along with the preservation, restoration, and reconstruction of historical elements and structures.

The water fountain inside the gardens is the only element registered on Egypt’s Heritage List for Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities.

The renovations will transform the gardens into a welcoming and accessible space for everyone, featuring a promenade along the re-established lake, a newly designed garden incorporating the remaining historical plants and trees, refurbished walkways and seating areas for pedestrians, a revival of musical performances under the reconstructed pergola, and a new location for hosting celebrations.

The gardens were once a hub for musical performances as they hosted concerts for renowned Egyptian and Arab singers such as “Star of the Orient” (Kawkab Al-Sharq) Um Kolthoum and “Dark-Skinned Nightingale” (Al-Andalib Al-Asmar) Abdel-Halim Hafez.

New restaurants, cafeterias, and other amenities capturing the spirit of 19th-century architectural design are being built to meet visitors’ needs. With these renovations, the Azbakiya Gardens can reclaim their historical significance and once again become a vibrant cultural and musical attraction for Cairenes.

According to development project consultant Maher Stino, the project’s vision aims to restore the gardens’ heritage components, focusing on preserving the historic trees and the hill area, renewing the crown top pergola, the archaeological fountain, the Souq Al-Selah Club, and reviving the lake, the wooden bridge, and the external walls.

Stino said that 93 per cent of the development work has now been completed. Work on the administrative building, restaurant, Roman theatre, and lake have been completed, while work is at full swing on the gates, water and fire tanks, pergolas, walls, and landscaping.

Informative signage about the history and types of trees in the gardens will be provided and installed, while the restoration work on the fountain has begun under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.

The renovation of the first group of book kiosks will be completed by the end of this year in a step towards the revival of the nearby Azbakiya Book Market. The design of the kiosks was selected through an architectural design competition among Egyptian university students launched in June 2022 to develop the market in collaboration with the ministries of housing, utilities, and urban communities, higher education and scientific research, and culture.

Development work at the Al-Selah Club has also been started. This is one of the oldest clubs in Egypt and was founded in 1891 by British General John Maxwell, a former commander of British colonial era troops in Egypt, and the world-renowned fencing coach Constantsi. King Farouk named it the Royal Egyptian Weapons Club and was its honorary president.

The club’s building covers 2,000 square metres and consists of a historic and a modern section containing many historical artefacts including the mediaeval ruler Salaheddin Al-Ayoubi’s (Saladin) helmet, a collection of swords transferred from the Cairo Citadel, and many pictures from the royal era.

The area surrounding the gardens, including Opera Square and parking garage, will also be developed. The Ataba Post Office building has strong structural elements and is in good condition, Stino said, and it has large architectural spaces and suitable heights for various activities.

“A range of new uses for the Ataba building and its surroundings has been presented, contributing to the revival of Ataba Square,” he commented.

The Azbakiya Gardens are among several historical gardens in Egypt that the government aims at restoring, among them the Giza Zoo, the Al-Orman and Al-Andalus Gardens in Cairo, and the Al-Shallalat, Montazah, and Antoniades Gardens in Alexandria. There are also the Al-Qanater Al-Khairiya Gardens in Qalioubiya, the Al-Nabatat Gardens in Aswan, the Feriyal Gardens in Port Said and the Ismailia Gardens.

Mohamed Abu Seada, head of the National Organisation for Urban Harmony, said that a guidebook has been prepared for the gardens noting the standards for their conservation, enhancement, and management.

The guide has been approved by the Supreme Council for Planning and Urban Development, and it categorises Egypt’s architecturally significant gardens into several types: botanical gardens; gardens attached to palaces, universities, or museums; specialised gardens such as fish or zoological gardens; independent gardens; and gardens with unique architectural features.

Examples of rare plants include the rare Bauhinia tree in Al-Qanater Gardens, the perennial plants in Al-Orman Gardens, and the rare flora in the Zohriya Garden. Some gardens have unique architectural formations like the caves and rockeries in the Fish Garden in Zamalek. Other notable examples include gardens tied to national history, such as the Azbakiya Gardens, and those serving as tourist attractions, such as the Montazah Gardens in Alexandria.


* A version of this article appears in print in the 11 July, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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