Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli made a tour of several ancient areas in Cairo Saturday to assess their restoration requirements in the light of his government’s plan to bring the historical parts of the Egyptian capital back to their past beauty and glory.
The tour took the prime minister to millennium-old areas at the heart of Fatimid Cairo near al-Azhar mosque and the ancient bazaars and markets of the Egyptian capital.
It took him from one ancient alleyway to another in the middle of the towering minarets of Fatimid Cairo and its ancient buildings and commercial shops.
Among many other sites, the prime minister visited the famed Qasaba of Radwan Bey Street in al-Dar al-Ahmar district.
He said his tour comes within commitments by his government to preserve ancient sites in the historical part of Cairo.
This part, the prime minister said, is a treasure trove of civilization, one bursting at the seams with architectural beauty and art that bore witness to the different historical phases.
Prime Minister Madbouli added that the proposed projects for the restoration of ancient areas in Cairo aim at reviving Cairo’s importance as a living centre of heritage and culture.
“The Egyptian capital is badly in need of reviving its beauty so that it can return as a center of history, culture and civilization,” the prime minister said.
He added that the project also aims to turn historical areas in the Egyptian capital into tourist magnets, after decades of neglect.
“We also want to bring Cairo back to its traditional role as a centre of traditional professions and handicrafts,” Prime Minister Madbouli said.
The prime minister took a walk on the tiled alleyways and streets of al-Darb al-Ahmar district. He stopped by commercial shops and workshops for the making of traditional products and handicrafts and chatted with workers inside the shops and their owners.
The shops include some for the making of traditional leather products.
Some of the shop owners expressed fears that their crafts can be on the road to extinction due to the fact that the new generation of Egyptians is not interested in either learning these crafts or buying the products of the shops.
Other shop owners said they find it difficult to find labour to operate their shops.
Prime Minister Madbouli said the historical part of the Egyptian capital acquired its importance from the presence of these shops and these handicrafts.
He said his government puts traditional crafts and artisanal works in high esteem. “This is why we are working to preserve these works within our plans to preserve the historical value of this area,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Madbouli said he expected his government’s plan to restore the historical parts of the Egyptian capital to have its positive effects on the attraction of tourists to these parts of Cairo.
“We hope we can put these areas on the tourist map and turn them into a tourist destination yet again,” the prime minister said.
Locals welcomed the prime minister as he moved from one alleyway to another and from one shop to another.
Antiquities officials accompanying the prime minister in his tour said the plan for restoring the ancient parts of Cairo include the provision of training for craftsmen.
The plan, they said, also includes the opening of workshops for training school pupils and university students in handicrafts and artisanal works.
They noted that the plan also includes promotional programmes for the products made in the same areas, including through online marketing.
