Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli on Saturday made an inspection tour of the Fustat Hills Garden, Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque, and Ain al-Hayat neighborhood to stand on progress in the implementation of restoration projects in Old Cairo.
Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel Aal, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Development Assem El Gazzar, and head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction Mahmoud Nassar accompanied the premier during his tour, along with a host of senior officials from the state authorities concerned.
Citing President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to follow up the work made in the three projects on a regular basis, Madbouli said the first one is of special importance, given its vital role in reviving the greatness of the first Islamic capital in all Africa.
He noted that the project aims to transform the area into an environmental, tourist, and cultural hotspot that reflects the greatness of the Egyptian civilization, highlighting the multifaceted added value of the project to the efforts to improve Greater Cairo.
Madbouli instructed that all the road networks and corridors around the project site be improved to accommodate expected heavy traffic of citizens and visitors, asserting also the importance of meeting the project timelines.
The largest of its kind across the Middle East, extending over 500 feddans, the Fustat Gardens were established in 641 CE by Arab commander Amr Ibn Al-Aas, founder of Egypt’s First Islamic Capital, Al-Fustat. According to local stories, the city was called Al-Fustat because the word ‘fustat’ meant ‘tent’, referring to Amr Ibn Al-Aas’ tent.
