Egypt responds to calls to halt Cairo's City of the Dead demolitions

In Cairo's historic Necropolis, also known as the City of the Dead, bulldozers tear into the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi‘i, scattering dust over the delicate Islamic patterns that have adorned its dome for centuries.

Founded in the 7th century CE, this ancient necropolis is the resting place of figures who shaped Egypt’s religious, political, and artistic heritage.

But on 22 October, as videos of the demolition circulated on social media, an outcry erupted, fuelling calls to halt the destruction and preserve what remains of Egypt’s architectural past in the face of encroaching development.

"Some countries go to great lengths to protect 100-year-old trees," said Iman Fadel, a 34-year-old marketing moderator. "Seeing the dome meet such a different fate is shocking."

The site, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, houses a dome that Prince Muhammad Ali Abdel-Halim, a descendant of Muhammad Ali Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt, who ruled from 1805 to 1848, built a hundred years ago for his mother.

“Many books have emphasised the architectural beauty of this dome,” Sally Riad, an assistant professor of architecture and design, told The New Arab. “It is designed in the Mamluk style, which draws on classical decorations and features from the Mamluk era, particularly in the construction of necropolises.”

In response to mounting pressure from officials, activists, media figures, and social media users who launched an online campaign called ‘Safeguard of Historic Cairo's Cemeteries,’ demolition in the Imam al-Shafi‘i area was suspended on 26 October.

Egypt’s Prime Minister, Moustafa Madbouly, confirmed the decision and stressed the “need to preserve buildings of value,” whether they are classified as historical or cultural heritage.

“We are actively addressing any actions that involve misunderstandings or violations related to this matter, and we are committed to ensuring that such incidents do not occur again in the future,” Moustafa said in an official statement.

The decision allows for “coordination with relevant authorities” before any further actions are taken, as per orders of Ahmed Hanno, Egypt’s Minister of Culture.

Voices of concern

Since 2014, the Egyptian government has been working on building new cities and updating the road network, bridges, and public transportation in Cairo to address traffic and road congestion. Certain expansion projects were slated for areas densely populated with both residences and burial sites; affected residents were compensated by the government.

According to the Ministry of Transport, 945 bridges and tunnels have been built during this period.

Over the years, the Egyptian authorities have removed several historic graves, some of which are hundreds of years old, raising concerns among Egyptians, historians, and cultural preservation advocates.

In response, the Ministry of Antiquities has asserted that the recently demolished tombs in the Imam al-Shafi‘i area were not officially registered as an archaeological site.

“The definition of archaeological sites and heritage differ, and so do the laws that govern each,” Magdy Shaker, a senior archaeologist at the Ministry of Antiquities, told The New Arab.

Magdy noted that under Article 2 of Law 117 of 1983, which governs antiquities, an artefact must be at least 100 years old from the date the law was enacted and must be associated with a historical event or figure.

“If a site doesn't meet this criteria, it is considered a unique architectural style or urban coordination,” Magdy said, highlighting the need for a “unified legal framework.”

Sally criticised the way heritage is often handled, pointing out that it is frequently exploited solely for profit. She further criticised the lack of official registration for many historic sites, noting that “the Ministry of Antiquities believed that placing these sites on alternative registers would safeguard them,” a strategy she said has yielded the opposite effect.

Sally went on to criticise how heritage is often handled, arguing that it is frequently exploited solely for profit. She pointed to the Ministry of Antiquities for not registering most of the necropolis, stating that merely designating it as a cultural heritage site would help protect it from any potential issues.

Echoing Shaker’s remarks, Abdel Rahim Rayhan, a professor of Islamic archaeology and director of the media office for the Arab Antiquities Council, condemned the recent demolition of the dome and called for unified archaeological laws.

“The site holds significant religious importance in addition to its historical value,” Abdel told The New Arab, noting that the tombs trace back to the early Islamic conquest of Egypt, led by Amr ibn al-As, who was buried in Egypt alongside his son Abdullah and several companions and their descendants, including Uqba ibn Amir and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq.

Abdel described the area surrounding Imam al-Shafi‘i as a place where “the people of Paradise are planted,” calling it the “second Baqi” – a reference to Medina's revered Baqi cemetery because of the many religious figures and descendants of the Prophet Muhammad buried there.

He stated that this necropolis was designated as a “graveyard for Muslims” following Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab’s historic decree to make it a waqf, a charitable endowment in Islam.

“I am urging the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to intervene to protect it,” he said.

Losing a part of history

The head of the Liberal Constitutional Party and a member of the Yakan family, who married into Muhammad Ali’s family, Mohamed Yakan, is personally affected by the demolitions.

He lost the tomb of Jananiar Hanem, the mother of Adly Yakan, an Egyptian politician and the country’s prime minister under King Fuad I of Egypt, last year, and remains responsible for three family tombs in the necropolis.

“By demolishing these tombs, we are losing a part of our history,” Adly told The New Arab, asserting that the demolition of his family’s tombs shows a lack of appreciation for the political figures who have shaped history and influenced the course of political life in Egypt.

The tombs are more than a century old, with one dating back to 1887 and registered as part of a unique architectural style.

“No amount of government compensation can address this loss,” Adly said.

Much like preservation advocates and concerned citizens, lawmakers reiterated their complaints as well.

“I demand that all demolition work stop immediately and all relevant authorities conduct a thorough review to protect what remains of these cultural treasures,” Maha Nasser, a member of Parliament, expressed on her Facebook account.

Maha, however, told The New Arab that the House of Representatives does not have the power to stop demolitions.

“The Parliament can only submit inquiries and engage in discussions, without any real authority over the actions of the executive bodies or the government,” she said.

Amid a wave of demolitions in 2023, a committee of heritage preservation and urban planning specialists was formed to assess tomb relocation in the areas of Sayyida Nafisa and Imam al-Shafi‘i, as well as address urgent cases related to development plans.

The committee was formed by the Minister of Culture at the request of the Egyptian president, according to Ahmed Ayman, a heritage preservation activist. Their findings indicated that there were no possible alternatives to demolishing the tombs; however, they deemed the projects replacing them “unbeneficial.”

“The committee opposed the project and, after its opinion was not taken into account, its members resigned. The cycle of destruction in these areas resumed,” he told The New Arab. “We hope that the Minister of Culture will respond to these calls and halt the project because if it continues at this pace, we will lose what is more valuable and magnificent than this dome.”

Monica Hanna, an Egyptian Egyptologist, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that acknowledging mistakes is a virtue.

She stated, “While we have already suffered significant losses, I am hopeful that what could have been lost will remain intact.”

Mariam Ehab is a journalist, screenwriter, and TV editor based in Cairo, specialising in human interest stories and investigative journalism