The City of the Dead

Egypt’s population has doubled in the last century, leading to challenges such as rapid growth, high density, limited resources, energy demands, youth unemployment, poor education, discrimination, and a weakened economy.
Cairo, the most populous city in Africa and the Middle East, is among the places attracting people. However, over 60% of Cairo consists of informal settlements due to outdated urban planning. Instead of creating new cities in the desert, the government must focus on developing existing informal settlements. One of these is “The City of the Dead,” a slum area. Leading to challenges such as rapid population growth, high population density, dwindling natural resources, and increasing youth unemployment. Cairo, one of the world’s largest cities, attracts people from the Nile Valley, and over 60% of the city consists of informal settlements.
One such settlement is Manshiyat Naser, with several hundred thousand residents living in the area. During and after the Arab Spring, Egypt experienced political instability, leading to an increase in illegal building extensions or new constructions in informal settlements. These settlements were viewed as “ghettos” and often associated with poverty, crime, and a lack of education. The government’s previous approach to these areas was inappropriate, as they failed to consider sociocultural and economic aspects in urban planning. The Cairo 2050 vision aims to turn the area into a greenfield, with its inhabitants and entire historical heritage, including the Al-Azhar Park, as an exemplary project representing the city’s green lung. However, this vision does not consider the interests of the settlement’s population, who engage in traditional crafts and arts to generate additional income. The goal of the present work is to increase the quality of life within this informal neighborhood, legalize the settlement, and preserve both its residents and cultural heritage. Building blocks of public function will be set up in the heart of the cemetery, and the connecting route will be considered as a park and recreational space. The architectural language of the urban planning interventions is designed to fit homogeneously into the informal environment, and economic and climatic aspects are considered in the design details through traditional construction methods.