Egypt
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref)
- Unesco Scientific Committee Meeting In Luxor
Luxor Times UNESCO, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Governorate of Luxor, organising the first Scientific Committee meeting on the safeguarding project of New Gourna Village in Luxor, Egypt. The UNESCO initiative aims to...
- Co-ordination With Unesco To Protect Luxor
Egypt State Information Service Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif asserted that Egypt is keen to benefit from UNESCO's expertise in maintaining the special nature of the Egyptian city of Luxor. The government is now examining a UNESCO offer to declare...
- Luxor - Out With The New And In With The Old
The National News (Simon Mars) Samir Farag wants to reclaim the glories of ancient Luxor, even if it means demolishing a village or two. Will the governor’s dreams of tourism dollars save the city or destroy it? It’s the first week of December and...
- More Re Qurna Evictions
Egypt Daily Star News While the evacuation decision is irreversible, Gourna villagers struggle to adapt to the changes. “I really don’t know what’s going on,” said Abdel El Hamid Haridi, a clerk who still lives in the area. “We were informed...
- A Call To Save Luxor
Al Ahram Weekly An important report published on Al Ahram Weekly - go to the page for the complete report. Report: "Ongoing Development of the City of Luxor, Egypt" Submitted to: UNESCO's International Heritage Committee and the International Union...
Egypt
UNESCO scheme to conserve Fathy's village
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref)
Although the heat makes work in Luxor over the summer difficult, a committee of international architects gathered early last week on Luxor's west bank in order to inspect Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy's New Gourna village, launching a comprehensive scheme to help preserve this village consisting of mud-brick domiciles for the poor.
Constructed between 1946 and 1952 by pioneering architect Fathy, New Gourna aimed to provide housing for the population of the village of Old Gourna. Villagers from the latter had lived for generations above ancient Egyptian tombs, and they were moved in order to prevent damage to the tombs and to provide a model for low-cost and sustainable housing.
The main characteristic of New Gourna consists of its reinterpretation of the traditional village setting, using local materials and techniques that are extraordinarily sensitive to the climate. The type of architecture Fathy developed at New Gourna was recognised internationally as an appropriate solution for housing low-income rural communities, and it was presented in a major architectural work published in 1976, Architecture of the Poor: An Experiment in Rural Egypt.
Fathy's ideas inspired a generation of architects and planners worldwide through his integration of vernacular technology with modern architectural principles.
- Unesco Scientific Committee Meeting In Luxor
Luxor Times UNESCO, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Governorate of Luxor, organising the first Scientific Committee meeting on the safeguarding project of New Gourna Village in Luxor, Egypt. The UNESCO initiative aims to...
- Co-ordination With Unesco To Protect Luxor
Egypt State Information Service Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif asserted that Egypt is keen to benefit from UNESCO's expertise in maintaining the special nature of the Egyptian city of Luxor. The government is now examining a UNESCO offer to declare...
- Luxor - Out With The New And In With The Old
The National News (Simon Mars) Samir Farag wants to reclaim the glories of ancient Luxor, even if it means demolishing a village or two. Will the governor’s dreams of tourism dollars save the city or destroy it? It’s the first week of December and...
- More Re Qurna Evictions
Egypt Daily Star News While the evacuation decision is irreversible, Gourna villagers struggle to adapt to the changes. “I really don’t know what’s going on,” said Abdel El Hamid Haridi, a clerk who still lives in the area. “We were informed...
- A Call To Save Luxor
Al Ahram Weekly An important report published on Al Ahram Weekly - go to the page for the complete report. Report: "Ongoing Development of the City of Luxor, Egypt" Submitted to: UNESCO's International Heritage Committee and the International Union...