CAIRO — Egypt has made several requests through various forums for assistance in protecting world heritage sites in the country from terror and other physical attacks. For instance, UNESCO's Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict met May 21 to discuss plans for Egyptian heritage sites after the government requested special protection for the ancient city of Thebes. At the same time, however, the Cairo governorate appears bent on demolishing homes and other buildings in historic Old Cairo without regard for their potential and actual heritage value.
On May 4, the Cairo governorate completed the removal of residential buildings on 18 acres in the Ezbet Abu Qarn area of Old Cairo in a three-day demolition campaign. Governorate authorities claimed the buildings were “encroachments on the governorate’s land.” Maher Subhi, an engineer and Old Cairo district chief, said the 34 residential buildings had been illegally built and stressed the need to form a urban planning commission to develop and implement a plan for the area.