The Park on the Ayubbid Wall
Monday, January 12th, 2009Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com
In the oldest part of Cairo or Islamic Cairo, the Azhar Park, is like an oasis midst the hustle and bustle of the crowded, dusty yet intriguing city. It presents a spectacular panoramic view over this historic district that has been witness to a rich captivating past. The striking green of the park is a welcome to Cairo that has over exploded with its buildings and inhabitants.
Although the Azhar Park is built in one of the poorest districts of Cairo, Darb el Ahmar is rich with its Islamic art and architecture and its many monuments of domes and minarets.
The Azhar Park was a gift from his Highness the Aga Khan to the people of Cairo in 1984. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture created the park over 30 hectare (74 acre) following a decision at the “The Expanding Metropolis: Coping with Cairo’s Urban Growth” Conference. The 500-year-old mound of rubble that was designated to be the park was a municipal rubbish dump that took 80,000 truckloads to excavate. The challenge was not only to transform the landscape but was also to implement urban rehabilitation projects including the socioeconomic rehabilitation of the neighboring Historic City, which required launching of numerous restoration and community-initiated development projects. The Azhar Park project was intended to be a case study for a number of challenges such as environmental rehabilitation and cultural restoration.
On the western side of the park are the old Fatimid city and its out-growth Darb el Ahmar, with their wealth of mosques, madrasas and mausolea, characterized by a long line of minarets. To the south is the Sultan Hassan Mosque as well as the 826 year-old Ayyubid Citadel of Salah el-Din. On the eastern side is the “City of the Dead” with its many social welfare complexes that was supported by the Mamluk Sultans which became an area that developed into a densely populated neighborhood of its own.
Uncovered during the excavation was a 1.5-kilometre section of the 12th century Ayyubid city wall of Cairo that was built during the reign of Salah el-Din, with several towers and battlements almost intact and in fairly good shape. Also found were valuable stones with hieroglyphic texts some measuring as much as one meter long that were used in the building of the wall.
The Park’s buildings and spaces were designed and constructed in Islamic context, using a variety of styles from different periods and regions. This is echoed in the bustan-like orchard gardens, its takhtaboush areas (shaded sitting spaces), Fatimid archways used in the buildings and the Persian and Timurid water pools and fountains. The streams and channels all lead to a lake in the south meadow which is all directly fed by raw Nile water from a nearby municipal line.
Beside the orchids, water features, kids play area, amphitheatre, there are only three actual buildings, the entrance, Citadel View Restaurant and the Lakeside Café. There is also an out-door café on a vintage point with a spectacular view where you can witness a stunning sunset. While the Citadel View Restaurant serves an Egyptian truly delicious buffet, the Lakeside café with its wooden screens and citrus groves has a Lebanese cuisine.
With the magnificent 360˚ panoramic view of surrounding Cairo in the distance you can actually catch a glimpse of the Pyramids’ silhouette. But besides the spectacular landscaping and endless view of the Cairo townscape, a daytime stroll on the Royal Palm Promenade is a refreshing experience as water streams run along the middle of your path. There are 325 varieties of plants where most of them have been natively grown in the Park’s nursery. More of the interesting trees are the Sycamore, Zyziphus and four types of Acacia. The variety of plants also includes medicinal and culinary herbs such as laurel, chamomile, mint, lemon grass, coriander and thyme. There is also a beautiful array of roses, climbers and succulents, where most of these plants have labeled signs with both the official and Latin name to identify them.
Although in summer its best to visit the park in the afternoons to escape the heat, on a winter day a morning promenade will revamp your soul! The entrance fee maybe modest but it provides to fund for the maintenance of the park, along with the revenue from the restaurants, special events and shows, car parking fees and the sale of plants from the nursery. The entrance fee may not be much for a large number of Cairo’s residence from the middle and upper class but it may be too much for many of the poor who live just a few kilometers away from the park, and who in my opinion need the park more than anyone. So it is not advisable to visit the park on a public holiday and especially not in Eid (Arabic for “day of festivities“), whether it be a Muslim or Coptic Eid. The park maybe more colorful with children donned in new multicolored Eid cloths but will be impossible to appreciate with all the noise and commotion.
Once you get through with all the obvious sites like the Pyramids, the museums and major mosques I strongly recommend a laid back visit to this intriguing place.
About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
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Egypt Tours
To get things started let’s do some history! Egypt has always been recognized for being the world’s most ancient existent state. Being at the crossroad between the Middle East and North Africa, this unique geographical location, has invariably made Egypt the bridge between Asia and Africa. Egypt also overlooks the Mediterranean so linking it to Europe too. Over the years this land has been occupied by the Greeks, the Persians, and the Romans. And during its conquest by the Arabs it was ruled by the Fatimids (969-1171), the Mamluks (1250-1517), and the Ottomans (1517-1798). It then went through 150 years of occupation by the French and British colonial rule until the revolution of 1952 that finally returned the power to Egyptian hands. But every new rule that came along, rather than destroy what had been conquered, opt for building a new city, just upwind from the old one. This makes Egyptians of special nature as they have acquired throughout the years the customs and habits of the different regions the country belonged to. Egypt has been cited in the three holy books and has been witness to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Indeed, one of the joys of Egypt is that its historic areas are still vibrant, living spaces and not open-air museums. The physical remains of a thousand years of history, being conquered and reconquered by different groups, are the bare essence of its charm. The past here is more a state of mind than a historical fact and that, ultimately, is the way in which Egypt is truly overwhelming.
‘Baksheesh’ is an integral part of any Egyptian workers life. As wages are low, workers rely on tips from foreigners and locals alike. But since you’re a foreigner, many poor people will consider you rich no matter what part of the world you come from, so stock up on change. It also helps to learn the phrase “la shokran” (No thank you). You can also use the same phrase with someone who is trying to sell you something, and if you forget “la shokran,” just say it in English, and walk away. It definitely works better than “emshi” (go away), which appears as advice in some travel books because it could be taken as an insult. Guide books also warn travelers of the hassle of buying from local shop owners. This is an exaggeration. Yes they may call for you to come into their shop but a firm and polite “la shokran” is more than enough to do the trick. All the same you should be prepared to bargain for anything you buy, and don’t get abusive to the trader, he’s only trying to feed his family. It’s easier to haggle with your currency and credit cards out of sight, and stored separately from your Egyptian pounds (LE), if you can show you have just a few LE on you. Souvenirs are better bought from Khan El Khalili (the old bazaar in the Islamic district), at better quality and prices.
It is advisable to arrange for a private guide. This can easily be arranged through your hotel, and is not at all expensive. They are very useful at the Cairo Museum since many of the artifacts are not labeled and the place is enormous, they can save you time by showing you all the relevant exhibits. Besides it’s a fast and sure way to learn from an Egyptian first hand about the country and the life style of its people.
