The City of the Dead in Cairo

Population growth has presented challenges, including informal settlements like "The City of the Dead" Egypt's urban planning policies have not addressed the needs of these areas. The goal is to legalize and upgrade these slums, preserving their cultural heritage while improving the quality of life for residents through sustainable development

The population of Egypt has more than doubled in the past century, 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.\nDuring 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.\nThe 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.\nThe 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.