Rebuilding Heritage in Cairo, Egypt
Rebuilding Heritage in Cairo, Egypt
Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat and Megawra-Built Environment Collective to restore a cultural and community landmark in Al-Khalifa, Cairo, Egypt.
Rebuilding Heritage in Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
Project types: Public market
Collaborators: UN-Habitat, Megawra-Built Environment Collective
Region: Africa
Tags: children and youth, climate change and environmental sustainability, cultural heritage, economic opportunity, social inclusion and human rights
Background
Cairo’s Al-Khalifa neighborhood is steeped in history. Replete with important shrines and opulent mosques, it is central to Egypt’s Islamic heritage. But woven within the narrow streets and labyrinth alleys is the beating heart of the district: the Al-Khalifa Market. With over 20,000 people calling the area home, it’s a space built for community connection, social solidarity, and civic pride. And the people there are understandably protective of their heritage. But over the years (or centuries), it had started to show its age: the brickwork and vendor stalls were well loved, but well worn. What’s more, the area has suffered under the weight of economic depression and its attendant social inequality. An ambitious plan was undertaken to rehabilitate this vital public amenity and bring back the life and vibrancy for which it is known.
Rebuilding Heritage, Block by Block
So, how does a community update and revitalize their 1100-year-old market? Perhaps counterintuitively, by using modern gaming technology. The magic of the Block by Block Methodology is in its participatory, inclusive nature: it’s simple enough for people of all ages to use with minimal training. The team conducted 56 workshops, with hundreds of area residents lending their insight. Vendors, shopkeepers, residents young and old: together they imagined and designed a more vibrant, safe, and modern market space.
The process was especially attractive to Al-Khalifa’s youngest stakeholders. The language of Minecraft allowed the youth of the area to feel like their voices were heard and their ideas given real consideration.
“I’m now more confident that if I have an idea, there are ways and tools like Minecraft that can better express it, and I can find people to help turn it into reality.”
Progress
From broad, blue-sky ideation to the planning of minute details, using Minecraft to help design the new Al-Khalifa market was a resounding success. In addition to redesigned vendor stalls, lighting, wayfinding and visual identity, the team was also able to completely reimagine waste stream management—including a robust composting component—with an eye toward future ecological sustainability measures.
Now a true expression of local heritage as well as a thriving community space, the revitalized Al-Khalifa market is a shining example of what can be accomplished with the bold intersection of community input and innovative technology.
