Cairo -
New statements in the last hours of the family of the late Egyptian writer, Dean of Arabic literature, Taha Hussein (1889-1973 AD) re-arranged the controversy that arose last May regarding the removal of the cemetery of the late writer in order to create a new traffic axis bearing the name of the late journalist writer Yasser Rizk.
This revived the discussion once again between activists and intellectuals accusing the government of removing historical tombs and squandering heritage, which the Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied, stressing not to prejudice the heritage and their insistence on completing urban development in Historic Cairo, according to official statements.
According to eyewitnesses, the cemetery is still standing so far in the Al-Tunisi area near the Ibn Ata Allah al-Sakandari mosque, within the scope of Old Historic Cairo, and no decision to demolish it has been implemented yet, amid suggestions from intellectuals to establish a mausoleum for the late writer in front of Cairo University.
To resolve the controversy of heritage and development, an official source at the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities suggested - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - the establishment of a Supreme Committee for Antiquities and Heritage directly affiliated with the Presidency of the Republic to disentangle the conflict between government supervision bodies, with the invention of an urgent architectural solution that does not affect the tomb of Taha Hussein.
demolition ghost
The specter of demolition appeared in the last hours in Egypt, after the granddaughter of the late writer Maha Aoun announced in press statements that the family had learned in a friendly manner that the cemetery had been completely removed, without any details about the transfer of the remains.
According to his family's information, the cemetery was built in 1973 at the time of the death of the dean of Arabic literature, and it also contains, next to his remains, the remains of his daughter Amina and her late husband, the Egyptian Foreign Minister during the October 1973 war, Muhammad Hassan al-Zayyat.
Aoun explained that the Cairo Governorate informed them earlier that there was no decision to remove, but then the word "removal" was found written in red on the cemetery and the water was cut off completely.
And the Egyptian archaeologist Monica Hanna revealed - in a series of tweets on her official account on the Twitter site - that there is a decision to demolish the tomb that will be implemented this month.
Hanna expressed her regret for the expected removal and cutting off the water from the cemetery, and she hoped that the news would be wrong, but confirmed in a later post, "Unfortunately, the demolition of the cemetery was confirmed by a decision issued in September 2022."
Today, we received a word of removal on the tomb of Taha Hussein, and they cut down the trees that were planted by Madame Susan.
— Monica Hanna (@monznomad) August 30, 2022
Officially, Cairo Governor Major General Khaled Abdel Aal toured the southern region in the vicinity of Taha Hussein's cemetery yesterday, Thursday, after a day of controversy, in order to follow up on development work, including the ongoing work in the Yasser Rizk axis.
According to an official statement, the Governor of Cairo announced that these works come within the efforts undertaken by the state to link the axes south and east of Cairo to achieve traffic liquidity in the capital, which is expected to occur after its completion, a major breakthrough for traffic and the movement of citizens in these areas, while he did not comment on what was raised about The demolition of the tomb of Taha Hussein.
In an official publication on its official page, the governorate described the upcoming Yasser Rizk axis, which may topple the cemetery, as a "traffic lung to connect the famous Mokattam suburb with the heart of Cairo."
The government news portal quoted an official source in Cairo Governorate as saying, "The governorate has not issued any decision regarding the removal of the cemetery, and has not yet been notified of the coordinates of the new traffic path that will be established."
On the other hand, anger escalated among prominent activists, academics, writers and intellectuals in Egypt, demanding to save the country's reputation and honor the resting place of the late writer.
The prominent thinker and academic Ammar Ali Hassan said that he met by chance the former Minister of Culture, Enas Abdel Dayem, and angrily told her, "If Taha Hussein's tomb was demolished, it would be a disgrace."
He explained that the minister repudiated this, and confirmed that she had submitted a memorandum showing the seriousness of the matter, so Hassan demanded that she inform the authorities that the intellectuals rejected this step.
For his part, the former head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Muhammad Abu Al-Ghar, said that he learned from the family of the late Taha Hussein that the French government welcomes the work of a burial worthy of the late, if the family decides to transfer his remains abroad.
I met by chance the former Minister of Culture d.
Inas Abdel Dayem, I said to her angrily: If Taha Hussein's tomb was demolished, it would be a disgrace.
She said: I have nothing to do with this, and I submitted a note showing its danger.
I told her: I know, but you must inform them of the refusal of the intellectuals, and I added: I know that if Taha's granddaughter is sure of the demolition, her remains will be transferred to Paris and it will be an international scandal.
— Ammar Ali Hassan (@ammaralihassan) August 31, 2022
Similar facts
And if this time the controversy preceded what was being raised about the demolition or transfer of Taha Hussein's tomb, the sword had "preceded the evil" in other cases, as other historical cemeteries were demolished in Egypt recently.
In late November, the "Zulfiqar" family (to which Queen Farida, the wife of the former ruler of Egypt, King Farouk belongs), announced its official notification of the demolition of the family cemetery, which dates back more than 120 years, in the tombs of Imam Shafi'i in the capital, Cairo, to build an axis New traffic.
July 2021 also witnessed greater controversy, after the spread of photos and videos of bulldozer demolitions of tombs believed to be archaeological in the Mamluk desert area (east of Cairo).
The Egyptian authorities denied this, stressing that the expansions did not extend to the archaeological areas, but those concerned confirmed that the areas affected by the destruction are archaeological.
In a parliamentary move in July 2020, House of Representatives Representative Dalia Youssef submitted the first questioning of the government regarding the demolition of historical and archaeological cemeteries to establish a traffic bridge.
The former official in the National Organization for Urban Coordination and urban design pioneer Sohair Zaki Hawass announced the removal of 2,760 cemeteries within the approved Historic Cairo area in the famous Sayyida Aisha area, without reviewing their heritage, architectural and symbolic value.
On the other hand, the Egyptian government repeatedly asserts in official statements that it is working to develop Historic Cairo and restore the area to its civilized splendor, which is what happened in the area of the ancient Magra El-Ayoun wall, and the development of historic Cairo neighborhoods such as Bab Zuweila, in conjunction with the transfer of slum dwellers and cemeteries to new housing.
The third way
Is there a third alternative?
Thus, some are looking for a new path that stops the ongoing debate between preserving heritage sometimes or aesthetic form at other times, and between development and eliminating crowding and slums.
In this context, an official source at the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities clarifies that Taha Hussein’s tomb is not within the scope of the ministry’s work, and is subject to the Ministry of Culture as it is a heritage, but warns against removing it or transferring it to the consequences of this on Egypt’s reputation, and the value of the Dean of Arabic literature.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, the source (reserved to be named) proposes the establishment of a higher committee to supervise antiquities and heritage directly under the Presidency of the Republic, to prevent inconsistencies and disengage the incident between the government agencies supervising Egyptian antiquities, which are the ministries: Culture, Endowments, Antiquities and Tourism, as well as the administrative body of the county or district.
He pointed out that it is ironic that archaeological mosques - for example - are confused in supervising them between the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities and Endowments, even though they are antiquities.
The source hoped that the Ministry of Culture and the Cairo Governorate would consider the matter of violating the tomb of Taha Hussein, and not moving it from its location, noting that the value of the impact is in its staying in its location and dissipated by its transfer.
He explained that there is a very complex crisis facing the implementing agencies for the development of Historic Cairo, because it is full of antiquities, so they find themselves in a crisis between the end of the government mandate directed at them to develop, and the caution against compromising the antiquity and receiving the attack every time.
He pointed out that this problem was resolved by the National Organization for Urban Coordination, and its role emerged during the presence of urban design pioneer Suhair Zaki Hawass, but because of her many objections, she did not continue in her position.
The responsible source calls for resorting to an urgent architectural and engineering solution to solve the crisis of Taha Hussein's cemetery, and not to move it from its place, but rather to exploit the area surrounding the cemetery for tourism promotion and to establish a library and a tourist community around the cemetery, while looking carefully at Taha Hussein's resting place in the "Tuna El-Gabal" area in Minya Governorate. (South of the country), which was a witness to his most important writings.
He added that many countries do not possess the antiquities of Egypt and do the impossible to turn them into shrines, pointing out that the Mamluk desert region, for example, has tourist treasures that can attract the Southeast Asian sector, and needs planning.
If the tomb of the great man of Egypt, "Taha Hussein", must be demolished, we must immediately move his remains to an elegant scene built in the garden opposite the great door of Cairo University.
We must, immediately, or else a nation that does not respect its pioneering creative men will not be respected by anyone in the worlds.
— Dr.
Youssef Ziedan (@Dryoussefziedan) August 31, 2022
Returning to the crisis of Taha Hussein's cemetery, writers and intellectuals suggested transferring Hussein's remains to a new cemetery to be erected in front of Cairo University, with its great symbolism, as Hussein was its most prominent historical symbol.
Prominent journalist and member of the National Dialogue Board of Trustees Abdel Azim Hammad called - in press statements - to launch a subscription campaign among Egyptian intellectuals to contribute to the transfer of the remains of the Dean of Arabic Literature to a new mausoleum worthy of his position at Cairo University.
For his part, writer and novelist Youssef Zeidan said, "A nation that does not respect its pioneering creative men will not be respected by anyone in both worlds."
Taha Hussein spent his life building the Egyptian nation and the Egyptian mind, but in the end he does not sleep in peace in order to build a axis on which cars pass.
— Ibrahim Abdel Meguid (@ibme_guid) September 1, 2022
If you visit the tomb of the great Dr. Taha Hussein, you will see this marble plaque that the calligrapher Hassan Khaled wrote in his will in Kufic calligraphy. Will we lose what remains of the material heritage of Taha Hussein with the 50th year of his death?
pic.twitter.com/iCrQhGEHhZ
— khaled azab (@khaleda79442809) August 31, 2022
Some of them underestimate the order to remove the tomb of Taha Hussein (a deserted place that no one visits, and the living is better than the dead).
They miss the fact that some of the living are dead, moving corpses or numb animals, while some of the dead live with their thoughts and actions for thousands of years.
Taha Hussein has become a part of humanity's mind and conscience, as long as life remains. pic.twitter.com/gU2gJEveT7
— ahmed ezzarab (@aezzarab25) September 2, 2022