Good Day,

I apologize for not writing for a so long time. Life was getting too busy, but now it’s fairly organized. I came across this article in Community Times, one of my favorite magazines. It’s interesting, enjoy reading.

SOURCE: COMMUNITY TIMES Magazine, Issue No. 141, October 2007, “How to Wipe Out Your City’s Memory: The Egyptian Bureaucrat’s Guide…”, ByYasmine Dorghamy

How to Wipe Out your City’s Memory
The Egyptian Bureaucrat’s Guide

By Yasmine Dorghamy

Did you ever know that the district of El Munira (the illuminated) got its name after the entire neighborhood was kept fully lit for 40 days and nights to celebrate the weddings of two of Khedive Ismail’s children? Or that the district of El Agouza (the old lady) actually refers to queen Nazli’s mother? The elderly lady had had a mosque built in the new district and it was jokingly nicknamed after her by the workmen.

Well, at lest most of us know that the Opera Square got its name when one of the world’s finest opera houses was built there to impress royalty and nobility from around the world for the Suez Canal celebrations. It may have been replaced by an unsightly parking lot (of all things) but many of us still feel a hint of pride at the mere memory. Historical events and landmarks fade with the passing of time, but at least the name lives on to remind us…or does it?

Haphazard changing of street names seems to have become an epidemic in Cairo. However, it has been a problem for many decades, so what brings it up again now? Not too long ago, as city officials began a campaign to update street signs, many streets that held their original names suddenly got labeled with new ones no one had ever heard of. Apparently, these names had been officially changed on a piece of paper in the governorate office for years without making a sign for the actual street (some names stayed for almost a decade.

One of the most provocative changes noted recently when an ancient street was bestowed with a shiny new sign, was Souk el Seilah (arm’s market) in Darb el Ahmar. The name of the street (where Memluks shopped for their weapons), nearly half a millennium old if not older, was suddenly changed to Elwi Hafez, a former parliamentarian, as I discovered (not through the street’s inhabitants, I must add). The shock caused many to speak ill of a man who apparently was very highly regarded during his lifetime, a common defensive reaction to seeing an old familiar street name constituting part of one’s home and identity, changed overnight.

The number of streets and squares that retain their original name is dwindling. Here are a few examples of those that have not been afflicted with the sweeping amnesia:

Kasr El Nil st. (Nile Palace): gets its name from the palace, originally built by Mohamed Ali for his daughter Nazli. The palace was rebuilt in 1854 during the reign of Viceroy Saiid Pacha. It was later turned into army barracks and eventually replaced with the Nile Hilton and Arab League buildings in 1950’s.
Kasr El-Aini st.: gets its name from the palace built by El-Mokerr el Shehabi Ahmed Ibn El-aini, a powerful man during the reign of Sultan Khoshqdain in 15th century Egypt. The school of medicine, originally situated in Abu Zaabal, moved to Kasr el Aini out of need for expansion in 1837.
El ataba El Khadra Sq. (Green Porch square): was originally named El Ataba el Zarqaa (blue porch square), referring to Ahmed Taher Pacha’s palace with a blue porch (Taher was a wealthy noble who governed Upper Egypt during the reign of Mohamed Ali). Khedive Ismail later bought the palace and Ezbekkeyyeh Gardens spread in the surrounding area, earning it its new nickname, El Ataba el Khadra.
Boulak El Dakrour (originally “el Takrour”): Although the origin of the name “Takrour” is still quite vague, several sources have documented that a colony of Sudanese, or Takrouri students (Takrour being the ancient name of the area where Sudan lies today) studied at the Azhar University and settled in Boulaq during Fatimid era, eventually giving their name to this area.

Those that were not so lucky:

Garden City streets (a few examples):
- Kasr El Aali (High Palace): Palace built by Ibrahim Pasha for his wives and concubines. This was the first development in the area we now know as Garden City. The street is now called Cornishe el Nil (in case you hadn’t noticed all the water).
- El Salamlek: Location of the Salamlek (reception area) of El Kasr el Aali. Now called Abdel Rahman Fahmy street.
- Maamal el Sokkar: Location of the sugar refinery that was inside Kasr el Aali grounds. It is now called El Doctor Mahmoud Ahmed El Hefny.
- Warshet el Tombak: Another palace facility, a tobacco (tombac) factory. It is now called Ahmed Ragheb street.
- Madrab el Nashab: Before the palaces and gardens, the area of Garden City is believed to have been a training ground for Memluks. Madrab el Nashab is the bull’s-eye where soldiers trained in archery and perfected their aim. The street is now called Itihad el Mohameyeen el Arab.
- El Bergas: Also a name that lingered presumably from the Memluk training grounds period. Bergas is the horse track. The street is now called Mohamed Ali Genah

Street names being changed upon an embassy’s request:
Now we have Berlin street, Charles de Gaulle, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Brazil. I don’t see any other city throwing away its old street names and replacing them with “Egypt street” or “Cairo street”! Good for them.

Afrah el Angal:
In the district of Munira; the name refers to the location of the weddings of Khedive Ismail’s angal (children). It has now become Fatma el Youssef.

El Sabaa’ (racetrack):
Location of the famous Heliopolis racetrack. Part of the main building remains today but is in a deplorable condition (it can be found across the street from the Merryland Park). El sabaa’ is now called El-Hijaz.

Baron Empain:
The Belgian entrepreneur who established the “oasis” of Heliopolis in 1906-1907. Baron Empain street covered the area between his famous Hindu Palace and the Basilique church where he is buried along with his son. The street is now called Nazeeh Khalifah.

Midan Bab el Khalq (Gates of Cration, originally Bab el Kharq):
The location of one of the ancient gates of Cairo, was renamed Midan Ahmed Maher. Right behind Midan Bab el Khalq is Port Said street originally called El Khaleeg El Masry (“The Egyptian canal/gulf”) because that’s exactly what was there! Old maps show the area which is now bustling with traffic was once a body of water with the name that was preserved long after it dried up.

Midan El Sakakini:
Named after Habib Sakakini (1841-1923), a Syrian businessman and contractor who moved to Egypt and gained the favor of Khedive Ismail who granted him a parcel of land to develop. Sakakini built his small palace in the middle of the new district with streets emanating from the core square surrounding the Palace. The residents call the square and the surrounding neighborhood Sakakini. The governorate however, decided to rename the square Ibn Khaldun.

Ramsis Square:
Formerly Bab el Hadid, the square’s name was changed from Fuad el Awal to El-Nahda, then finally to Ramsis in 1954. Now that the statute is gone, a new name is being sought. Why can’t we go back to the old name? the area is still informally known as Bab el Hadid, so why not make a logical change for once?

It’s not only about preserving heritage:
Not only do changing street names slowly erase a city’s many memories; the constant changing causes disruption on many fronts including confusion with personal identifications, postal services, even banking mistakes that occur when the address you lived at suddenly ceases to exist. Not to mention that some streets named after people (mentioning the entire full name plus title) end up being absurdly long.

As if Cairo’s built heritage wasn’t already falling prey to wrecking balls left and right, its intangible heritage is also being obliterated with the same ignorance that has cost us almost every last trace of Cairo that was once worthy of pride. If there is a dire need for adding new names to streets, can’t we make use of new urban developments sprouting all around the Greater Cairo periphery? And please, please start by returning Souk el Silah to over 500 year old name…

By Yasmine Dorghamy.
Contact the author at: savecairo@yahoo.com
Historical photographs courtesy of www.egyptedantan.com

SOURCE: COMMUNITY TIMES Magazine, Issue No. 141, October 2007, “How to Wipe Out Your City’s Memory: The Egyptian Bureaucrat’s Guide…”, ByYasmine Dorghamy