Gurna, Ramla, the foreigners cemetery, the new Heritage Centre, mosques, churches and many, many houses are being demolished all over Luxor. Can nothing be done?
Thursday 3 September 2009
More photos of the Pasha's House
There were two of these colonial style buildings side by side. There photos were taken today as you can see the one that was the party head quarters has almost gone. the other is still standing, but who knows for how long.
Gurna, Ramla, the foreigners cemetery, the new Heritage Centre, mosques, churches and many, many houses are being demolished all over Luxor. Can nothing be done?
Gurna, Ramla, the foreigners cemetery, the new Heritage Centre, mosques, churches and many, many houses are being demolished all over Luxor. Can nothing be done?
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It´s just heart-breaking to see how Luxor is been destroyed!
It's a tragedy. How can Luxor claim to be pro-conservation when it does this? What's next - remove the Mosque to clear Luxor Temple? These houses are a critcal part of Luxor's history.
Actually think Luxor's Corniche uis already something of a dump - the big hotels are really out of place and should have been built several blocks back and the corniche should have been low rise, hiqh quality buildings - exactly the buildings they are taking down.
Jane, aou have written a little earlier: "Finally we took the tuff tuff, little train to view the effect of the first stage of the flood lightening of the West Bank. Luckily I was sitting next to Mansour Boraik and managed to get a bit of information. It is planned that the entire West Bank will be lit and tourists will be able to visit." Everything has two sides. I believe the house disturbed the view of the West Bank! It has been new renovated and it was so beautiful! One also needs to know what you want! Question Dr Samir Farag for the great reconstruction plan. He knows the plan and knows what is to be demolished and what errors are happening. What should be done? The world (not only Luxor) is changed! I read from Isis & Osiris (only in German but many photos) Luxor alteration in - Luxor's Master Plan
have to be a tool of pressure on luxor Council to stop doing only what they see and listen to people
"Dr." Samir Farag is violating Egyptian law as well as international human rights law and the Egyptian national patrimony by all measures. Legal orders to pause demolition while investigating whether this house of architectural and historical value should be removed were ignored in a flagrant manner. This is a crime for which Farag should be sued, if not locally, internationally. He has been supported by the negative silence of his superiors as well as those who fear to lose their position facing this dictator. We, the Andraos family, are losing our house for the second time, after Nasser took it in the 1960's. It was given back to us by a court order which was never executed. Sadly, few influential Egyptians know or care about modern history of which this house has been part, and here is the result. I am sure living in a jungle would be less frustrating and devastating.
The Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, in association with the UNDP, retained Abt Associates to produce a 20-year Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of Luxor (CDCL). Projects and Publications (Abt Associates Inc. U.S.) Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of Luxor
Hi Jane, I hope it's a beautiful day in Luxor! I like Luxor and Egypt, just like you. The topic has not let me rest. Here the "City of Luxor Master Plan". Anyone can look at him and find out! City of Luxor Master Plan 2030 Also the Pasha's House found including Pasha's House
and the two buildings, seen from the Luxor temple side. Private photos from January 30, 2009 Photo 1 and Photo 2 It can be seen why the houses have to go. The view at the Luxor West Bank, whether illuminated or not!
I personally do not think it's so good that Leila Henein here again working up their private loss! I also think that the houses of the back are not renovated. I hope I see you in Oct/Nov.
NATIONAL LOSS - Personal loss is only a small part of the story! "...prior to being occupied by the National Democratic Party and the 'Niyaba Idariya', this house witnessed historical events, from receiving Saad Zaghloul - who could only go to that house since [Yassa Pasha Andraos] was the honorary consul of Italy [and the Russian Empire, and the Kingdom of Belgium...] and therefore had diplomatic immunity -, to being visited by kings and queens from all over the world [Umberto I, Elisabeth of Russia,Haile Selassie and many many more...]
Moreover, the house as you may well know is of architectural interest, as per the book 'Egypt: the Living Past', TGH James; photographs by Graham Harrison, London: British Museum Press in association with the Egyptian State Information Service, 1992, page 146. It is considered a national historic patrimony, according to the authorities (hay'at al tansiq al hadary).
Luxor like the rest of Egypt has a modern history too, not only an ancient one.
P.S. The document posted shows renovation of the houses not demolition.
Hello Leila, Thank you for your accurate historical portrayal. I know it all and have also read about it! Even if it hurts me so fair a house disappears, at least from the front it was beautiful. One way they done, Jane described in her article "New Excavations starting next Saturday at Luxor Temple". I thought Pasha's house would obstruct the view of the West Bank. Yes, the house was listed only as an example of a color change in the master plan. This master plan is only a representation and not the actual plan!
What will really happen? You should read this plan... "The Comprehensive Development of the City of Luxor Project, Egypt - Final Structure Plan, Volume I - Technical Report" and "The Comprehensive Development of the City of Luxor Project, Egypt - Final Structure Plan, Volume 2 Supplementary Documents".... and more.
I like the demolition of Pasha's House does not! I like but not the new square in front of Karnak and Luxor Temple or the changes on the West Bank! I regret all those forced to leave their homes, and all who have yet to do in the future! Sorry... here in Germany, whole villages with church and beautiful old houses were demolished because of the lignite... and many houses had a story! Some people got a lot of money, other people were dispossessed and others have chained themselves to the house.
It's all about money money money, no matter which side! The future changes will frighten many people. Luxor will be fine, and be done for the tourists from Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Not even designed for European tourists but even for the Chinese boom. It will bring work and money to Luxor and the garbage will disappear. It will mean more suffering for those affected. I like the old Luxor more, but I am only an individual traveler.
Informs you, and read the articles which describe what happens in the next years. You can always see it either way!
I fervently believed that all Egyptians loved their country and were proud of its glorious history and would do anything to protect it and preserve it. I was also taught that the great majority of people abided by the law. Unfortunately, I have just learned that that is not necessarily true.
Last week, despite a final court ruling to the contrary, and despite recommendations from the Ministry of Culture and various other organizations to preserve the Yassa Andraos Pasha house in Luxor as a national monument, this house, one of great beauty and history, built in the French Colonial style in 1897, was torn down. The owners, who had been authorized by the highest court of law (seven years ago) to reclaim their house from which they had been deprived for over 40 years when they were ordered to leave it as a result of being “sequestrated” in the 60’s, were neither given back their house nor informed when it was destroyed overnight, last week.. The Socialist Party and then later the National Democratic Party who had taken the house as their headquarters, had repeatedly refused to implement the court order to return the house. Appeals to every single authority in land resulted in nothing…. and now this.
How can I explain the “mystery” surrounding this act?
Could it be that some people do not know or care about our history and national heritage nor the beauty of turn of the century architecture which many visitors in Luxor admired, and feel all powerful in trying to efface the past because they had no role in it?
Could it be that some people are unaware that Egypt’s history does not end with the pharaonic era and do not realize that the nationalist movement of the 1900’s, of which this house was a part, is also history?
Could it be that some people believe that they are above the law, and that “Might is right”?
Surely, the destruction of a beautiful house like this one could not have been motivated by political expediency or personal interest or gain.
And of course it is not to build the concrete jungle of ugly modern houses and unimpressive hotels that now line the once beautiful stylish Luxor corniche.
Also, I refuse to believe that religious fanaticism had anything to do with it.
Or could it be, as some have suggested, that living in Luxor surrounded by the glory of the pharaohs who ruled the land with no laws save their own, has somehow made some believe that they too have inherited the absolute power of long gone kings!
It is a sad day for Egypt when we destroy our own heritage and when those who are not Egyptian are those who are most shocked by this disgraceful act.
It is a sad day when Egyptian law abiding citizens feel that legal recourse is powerless.
It is a sad day when those who are supposed to protect and defend are those who maliciously destroy and when those who are supposed to uphold the laws are those who break them. Maybe one lesson we can all learn from history is that the misuse of power is a dangerous thing and one “pharaoh” is bound, sooner or later, to replace another.
One last note. It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that Farouk Hosny lost his bid to become head of the prestigious UNESCO. If you can’t protect your own cultural heritage how can you protect that of the world!
Marian Ebeid
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