Egyptian Historical Parks, Authenticity vs. Change in Cairo's Cultural Landscapes

As a historically intense country, Egypt's built environment has always been the focus of plentiful urban research. However, the natural component in the urban fabric of Egyptian cities has been undermined and understudied in between all the numerous ideas and data. In a historical city like Cairo, layers of history are illustrated in its parks and gardens. Left unearthed and neglected, these vital spaces are subject to negative change and decay under the pressure of land use demands, among various other challenges. Many of Cairo's parks and gardens date back to the 19th and 20th century, containing endless gestures from the cultural essence of this time era in their design. This paper discusses ten public parks and gardens in Cairo founded in the 19th and 20th centuries, and survive to our present day (whether completely or partially). Viewing the initial design and development of these parks in comparison with their current state is rather intriguing to investigate. These historical parks and gardens are worthy of identification for preservation. With resourceful and directed management, these spaces can dramatically change the view of Cairo as a suffocating dense urban tissue, to a more perforated and engaging urban experience for its community. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.