Egypt agrees to list historic house as archaeological site

Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Damati had agreed to submit the “Bayt Madkour Pasha” building, which is at risk of demolition, to a standing committee to list it as an archaeological site, a campaign aimed to save ‘Historic Cairo’ announced.

The building dates back to the 14th century as it was owned by a prince from the Mamluk Sultanate period and several buildings were added to the house in the 19th century.

The “Save Cairo” campaign had denounced a demolition order issued by Cairo governorate against the historic house.

The house, located in the Cairo street of “Bab Al Wazir” at the poor neighborhood of “Al Darb Al Ahmar”, was listed by the Culture Ministry as a building with “distinctive architectural style” in 2010 but the Antiquities Ministry’s standing committee refused to include it in the list of Islamic and Coptic antiquities.

The committee recommended back then leaving it in the list of “distinctive architectural style buildings” which provides it protection but a Cabinet decision issued in 2011 removed the building from the list and an order was given subsequently to raze it to the ground.