Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, inspected the executive position of the “Fustat Hills Park” project, in Cairo Governorate, which is adjacent to the Museum of Civilization, Ain Al-Sira Lake, the Religious Complex, and Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque, and is being implemented by the Central Reconstruction Agency, through the Reconstruction Agency. Greater Cairo, after his tour of the project to develop and revive Azbakeya Park.
At the beginning of his visit to the project, Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny held an extensive meeting with officials of the contracting companies working in the project, and the project consultant, and in the presence of officials from the ministry, the Central Reconstruction Authority, and the New Urban Communities Authority, to discuss the executive position in detail for all components of the project, where the minister directed to intensify and compress the rates. Implementing “Fustat Hills Park” to be completed on the specified dates.
The Minister of Housing toured the components of “Fustat Hills Park” to determine the implementation rates on the ground, explaining that the park is considered one of the largest parks in the Middle East region, as it is being implemented on an area of about 500 acres, in a central location in the heart of historic Cairo (it was previously used as a waste dump). It is being implemented within the framework of the state’s efforts to develop historic Cairo, provide parks for citizens, and increase the per capita share of green spaces and public spaces.
The Minister explained that the park includes 8 areas, and has 14 gates (main and subsidiary gates that vary between contemporary doors, historical doors, and garden doors), and the increase in green spaces was taken into account, and it also includes a number of activities that depend on reviving Egyptian heritage throughout the various Pharaonic eras. Coptic, Islamic and modern, and creates a new outlet for the people of Cairo, in line with the state’s efforts to confront climate change and protect the environment.
He pointed out that the cultural area in the park is located opposite the main entrance gate on Salah Salem Road, and is considered one of the distinctive areas, and has a main axis on the Museum of Civilization, and is surrounded by a group of squares that include cultural activities, restaurants, and other services, and celebrations are scheduled to be held there throughout the year. Overall, the scope of works in the cultural district includes the main gate, 4 restaurants and cafeterias, 3 fountains, and infrastructure and agricultural works.
Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny added: The park also includes the hills and valley area, and the hills area is divided into 3 hills of varying heights between which the waterway (river) passes, and they graduate into a group of terraces starting from the edge of the river and ending up to the top of the hill, so that the top of the hills provides views of the project. And the surrounding area, Salah al-Din Citadel and the pyramids. “Kasbah Hill” includes a tourist hotel, service buildings, parking lots, an artificial lake, terraces and seating areas overlooking the waterfall, a pedestrian bridge to connect, a cafeteria, and a waterfall, while “Heritage Gardens Hill” includes terraces and buildings for visitors. And restaurants, and a wooden space overlooking the lake, showing the detailed plans of those hills and the various paths and gardens they contain, and areas for restaurants, celebrations, and entertainment.
The minister stated that “Excavation Hill” is being worked on by the executive body to renew the Islamic and Fatimid Cairo neighborhoods, with the aim of discovering and displaying the first Islamic capital of Egypt, “the ancient city of Fustat,” so that the region becomes an integrated archaeological, touristic, and cultural shrine through uncovering the remains of the city of Fustat over an area of about 47 acres to access the architectural composition of the ancient city and restore it, uncover the remains of the Saladin Wall, inventory and collect the discovered artifacts and restore them, then scientific publication of what will be discovered, with the implementation of a walkway 1 km long and 1.5 meters high from the excavation area around the ancient city of Fustat ( Excavations) to connect tourist service buildings to the general site, to invest the heritage area as a tourist area with a distinct character.
The Minister of Housing said: “Fustat Hills Park” also includes the investment area and overlooks Lake Ain al-Hayat. It includes 12 restaurants, 4 commercial centers, and 4 parking garages, and behind it is an area that allows for the holding of many large official celebrations, as it includes the Roman theater and the water fountain, in addition to To the Adventure Zone, which contains a number of service buildings, lakes, and crops, as well as the Markets Zone, which is a commercial area, and aims to stimulate tourism, support the economy, and revitalize handicrafts and heritage, the most prominent of which are glass, ceramic, wax, and spinning and weaving works. The Markets Zone is being implemented in 3 stages, and includes It contains 19 shops, parking lots, an artificial lake, agricultural areas, and a 3-star hotel.
