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From Siwa to Cairo, the making of heritage feeds from the Others’ desire
– Original title:
De Siwa au Caire, la fabrique du patrimoine se nourrit du désir des autres.
in Omnia Aboukorah, Jean-Gabriel Leturcq (eds), Égypte/Monde arabe n°5-6, 3e série, 2009, Pratiques du patrimoine en Égypte et au Soudan, Cairo, CEDEJ, p. 69-101.
ISSN : 1110-5097 - ISBN : 2-905838-44-2
DOI: 10.4000/ema.2893
PDF File: https://hal.science/halshs-00350121//en/
Alain Roussillon †. This issue was launched under the leadership of Alain Roussillon.
He died without finishing this work. I dedicate this article especially to his memory.
– See the Call for papers of this EMA’s issue on the CEDEJ website.
– Abstract:
This contribution compares two different processes of heritage-making situations in Egypt: the megalopolis of Cairo and the ‘Berber-speaking’ oasis of Siwa. In both cases, while the local actors speak of architecture, they seem to refer also to something else. In Siwa is invented a local traditional style to present it to foreigners as an authentic heritage. In Cairo, an architectural past is poorly served as it represents a European tradition, and is used as legitimate heritage to remove «the intruders» (the popular classes manners) from the modern Cairene scene. If one of the main modes of producing heritage is really strategic, we must clarify which is the goal of the intervening on these architectures. If this does not raise passions nor does it cause conflict by lack of combatants, these operations are not blank…
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