Al-Azhar Park is a public garden in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The park opened in 2005 on 30 hectares. The plant was financed by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) with 30 million dollars as a gift from Aga Khan IV., Whose ancestors founded the city of Cairo in 969. It is the largest public park in Cairo. Before that, there was a garbage dump at this point that had piled up in 500 years. The park is located on a hill above the Azhar Mosque.
City walls dating from the Ayyubid period, which Saladin had built in the 12th century, were found near the park. The walls have been restored and integrated into the garden. The project also included the restoration of the Um Sultan Shaban Mosque from the 14th century, the Khayrbek complex from the 13th century and the Darb Shoughlan School. There are also facilities for social and health services in the park.
In 1984 Karim Aga Khan visited Cairo and from his hotel saw the hill al-Darassa with its mountains of rubbish. He offered the city to create a green lung in the metropolis of Cairo at this point. Work began in 1992. Over 765,000 cubic meters of material were removed, 160,000 cubic meters of which were used for replenishment elsewhere. 605,000 cubic meters were treated geotechnically and mixed with 60,000 cubic meters of special sand and topsoil. The property was covered with this earth mixture. A total of 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble and earth were moved, which corresponds to the load of 80,000 trucks. The hill on which the park is located is about 55 meters high, which is at least 25 meters higher than the rest of the city in the Nile plain.
During the planning phase, the Egyptian government asked for three cisterns to be integrated into the system for the city's drinking water supply. The planning had to be interrupted and completely changed for this.
The park is essentially divided into five sections: two hills, one in the north and one in the south, a gently curved terrain to the east, a flat terrain in the north and a steep slope in the west.
The planners made it important to integrate Islamic garden art traditions into design and botany in order to remember the city's past. For example, styles from different regions and different epochs were used for the gardens and buildings in the park, for the orchards, the seating in the shade and the Fatimid arcades. Persian and Timurid elements can be found on the watercourses and fountains, making the garden reminiscent of historical Islamic garden art. The grounds are fed by their own water reservoir, and there are cafes, children's playgrounds and viewpoints of the city.
Restoration of the Ayyubid city wall
While the ground was being excavated, an archaeological treasure was found under the mountains of rubbish: a 15-meter-high wall 1.5 kilometers in length. This forgotten Ayyubid city wall and its towers have been restored and it was decided to incorporate them into the garden project.
An urban plaza is under construction at the north end of the park to house the Museum of Historic Cairo. The plaza is to house a multifunctional center with shops, cultural offers and a parking garage. It is being built by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.
City walls dating from the Ayyubid period, which Saladin had built in the 12th century, were found near the park. The walls have been restored and integrated into the garden. The project also included the restoration of the Um Sultan Shaban Mosque from the 14th century, the Khayrbek complex from the 13th century and the Darb Shoughlan School. There are also facilities for social and health services in the park.
In 1984 Karim Aga Khan visited Cairo and from his hotel saw the hill al-Darassa with its mountains of rubbish. He offered the city to create a green lung in the metropolis of Cairo at this point. Work began in 1992. Over 765,000 cubic meters of material were removed, 160,000 cubic meters of which were used for replenishment elsewhere. 605,000 cubic meters were treated geotechnically and mixed with 60,000 cubic meters of special sand and topsoil. The property was covered with this earth mixture. A total of 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble and earth were moved, which corresponds to the load of 80,000 trucks. The hill on which the park is located is about 55 meters high, which is at least 25 meters higher than the rest of the city in the Nile plain.
During the planning phase, the Egyptian government asked for three cisterns to be integrated into the system for the city's drinking water supply. The planning had to be interrupted and completely changed for this.
The park is essentially divided into five sections: two hills, one in the north and one in the south, a gently curved terrain to the east, a flat terrain in the north and a steep slope in the west.
The planners made it important to integrate Islamic garden art traditions into design and botany in order to remember the city's past. For example, styles from different regions and different epochs were used for the gardens and buildings in the park, for the orchards, the seating in the shade and the Fatimid arcades. Persian and Timurid elements can be found on the watercourses and fountains, making the garden reminiscent of historical Islamic garden art. The grounds are fed by their own water reservoir, and there are cafes, children's playgrounds and viewpoints of the city.
Restoration of the Ayyubid city wall
While the ground was being excavated, an archaeological treasure was found under the mountains of rubbish: a 15-meter-high wall 1.5 kilometers in length. This forgotten Ayyubid city wall and its towers have been restored and it was decided to incorporate them into the garden project.
An urban plaza is under construction at the north end of the park to house the Museum of Historic Cairo. The plaza is to house a multifunctional center with shops, cultural offers and a parking garage. It is being built by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.
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