March 13, 2023

The Prime Minister inspects the renovation of Amr ibn Al A'as Mosque and Fustat Gardens

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli paid a tour to the Old Cairo district to inspect the newly-launched Fustat Gardens project, the renovation process of Amr ibn Al A'as Mosque, and surrounding areas in Cairo. He was accompanied by Major General Khaled Abdel Aal - Cairo Governor, Eng. Jihan Abdel Moneim - Deputy Governor for the Southern Region, Major General Mahmoud Nassar - Head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction, Eng. Khaled Sedeek - Chairman of the Urban Development Fund (UDF), and the project consultants. The Prime Minister received Major General Mohammad Kilani - Head of Greater Cairo Reconstruction Authority, Major General Wael Moustafa - Head of the Executive Authority for the Renewal of the Islamic Cairo and Fatimid Districts, Eng. Sayed Farouk – CEO and Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company executing the development works of Amr ibn Al A'as Mosque, Eng. Emam Afify- Vice Chairman, Eng. Tarek Khedr - Member of the Company's Executive Board and Head of Construction Sector. The Prime Minister inspected the restoration work and raising the effeciency that the "Arab Contractors" company had completed, as he listened to an explanation from Sayed Farouk – CEO and Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company, about the work and pointed out that the efficiency of lighting in the mosque, and internal broadcasting, is currently being ascertained in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. The Prime Minister toured the mosque, praising the restoration work carried out with the highest efficiency. The prime minister highlighted the importance of Fustat Gardens project, which aimed to create a public garden in the center of Old Cairo's archaeological and historical sites and monuments, thus offering tourists a unique tourist experience. During the tour, Madbouli directed the speeding up of the planning of the area. He also discussed the project with officials responsible for carrying out the infrastructure work at the site of the venture. The Prime Minister started the tour by listening to a detailed explanation from Major General Mahmoud Nassar - Head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction, which dealt with the general position of Fustat Gardens Project, the current implementation rates for each component, the remaining works, and the time schedule for its completion. The project witnesses the implementation of the investment zone, the cultural zone, and the areas of: adventure, heritage gardens, hills, excavations, Al Kasbah, markets, the club, Ain Al Hayat Lake, the riverbed, historical, contemporary, and garden gates, and the Egyptian Cairo Club . The tour included a visit to the cultural area, which is one of the 8 main areas of the project and is being built on the waterway linking the square of the Amr ibn Al A'as Mosque and Ain Al Hayat Lake. Eng. Khaled Sedeek - Chairman of the Urban Development Fund (UDF), said that the cultural area starts from the main gate of the park on Salah Salem Street, to the back entrance of the Museum of Civilizations, and therefore the connecting axis of the museum is called the cultural axis, and the cultural area consists of a group of gardens that represent various ages, in addition to a group of places that will allow the provision of many cultural, recreational, and other activities, as well as services for visitors to the park, and the cultural area ends with the Egyptian Women’s Lake, which includes an amphitheater, as well as a group of sculptural artworks that record the role of Egyptian women in building civilization through the various ages. Eng. Khaled Sedeek explored the implementation status of the adventure area as part of the cultural area’s components, which includes a group of green terraces. He also explored the implementation status of the investment area, adjacent to the cultural area, which includes an arena for celebrations, restaurants, and cafeterias, overlooking Ain Al Hayat Lake. Regarding the implementation status of the river, which extends from Ain Al Hayat Lake connected to a group of green hills to the square of Amr ibn Al A'as Mosque, it is witnessing progress in the implementation of its work, as the entire path of the river has been lined, and the remaining works are being completed in preparation for pumping water. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and his companions visited the hills area, and he reported on the implementation work in this area within the components of the project. Eng. Khaled Sedeek indicated that the area is witnessing the implementation of 3 main hills, each rising to approximately 70 meters, with the work of building terraces for these hills to serve as paths to climb their tops, so that this area becomes one of Cairo's tourist attractions, as it overlooks the Giza Pyramids, Mohammed Ali Mosque, Mokattam Mountain, Sultan Hassan Mosque, and other landmarks of Cairo.