Alexandria, and the stewardship of the asset “Urban Heritage”

Every day, another piece of sad news emerges out of Alexandria about yet another heritage building being demolished!
Why is this the case? How is this carried out? Who allows this to happen? Who benefits? What replaces this heritage? What is the result of this replacement? Are people happy? All these questions need to be answered to be able to understand what is currently going on in Alexandria.

The lecture will dicuss the following:
1. What is considered urban or architectural heritage in Alexandria?

2. What identifies this heritage?

3. The state of the art of this heritage today.

4. Challenges facing the sustainability of this heritage.

5. Previous and ongoing attempts of heritage conservation.

Lecturer: May El Tabbakh
BSc Architecture MSc Sustainable Heritage
Founder and Principal architect at May El Tabbakh Architects, Alexandria

May graduated from the German school in Alexandria in 1996. She holds a BSc in architecture of public buildings from Alexandria University, Faculty of Engineering Dep. of Architecture 2002.

From 2002 to 2005, May joined the Alexandria Preservation Trust as a heritage researcher. She represented the Trust in significant international research programmes, such as the Euromed Heritage Patrimoines Partagés, 2004-2005.

From 2006 to 2009, May was awarded the British Chevening scholarship to pursue her Master degree in Sustainable Heritage from University College London, the Bartlett School of the Built Environment Centre for Sustainable Heritage, 2009. She also gained a rich practical experience as a conservation architect working for London’s top leading conservation practices.

In 2010, May moved back to Egypt and was directly engaged in major sustainable development projects in old historic quarters across Egypt. May El Tabbakh Architects was officially established in 2011 and has since won a number of national and international architectural awards.

May is persistent to help raise the awareness on Alexandria’s neglected cultural heritage through her initiation and participation in a diversity of related researches and publications. She is an internationally recognized expert on the topic and has participated in a number of national, regional and international conferences, including the UNESCO expert meeting on the safeguarding of the urban and architectural heritage of modernity in the Arab World, Paris, Rabat & Kuwait, 2012, 2013, &2015 the Modern Heritage Observatory meeting, Beirut, 2013 and the UfM organised Information and Training Seminar on Cities and Urbanisation in the Mediterranean Region, Barcelona, 2014 .