Memory of a Place | On Suq al-Jum’a

Megawra | Built Environment Collective is happy to announce an upcoming lecture and exhibition titled, ‘Memory of a Place: On Suq al-Jum’a’ on Saturday 29th May 2021, from 7 – 8:30 PM.

The lecture will be given by Hussam Magdy at al-Khalifa Community Centre. Live streaming of the lecture will also be available on Megawara’s Facebook page.

Attendance for the in-person lecture will be based on pre-registration.

Due to Covid and social distancing regulations, registration is extremely limited, and we therefore kindly ask you to register for the in-person event only if you are certain you can make it on the day.

About the lecture

During the early 1990s, it was to the Egyptian government’s surprise that this uninhabited desert area had become a home for more than 100,000 citizens who were living below the poverty line. Manshiyyat Nasir expanded from the north to the south, along the eastern desert edge of Cairo (Muqattam), forming an urban neighbourhood with a population that held more than a quarter-million citizens by 2019. Manshiyyat Nasir became linked to al-Khalifa through several activities and communities that were brought together under similar economic interests and social and professional bonds to form diverse and unique informal communities. The Tunisian Market, commonly known as Suq al-Jum’a (Friday Market), is one of those communal products that has ceased to exist in the way that it had done so in the past for more than 70 years.

This lecture aims to document the urban, social and economic situation of the removed or transferred Suq al-Jum’a by presenting and discussing research based on a case study from Hussam Magdy’s MSc thesis in 2011. It will also highlight the several attempts to remove the market that were taking place since 2005, as well as the several catastrophic accidents the market experienced until it was completely and officially eliminated in 2020. The lecture will be accompanied by a photography exhibition documenting Suq al-Jum’a until this day.

The lecture will be conducted in Arabic and will be followed by a Q&A discussion.
The in-person event will be held in the open-air courtyard of al-Khalifa Community Centre and social distancing guidelines will be strictly implemented. All attendees will be expected to adhere to standard precautionary measures and wear protective masks during the whole period of the workshop.

Attendance and registration for the in-person lecture

Attendance for the in-person lecture is confirmation-based. Applicants must first apply by registering for the event through the below link. We urge you to apply quickly as registrations will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. Successful applicants will then be contacted (via phone) to confirm their participation and be given address details.

To apply to the lecture please fill in this application form.

About the lecturer

Hussam Magdy is a 40 years old Egyptian architect, urban researcher, and Assistant Professor of Architecture in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Minia University. Since his graduation in 2003, his research interests have been revolving around the Egyptian urban context, including the definition of public space as well as non-motorized and pedestrian mobility. Magdy’s current research focuses on mobility and street planning in the Egyptian City.