Historic Identity Transformation in Cultural Heritage Sites the Story of Orman Historical Garden in Cairo City, Egypt

• Main Author: Aziz Noha Abd El
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2019-12-01
• Series: Journal of Landscape Ecology
• Subjects: orman garden; historical gardens; cultural history; urban identity; historical identity
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2019-0018

Historical gardens in Egypt witnessed and narrated not only stories of momentous events and influencing dignitaries, but also they hosted rare plants and astonishing architecture. Nowadays, such rich history is losing its identity, which is pragmatic to retain, especially with high rates of urbanization and globalization. Thus, this research focuses on the issue of place identity, as it investigates the impact of socio-economic, political, and spatial forces on formulating the identity of historic gardens in metropolitan cities. Additionally, the research addresses the debate between preserving the garden identity versus approving its evolving.. “Orman Garden” is selected, a historic botanical garden in Cairo City, Egypt, to examine the transformation of its identity starting from 1873 till 2019. Research methods include historical researches, a field survey, and interviews with the garden administration staff, current users, and users from old generations. Results declare that the socio-economic forces are the most profound forces behind identity reconfiguring / transformation. Furthermore, the study differentiated between components that were subjected to disfiguration or evolution. The research concludes with recommendations to conserve and revive the lost historical identity while facing current challenges and embracing new demands and trends.