Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Until recently, the only vantage point from which to view Cairo's historic skyline of minarets and domes up close was the Citadel. Thanks to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), Cairo now boasts a 30-hectare park uniquely situated among some of the city's most historically significant Islamic monuments that provides breathtaking panoramic views of the Islamic skyline. What many visitors to Al-Azhar Park don't realize, however, is that the park was constructed on top of mounds of debris that date back to Fatimid Cairo.

When the official inauguration of Cairo's Al-Azhar Park unfolds this weekend, it will do so in two stages. The first is a private, invitation-only affair on March 25, replete with ceremonial plaque dedications, rousing speeches, musical performances (by Yo-Yo Ma's acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble, among others), and a guest list padded with visiting dignitaries and their security details.
The second is a more populist, people-power affair on March 26, featuring nothing fancy save an opening day for the masses.

Dream of green the al azhar park looks gorgeous, but can it live up to its lofty aspirations?Sunset at the Al Azhar Park Source: Ursula Lindsey

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the 15 million Nizari Ismailis scattered throughout Asia (particularly India and Pakistan), North and East Africa, the Middle East and the West. The scion of an illustrious and glamorous dynasty, he is one of the most prominent philanthropists in the world.

While Al Azhar Park may be a novel project in the Cairo of today, a hundred years ago it would have been one cultivated green space among many. In the 19th century, Cairo was being modeled after European cities, and parks were part of the plan conceived carried out by Viceroy Muhammad Ali and his successors, especially Khedive Ismail, for creating a sophisticated, modern urban space. Today, however, most of the old parks are only a fraction of their original size and dim reflections of their illustrious beginnings, due to neglect and shifting concerns of the state.