Decolonising a Profession: Built Heritage Conservation and Management in Post-Colonial Egypt
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sci
Abstract
Across many formerly-colonised countries, the journey towards independence materialized in different ways including "independent industrialisation, cultural renewal, political self-determination, or the nationalisation of assets" (Salem, 2019). However, despite these efforts, the consequences of colonialism are ever-present (Said, 1994). Therefore, decolonisation should not be approached as a 'historical era,' but as a complex multifaceted process "whose manifestations, while anchored in the post-war era, transcend it in significant ways" (Schayegh & Di-Capua, 2020). In this context, this research problematizes the continuing impact of colonialism on heritage conservation in post-colonial contexts, focusing on Egypt.
Through the lens of post-colonial studies, it will address three main lines of inquiry:
Who was responsible for heritage conservation in colonial Egypt? What was considered 'heritage' then? How was built heritage conservation and management approached?
What are the factors that shaped heritage practices in post-colonial Egypt? How are these practices affected by post-colonial politics and policies?
How can colonial legacies be addressed within built heritage conservation and management in post-colonial contexts?
Until full independence in the 1950s, Egyptian heritage discourses and practices were dominated by colonial and foreign elites, whose notions and practices of heritage were often incompatible with the local context (Elhabashi, 2001). Despite decolonization efforts, many of these outdated western-based notions and practices which originated in colonial times have continued to this day. This can be due to several factors including:
the perception in post-colonial contexts that Western is synonymous with Modern (Vawda, 2019)
that post-independence, Egypt inherited colonial institutions along with their practices (Helfont, 2015)- in this case the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe and the Service des Antiquités (Fahmy, 2016)
The Globalisation of heritage with organisations such as UNESCO, ICCROM, and ICOMOS which, despite efforts to the contrary, further strengthened western ideas of heritage and disregarded local contexts and traditional knowledge systems (Ndoro & Wijesuriya, 2015)
The "scarce engagement with epistemological and theoretical spheres" addressing the definition and conservation of heritage in the Arab region (Daher, 2021)
Today, this can be observed in the rigid top-down 'monumentalist' approach which treats built heritage as artefacts isolated from the surrounding fabric and communities, disregards intangible aspects, and reinforces an "orientalist-like representation of historic city inhabitants" (Moustafa & Said, 2020). The result is a museumification of living heritage, the appreciation of 'ancient' heritage over other heritage types (Daher, 2021), and an uneasy relationship between heritage conservation and urban development (Ndoro & Wijesuriya, 2015).
Despite increasing scholarly interest in heritage, conservation and decolonisation, historical understanding of the interplay between these fields is still lacking. Recent scholarship has focused on inter- and post-war periods but the post-imperial era requires further research (Carruthers, 2019). This is certainly the case in Egypt where previous research has focused on the colonial era. However, there remains a disparity when it comes to post-independence heritage practices. By addressing this gap, the research will contribute to the area of entanglement between decolonisation and heritage. This constitutes a timely area of inquiry as it addresses the root causes of many issues plaguing built heritage in postcolonial contexts. It also builds on recent discourses on the colonial legacies of Egyptology. However, these have mainly focused on archaeological and museum practices, and have not yet been extended to built heritage.
Through the lens of post-colonial studies, it will address three main lines of inquiry:
Who was responsible for heritage conservation in colonial Egypt? What was considered 'heritage' then? How was built heritage conservation and management approached?
What are the factors that shaped heritage practices in post-colonial Egypt? How are these practices affected by post-colonial politics and policies?
How can colonial legacies be addressed within built heritage conservation and management in post-colonial contexts?
Until full independence in the 1950s, Egyptian heritage discourses and practices were dominated by colonial and foreign elites, whose notions and practices of heritage were often incompatible with the local context (Elhabashi, 2001). Despite decolonization efforts, many of these outdated western-based notions and practices which originated in colonial times have continued to this day. This can be due to several factors including:
the perception in post-colonial contexts that Western is synonymous with Modern (Vawda, 2019)
that post-independence, Egypt inherited colonial institutions along with their practices (Helfont, 2015)- in this case the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe and the Service des Antiquités (Fahmy, 2016)
The Globalisation of heritage with organisations such as UNESCO, ICCROM, and ICOMOS which, despite efforts to the contrary, further strengthened western ideas of heritage and disregarded local contexts and traditional knowledge systems (Ndoro & Wijesuriya, 2015)
The "scarce engagement with epistemological and theoretical spheres" addressing the definition and conservation of heritage in the Arab region (Daher, 2021)
Today, this can be observed in the rigid top-down 'monumentalist' approach which treats built heritage as artefacts isolated from the surrounding fabric and communities, disregards intangible aspects, and reinforces an "orientalist-like representation of historic city inhabitants" (Moustafa & Said, 2020). The result is a museumification of living heritage, the appreciation of 'ancient' heritage over other heritage types (Daher, 2021), and an uneasy relationship between heritage conservation and urban development (Ndoro & Wijesuriya, 2015).
Despite increasing scholarly interest in heritage, conservation and decolonisation, historical understanding of the interplay between these fields is still lacking. Recent scholarship has focused on inter- and post-war periods but the post-imperial era requires further research (Carruthers, 2019). This is certainly the case in Egypt where previous research has focused on the colonial era. However, there remains a disparity when it comes to post-independence heritage practices. By addressing this gap, the research will contribute to the area of entanglement between decolonisation and heritage. This constitutes a timely area of inquiry as it addresses the root causes of many issues plaguing built heritage in postcolonial contexts. It also builds on recent discourses on the colonial legacies of Egyptology. However, these have mainly focused on archaeological and museum practices, and have not yet been extended to built heritage.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Lama Said (Student) |