ABSTRACT
Egypt, a country with serious socio-economic issues, is also a country rich in cultural and natural heritage. This chapter describes some of the changes that have occurred in order to show how it has become apparent that conservation must contribute much more to the sustainable development of Cairo. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has been promoting the notion that culture is an important tool for development. Accordingly, its projects in Cairo were a turning point for how heritage related projects were implemented in this historic city. The intervention started with the creation of al-Azhar Park, transforming a waste dump site close to the historic area of al-Darb al-Ahmar into a garden, providing Cairo's inhabitants and visitors with a 'green lung' in the overcrowded urban landscape. The initiatives reflect a local and global change in how cultural heritage conservation and management projects are being planned and implemented, shifting the focus towards sustainable development goals.
