By: Hanan Hajjaj

The Faculty of Fine Arts, of which the great architect Hassan Fathy was a graduate, has adopted an initiative to save the remaining standing buildings of Hassan Fathy's village, most notably his own house. The initiative aims to restore and repurpose these buildings, as negligence and the overlap of responsibilities between local authorities, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Antiquities have led to the deterioration of this world heritage.

Dr. Safia El-Kabbani, Dean of the Faculty, emphasized that since the great architect Hassan Fathy built the village in the late 1940s, no restoration work has been carried out, except for minor repairs by some homeowners to fix cracks or simple damages. Despite the village being state-owned by law, the Luxor Governorate and the Ministries of Culture and Antiquities have not adopted any initiatives or engaged in rescue operations. Therefore, we call upon the state to entrust the Faculty of Fine Arts with the complete management of the village's file. Among our faculty are Hassan Fathy’s disciples—now senior professors of architecture—who are capable of developing comprehensive restoration plans following his same approach and philosophy.

She added that students from the college's Architecture and Arts departments should undertake the restoration operations under the supervision of architecture professors and engineers, noting that they do not seek any financial support from the state or any other entity. She stated that the Faculty would fully handle the renovation of Hassan Fathy’s house, the Culture Palace, the mosque, the Khan, the theater, and all remaining sites, including the homes of residents who wish to return and restore them.

Within the framework of the same initiative, we will repurpose these sites to serve as tourist and artistic attractions for enthusiasts and artists. For instance, the 'Khan' will be transformed into studios, workshops for artists, and a gallery for art products, and so on. This will generate income for the state, which can later assist in the care and maintenance of these locations. We hope the state will announce its support for this initiative and respond to it.