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Sabil
Ruqayya Dudu
CAIRO, EGYPT |
 Among
the most ornate eighteenth-century structures
still standing in the historic center
of Cairo, the Sabil Ruqayya Dudu is a
unique example of Rococo-influenced Ottoman-period
architecture. Sabils, which served as
public sources of fresh water and often
had a Quranic school on their second floors,
were for the most part charitably endowed.
Built in 1761 in memory of Ruqayya Dudu,
a daughter of Badawiyya Shahin and the
prince Radwan Bek, the interior of the
structure has a painted wooden ceiling
bearing numerous inscriptions, both sacred
and secular. The exterior facade is distinguished
by its use of Turkish ceramics, its wooden
canopy, segmented arches, and muqarnas,
or stalactites, as well as abundant geometrical
and floral ornamentation engraved in stone.
Due to the lack of funds and absence
of an adaptive reuse program, little
conservation work has been done, apart
from a few repairs made early in the
twentieth century by the Committee for
Preservation of Arab Monuments. Although
the historic district of Islamic Cairo
was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage
List in 1979, a lack of maintenance
and of public awareness of the importance
of the building have resulted in widespread
decay. The sabil is in dire need of
emergency repairs and a long-term conservation
plan. Since the Sabil Ruqayya Dudu appeared
on WMF’s 2004 list of 100 Most Endangered
Sites, the Egyptian government has issued
a call for proposals to conserve the
site, but these efforts have not yet
come to fruition.
|
World Monuments
Fund is the foremost private, non-profit
organization dedicated to the preservation
of historic art and architecture worldwide
through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking,
education, and training. Since 1965, the
New York-based World Monuments Fund has
worked with local communities and partners
to stem the loss of more than 430 irreplaceable
sites in 83 countries including the Temple
of Preah Khan at Angkor. Every other year,
WMF publishes the World Monuments Watch
list of 100 Most Endangered Sites. http://wmf.org |
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