UNESCO prepares documentary film on project reviving Hassan Fathi village in New Qurna

CAIRO – 23 March 2022: UNESCO prepared a documentary film on the restoration and revitalization of Hassan Fathi Village [New Qurna] on Luxor’s West Bank.

Inaugurated by Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem, the project was carried out by the National Organization for Urban Harmony headed by Mohamed Abu Saada, in cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Cairo and Luxor Governorate.

The project of restoring and reviving New Qurna comes in line with the state’s interest in reviving urban heritage that contributes to the economical and cultural welfare of the country, as it constitutes a tourist attraction for environmental architecture.

On December 23, 2021, the village was inaugurated. The project included the reopening and reusing of all the buildings that had been restored.

The National Organization for Urban Harmony is currently preparing for the start of the second phase of the project, which includes the restoration of Hassan Fathi's house and its transformation into an exhibition of his works, in addition to the urban coordination of the external square and the upgrading of the visual image of the buildings overlooking the square.

Hassan Fathi (March 23, 1900 – November 30, 1989), was an acclaimed Egyptian architect who pioneered specific technology for building in Egypt.

Fathy was born in Alexandria to an upper-middle class Egyptian family. He studied and trained as an architect in Egypt, graduating in 1926 from the King Fouad University, now known as Cairo University.