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Old Posted Mar 8, 2010, 3:47 PM
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Fire raises new concerns about survival of Jeddah’s old city

Fire raises new concerns about survival of Jeddah’s old city


Mar 8, 2010

By OMAIMA AL-FARDAN



Read More: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article27186.ece

Quote:
JEDDAH: The loss, as a result of last week’s fire, of still more ancient buildings in old Jeddah has raised fears for the remaining buildings’ survival. Many Jeddawis wonder if there will be anything left to save in a few years time. “As the reckless bulldozers are bent on wiping out every trace of architectural heritage in the Hejaz region, it is imperative to take immediate steps to preserve whatever remains of Jeddah’s historical district before it becomes only a memory,” said columnist Muhammad Sadeq Diyab, expressing his concern about the future of the city’s historic and architectural heritage.

Real estate developers and construction contractors, whom the writer described as “farmers of Satanic trees,” are striving to convert the area into a jungle of concrete towers, he said. Architect Sami Angawi blames not only occasional fires but many other factors, such as administrative negligence and technical flaws in the schemes implemented for the preservation of the ancient buildings, as the causes of the gradual disappearance of the old city’s historic landmarks.

“Often the callous manner in which firefighters treat the old buildings when they extinguish occasional fires does greater damage to the old buildings than the actual fire,” Angawi noted. He stressed the paramount significance of saving these old buildings by systematic planning, which can be done only if the department that undertakes the job is independent in every respect.

He also urged the authorities to make a detailed survey of the buildings, including minute details of their interiors and exteriors. He also expressed his willingness to cooperate in the survey. Overcome by sentiment when speaking about the old city, Angawi lamented that with the disappearance of those ancient buildings, they would exist only in memory and be seen only in the imaginations of the nostalgic. Even the Banaja House in which King Abdul Aziz once stayed has been destroyed.



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