09-16

March

2023

Al-Arab District

Portsaid, Egypt

Sepideh Ghalam

Support Team

Ahmad Elgezy

Participant

Donia Youssry

Participant

Nourhan Sameh

Participant

Lama ElShayyal

Participant

Main Goal

Arab District is an area which was uniformly designed where Egyptians were cast aside and forced to reside while the Europeans lived in highly spacious designed areas. This district is commonly known as the poor, underprivileged side of Port Said; it is densely populated and has very narrow streets. The project team consisted of four members, and our main focus was the bordered buildings “el Nasya” and their Taracinas. In the current state, most of these buildings are heritage structures strategically located in areas that have witnessed rich events and stories. Our goal was to unveil the forgotten narratives of the people of Port Said.

Objectives

We achieved our goal by interviewing people of all ages and genders associated with the “Nasya buildings”.
The interview categories included:

Commercial places at the bottom of the “Nasya Buildings”.
Teracina’s in the “Nasya Buildings”.
Alleys behind the “Nasya Buildings”.

To make the interviewees more comfortable, the interviewer shared personal stories, resulting in more detailed and shared information. The questions focused on comparing the past and the present, neighbourly connections, and war experiences. The questions guided us and helped us see the people’s current challenges, wants, and needs to live a modern life while preserving their cherished historical culture.

Approach

The team initially studied the history of Port Said and then focused on the Arab District to comprehend the significant cultural and economic differences between the different areas of Port Said.
Each team member had specific tasks based on their strengths, such as capturing video and photography footage of the interviews, conducting and establishing connections with the Interviewees and capturing footage of the buildings and locations.
Selected Question Examples

a. How did people use and enjoy their Taracinas?
b. Taracina in the past versus the present?
c. Neighborhood in the past versus the present?
d. Experiences with the war and the pilgrimage.
e. Functions and activities on the ground floor of the Nasya Buildings.
f. Culture and traditions in the past versus the present

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Outcome

People, especially women, were more than happy to share their stories and experiences with us. The outcome primarily focused on the narratives of the Arab District’s people because their stories were largely absent through the years.

The team created different types of documentation, including:

A brochure that provided information about the narratives collected.
A map documenting the landmarks in Nasya Buildings.
A map showing the locations and profiles of interviewees.
A video that digitally sketched past narratives.
A video compilation of selected clips featuring conversations about Taracina that occurred during the interviews.
An interactive map that allowed participants to document their memories of the Arab District and pin its location.

These narratives revealed that people had a sentimental attachment to the old days of the Arab District when they had a close-knit community, and all neighbours knew and trusted each other. The most common challenges faced today include a lack of space and overcrowded living conditions in the Arab District. Additionally, the lack of close community relations and feelings of insecurity are also attributed to the high popultion.

Download PDF file

09-16

March

2023

Al-Arab District

Portsaid, Egypt

Main Goal

Objectives

Approach

Outcome

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