It was in 1984 that H.H. the Aga Khan first proposed the creation of an urban park in Cairo. In 1990 a protocol between the Governate of Cairo and the Aga Khan Trust set out the conditions for what would become the Azhar Park, a 31-hectare stretch of land near the Citadel and abutting the remains of the Ayyubid Walls of the city. This book describes the planning and construction of the Park, its architecture, the renovation of a large part of the Ayyubid Walls, and the extensive socioeconomic work undertaken by the Trust in the neighboring community of al-Darb al-Ahmar. Such distinguished authors such as Janet Abu-Lughod, Jim Antoniou and Nasser Rabbat tell the story of Cairo’s development into a modern megalopolis with a need for green spaces such as the Azhar Park. Robert Ivy, editor-in-chief of The Architectural Record describes the Park buildings, and Dr Ismail Serageldin, director of the Alexandria Library gives his point of view on ways to improve urban Cairo.

Philip Jodidio was educated at Harvard University. He was the editor-in-chief of the leading French art monthly Connaissance des Arts from 1979 to 2002. He has written widely in magazines, and is the author of more than twenty-five books on contemporary architecture.