Decision : 31 COM 7B.56
Islamic Cairo (Egypt)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 29 COM 7B.42 and 30 COM 7B.50, adopted at its 29th (Durban, 2005) and 30th (Vilnius, 2006) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the continuous efforts of the State Party to improve conservation of the property in the recent years;
4. Urges the State Party to implement the main recommendations of the 2002 Symposium report, subsequently endorsed by the World Heritage Committee in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, notably:
a) To designate Islamic Cairo as a Special Planning District, and
b) To prepare a comprehensive Urban Plan for the Conservation and Development of the Old City, whereby the conservation of historic buildings would be accompanied by appropriate development regulations;
5. Also urges the State Party to put an immediate halt to the construction works of the Cairo Financial Centre close to the Citadel and to revise the project, once the plans and model have been provided for a thorough assessment;
6. Requests the State Party, considering the historic value of the project area, to envisage an international consultation to define an alternative to the existing project, notably by limiting its height to the level of the highway, so as to mitigate its impact on the urban landscape;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2008, a report on the implementation of the above recommendations for examination by the Committee at its 32nd session in 2008.
Decisions Report2007 Historic Cairo
