Cairo is torn and the solution is in the hands of intellectuals

Dr Maher Estino, together with architect and spouse Dr Leila El-Masry produced the master plan for Al-Azhar Park, which many consider to be among the finest parks in the world. The site had previously suffered from decades of neglect and had become the largest landfill in the Middle East, with waste reaching a depth of approximately 40 metres. “Prince Karim Al-Hussaini (Aga Khan IV) wanted us to create a park for the poor. His vision was founded on sound planning, which was exactly what I wished to apply, for instance, to the Montazah Park project in Alexandria,” Estino explains. Maher believes the project’s success is fundamentally attributable to the Aga Khan himself. “Were it not for him, the project would have failed. He was a man of culture, knowledge, and a rare, refined sensibility.” He continues, “We wanted to connect the park with the surrounding Islamic monuments and historic areas, such as Sultan Hassan, Al-Azhar Mosque, and Darb Al-Ahmar. We designed it according to the principles of Islamic architecture.”