Alexandria is famous for being a tourist destination and an important economic center, but it is also home to one of Egypt's most beautiful collections of architectural buildings and one of its richest cultural heritages.
Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, the ancient city has collected an impressive array of Greek, Roman, Islamic and modern European architecture over the many years. With its monuments and palaces, modern-day Alexandria is a city whose streets speak for themselves, telling the stories of kingdoms past.
However, that rich heritage today faces rapid urban development and the threat of demolition. In an effort to save Alexandria's heritage, an ambitious young architect started " Description of Alexandria," a project that artistically documents the city's beautiful buildings through sketching and photograph, to describe Alexandria's architectural situation.
The project, founded by Mohamed Gohar in 2013, is not only artistic documentation but a long-term awareness campaign.
"We are strong believers in that idea that art can change people’s lives," reads an excerpt from the project's website.
Through sketching these beautiful buildings, Gohar and his young team of architects aim to raise awareness of the city's heritage in hope of motivating people to protect its unique identity.
In order to do that, the team has held multiple exhibitions and has published the first volume of a book modeled on the famous French publication "Description de l'Égypte," the first chapter of which is available on the project's website in addition to two issues of a monthly journal.
What is perhaps most impressive about this promising initiative is that it is nonprofit, fueled only by its participants' drive and determination.
“The project is not profitable at all and it consumes too much time as we need to meet twice a week and we almost work on it every day. However, we will never surrender our dreams,” Gohar told Daily News Egypt .
Gohar's inspiring idea actually started forming years before 2013.
“The very beginning of the project was in 2009, when I was working on a research and a renovation project for a small fishermen’s village in Alexandria,” Gohar said. He later started a group with two other young architects called “Alexandria urban sketchers” in 2012, helping young architects learn how to sketch and express themselves.
The team that started with Pharos Island (the oldest site in Alexandria) where the ancient light house of Alexandria once stood and where the fort of Qaitbay now stands, has since completed 21 important buildings in the city, including the Jesuit cultural center, Spahi Villa and the Swedish Institute.
With their inspirational mission, Gohar and his team certainly have a long and perhaps treacherous road ahead of them, but their talent and ambition will surely guide their way.