"Among the seven winners of this year's 16th Aga Khan Award for Architecture was theRevitalisation of Historic Esna in southern Egypt. Led by the Cairo-based firm Takween, the project was far more than a simple restoration. It was a comprehensive renewal effort that combined deep community engagement with the preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage. By creating thousands of"
"the project was far more than a simple restoration. It was a comprehensive renewal effort that combined deep community engagement with the preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage. By creating thousands of jobs and restoring the historic center, the initiative offered a powerful alternative to demolition. The Aga Khan Trust lauded it as a 'replicable model for sustainable development'."
The Revitalisation of Historic Esna in southern Egypt integrated conservation, community participation, and economic renewal. The Cairo-based firm Takween led a comprehensive rehabilitation that preserved built fabric, traditional crafts, and intangible cultural practices. The program restored the historic centre and created thousands of jobs through training, local employment, and heritage-linked enterprises, offering a practical alternative to demolition. Conservation interventions balanced traditional craft revival with contemporary infrastructure and housing needs, improving livelihoods while safeguarding heritage continuity. The Aga Khan Trust called the initiative a replicable model for sustainable development, emphasizing its applicability to other historic urban contexts.
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