The heritage of light and shade in Cairo The missing principle for conservation in Islamic historic cities

Conservation principles and practices were introduced to Islamic historic cities by European orientalists in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. While they played an important role in the conservation of the historic built heritage, they paid little or no attention to some intangible aspects of that heritage. The place of light and shade in the city is one of these missed aspects in practices of conservation in Islamic historic cities up to the present. Perhaps this was caused by the difference in symbolic meanings and significance of light and shade between Western and Islamic worldviews.

The aim of this paper is to develop an understanding of the significance of light and shade from Arab-Islamic viewpoint. A theoretical essay is developed by examining the values and meanings of light and shade within the cultural context of Arab-Islamic worldview and value system. Then, brief observations are made on the light and shade as treated by conservation projects for the built heritage of Cairo. The paper concludes by recommendations regarding light and shade for culture-specific understanding, conservation, presentation and management of the Islamic built heritage in Cairo and other cities within the Islamic world.