CAIRO — In the Maadi suburb of Cairo, antiques dealer Mohammad Ahmed Abu Bakr displays a collection of artistically unique doors, windows and house furniture dating back to past centuries, in addition to decorative food trays.

Abu Bakr tells Al-Monitor that for the past 30 years he has taken a keen interest in collecting old doors and special furniture pieces from destroyed houses in Cairo or outside of the capital to save them from loss, wear and tear. But he gradually shifted to trade when some people expressed their desire to buy what he collected.

He noted that most of the old doors were made more than 70 years ago. Owners of houses in the past competed over the beauty of the house architecture, whether the engravings in the interior or the outer facades and doors. He noted that the doors are procured by brokers known as antiques collectors from Upper Egypt cities or old Cairo neighborhoods that were destroyed.

Abu Bakr headed to Arab al-Yassar neighborhood in Cairo where properties are being removed as part of a development plan to remove slums in the Sayeda Aisha area. He noted that the area includes important architectural designs that are part of Egyptian history and which should not be destroyed; rather, they should be renovated and preserved, he said.