Egypt demolishes Mubarak’s party headquarters
The Egyptian government ordered the demolition of the National Democratic Party’s headquarters in the center of Cairo, despite criticism as the building is considered part of Egypt’s architectural history.
Less than two weeks ago, bulldozers and jackhammers started demolishing the headquarters of the now dissolved National Democratic Party (NDP).
It was set ablaze on Jan. 28, 2011, during the mass protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, but it survived the fire. For some, the charred building symbolized the imminent fate of the autocratic regime, while for others it represented chaos and mob rule.
For the past four years, architects, activists and government officials have debated the fate of the building, which has been part of Cairo’s skyline for over half a century.
In 2014, the government issued an order to demolish it, but it faced legal obstacles, since the Ministry of Culture had included it in the list of buildings with architectural heritage value. Under law No. 144 (2006), buildings on this list cannot be altered or demolished, unless they are damaged beyond repair.
