RASHID: Although it lies a mere 65 km east of Alexandria, few tourists venture out to its neighboring city of Rosetta, known in Egypt as Rashid.
As the historic city makes the transition from a mostly agricultural society to a tourist destination, Rashid’s residents are skeptical about how tourism will shape their future, especially as the slow progress in the LE 140 million development plan which kicked off a year and a half ago, complicated by dire social and economic factors, promises little in the short term.
The plan would have the city’s infrastructure rebuilt and its Islamic monuments restored between 2007-11, all as part of a nationwide scheme to revamp 222 Egyptian cities by 2027.
Anyone familiar with Rashid would immediately see the signs of change. Besides the creation of a sea-front promenade on the southern part of the city, the Rashid Fort in the north and several traditional houses have also undergone massive restoration.
One of the two cities located on the Nile’s estuary at the Mediterranean (the other being Damietta 300 km away) the city with a meager population of 70,000 has a historical significance that outstrips is small size.
A city with a historyHome to the Rosetta Stone, which French scholar Jean-Francoise Champollion used to decipher Ancient hieroglyphics, Rashid was the scene of the first encounter between East and West in modern times. Napoleon Bonaparte made Rashid one of his main fortifications when he invaded Egypt in 1798.
The Rashid estuary, known as the Bughaz, is much wider than its counterpart in Damietta and stretches for several kilometers along the coast.
The city is home to 22 old Arabic houses, 12 mosques and a traditional Turkish bath, and according to archaeologists, it houses the second largest number of Islamic antiquities in Egypt after Cairo.
“In spite of the fact that Rashid is rich in history and architecture, it’s lost between Alexandria and Beheira, the governorate it belongs to, Ezzat Gaber, a trader from Rashid told Daily News Egypt.
“Rashid used to be an independent governorate and we used to have our own customs, he said.
“But the victory we achieved over the British invaders in 1807 is commemorated every year in the in Damanhour [the capital of Beheira] but not in Rashid, he lamented.
Status quo The few restorations that were completed to date are scattered amid the old city’s narrow, dirty alleyways and markets which are often blocked by piles of garbage and ponds of sewage water, dampening prospects of a tourism boom anytime soon.
However, the markets are still a vital source of income for the Rashidis, who live on farming, on making baskets out of the city’s one million palm trees, and on fishing in both the Nile and the Mediterranean. The city also thrives on an established ship-building industry. Still the price hikes have taken their toll on Rashid residents, who voice their disappointment at the ineffectiveness of their Member of Parliament.
“Those we chose to represent us in parliament over the years have failed to make our voices heard. The agricultural economy our city depends on can no longer fulfill people’s ambitions, said Mohamed Hamad, another Rashid resident.
“We must wait a long time before tourism development begins to yield its fruit and there is no guarantee that this will happen. We’re looking forward to an industrial base and heavy investments that should offer good salaries.
Other potential optionsRashid’s location on the International Highway has facilitated access to the city. En route to reach Rashid, one passes by the Idco and Madiya lakes as well as the Idco Gas station that pumps natural gas to Europe from fields discovered opposite the Rashid coast considered to be the second largest in the world. Regrettably Idco doesn’t employ Rashid residents who do not have the skills required for the job.
The same goes for antiquities-related employees, do hail from other parts of the governorate. The only other job opportunities available are, residents complain, are monopolized by a few merchants in the agriculture and fisheries business, who offer extremely low-paying jobs. Those who manage to receive a university degree often leave Rashid in search of greener pastures in larger cities like Alexandria.
“Tourism is not the answer, said Adel Hamam, a teacher, who commutes between Rashid and Alexandria every day. “I understand that the standard of living is still low compared to other cities but that won’t last for ever.
“Most tourists, French, British and German, come here for half a day to get a glimpse of a part of their own history. How can people benefit this type of tourism if the tourists don’t stay?
Hamam also noted that the mostly conservative townsfolk do not support a full-fledged tourism development for fear the tourists would impart what they believe is the foreigners’ “corrupt values.
A conservative attitude “We still face a big problem when it comes to the way people regard tourists, said Alexandrian tour guide Zahra Awad, who has been leading European tourists between Alexandria and Rashid for the past five years.
“The narrow alleys make it difficult for buses to gain access to the heart of the city, and so the tourists have walk and communicate with the locals on their way to see the Arabic houses, Awad told Daily News Egypt.
“In addition to the aggressive looks they give to tourists, sometimes they say things like ‘you’re not wanted here, ‘enough occupation’, which those who know Arabic manage to understand.
She recounted how one day one man scolded her for allowing a female tourist to walk around in revealing clothes.
Awad said that the growing development in tourism is being impeded by the land-owning traders in the city who are behind the absence of restaurants and motels that would encourage tourists to stay.
But an antiquities employee doubts that this aggressive attitude will last forever.
“The Rashidis are aware that had it not been for their history and heritage, they wouldn’t have been known to the world. It’s only a matter of time before they get used to the presence of tourists, argued Mohamed Abdel Aziz, director general of the Beheira Antiquities Zone.
It took the people at Luxor a long time to develop into what they are, he said. “Besides, the type of antiquities in Rashid won’t encourage tourists to stay longer than one or two days at the most, so they can never emulate the Luxor model.
Abdel Aziz believes that the locals’ negative attitude springs mainly from the fact that the nascent development projects have yet to reverse their fortunes. Dr Yousri Azzam, professor of architecture and planning at Alexandria University’s Faculty of Engineering and a major player in Rashid’s development projects, said that social studies aimed at integrating locals into the new culture are being held in parallel with the development plans.
“This isn’t only a problem for Rashidis, but it’s a problem for all Egyptians in rural areas and even in Cairo, stressed Azzam.
Rashid vs. Beheira Azzam stressed that it is difficult to discuss tourism projects in Rashid in isolation from the rest of Beheira.
“Taking into consideration the international dimension of tourism, we’re setting up a project at the Bughaz that will include a wharf for world yachts as well as new premises for the Rashid Museum, Azzam said.
Another plan aimed at developing a beach to attract vacationers from other parts of the Alexandria and Beheira is also under way, he explained.
He noted that local crafts such as basket-making and boat-building will be part of an open air museum to draw both local and foreign tourists.
“Slowly they will feel that they’re part of the change that should benefit them and break their isolation from the other governorates.
Echoing a similar view Abdel Aziz said: “Also all the vegetables and fish markets that block access to the Islamic houses will be shifted to the borders of the city, much to the traders’ interest, who already have export centers on these borders.
For Abdel Aziz, Azzam
and other experts it’s difficult to predict what role tourism will play before development projects are terminated.
The Beheira Businessmen Association is pooling various investments in the fields of agriculture, tourism, construction, industry, and real estate which should open new channels for all within Rashid’s neighborhood in years to come, so tourism could figure as only one of many options.
