Rumors have spread lately on social media claiming that Maadi will be losing 40 of its most beautiful architectural and aesthetic buildings heritage during the upcoming period.

Fourteen villas were already demolished and there are more on the way, all for the sake of turning these areas where the villas once stood into high-rise residential units that could accommodate more people. ie: bring more money.

In response, a public petition addressing Egypt’s Prime Minister was launched aiming to bring awareness to the issue and to collect enough signatures in order to express the residents’ resentment and resistance towards the destruction of their neighborhood, something that could have previously only been allowed by the demolition permits that were granted to them. The #Maadi_Under_Destruction petition was initially started by Sarayat Maadi Occupant Union who blamed the destruction of the beautiful Maadi neighborhood on the authorities.

Finally, the rumors were met with different reactions. Few claimed that it was the owners’ right to sell their land and profit from them, while others claimed that the villas are what to be considered as the neighborhood’s historical heritage and should not be destroyed at any cost.

Petition link: https://www.change.org/p/egyptian-prime-minister-maadi-under-destruction?