Egyptians exhume dead relatives as authorities demolish part of “City of the Dead”

As Cairo undergoes extensive modernization, Egyptian architect Ahmed el-Meligui was compelled to exhume his grandfather’s remains from the City of the Dead, a historic cemetery in Old Cairo, AFP reports. The burial ground, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s oldest Islamic cemeteries, is being partially demolished to accommodate new infrastructure projects intended to alleviate the city’s severe traffic congestion. 

Meligui, who had to relocate the remains of 23 relatives, described the ordeal as a painful experience, noting, “I had to separate the bones… the most heartbreaking moment was finding my grandfather’s shroud torn.” The Egyptian government has offered alternative burial sites farther from Cairo, but families say they lack the space and proximity of the original plots. The extensive cemetery redevelopment includes new roads and a bridge, reflecting the city’s struggle to balance heritage preservation with urban expansion.