Abstract

For many decades, Cairo had witnessed urban and social prosperity, whereby the metropolis expanded, giving way to the inauguration of new suburbs. The coexistence of foreign communities created a unique social fabric and gave way to the rise of diverse cultural experiences, and leisure activities. Among the importance suburbs of Cairo was Heliopolis. For long Heliopolis was an emblem of class, and was characterized by its unique social character, leisure activities and public spaces. A dramatic shift in the structure of Heliopolis has taken place over the decades, however, and today the rise of malls and popular cafes have created a standardization of leisure and leisure activities. Moreover, consumerism and sites of hybrid consumptions have somewhat replaced the notion of leisure thereby becoming synonymous with it. This study will demonstrates the transformation, if not decline of several activities that had been of high social significance, and the rise of malls, cafes and restaurants. I argue that modern Heliopolis has come to exhibit the characteristics of post-modern society , thereby displaying attributes of Disneyization. A disappearance of public spaces has become a grave problem facing most of Cairo's residential areas, and an increase in standardization and consumption have come to denote most leisure sites. The reproduction of such sites, and a clear decline in the quality of both social and urban lifestyles is visible in Heliopolis today.

Department

Mo

Date of Award

2-1-2007

Online Submission Date

12-14-2006

First Advisor

Mona Abaza

Committee Member 1

Helen Rizo

Committee Member 2

Abdallah Donald Cole

Document Type

Thesis

Extent

109 leaves :

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Cities and towns

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

City planning

Rights

The American University in Cairo grants authors of theses and dissertations a maximum embargo period of two years from the date of submission, upon request. After the embargo elapses, these documents are made available publicly. If you are the author of this thesis or dissertation, and would like to request an exceptional extension of the embargo period, please write to thesisadmin@aucegypt.edu

Call Number

Thesis 2006/102

Location

mgfth

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