Coup on the Dead: The Tombs of Egypt’s Historical Figures Crushed Beneath the Bulldozer of Sisi

Years have passed, and the dead in Egypt have found no one to defend their cause. Even the tomb of Ahmed Shawqi (Prince of Arab Poets) is no longer safe, due to bulldozers unleashed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s regime against thousands of graves in the historical area of Cairo, under the pretext of “development and the construction of roads and bridges.”

Since May 15, 2023, Egyptians have been taken aback by new widespread demolition works affecting Cairo’s archaeological and historical areas. Outrage and condemnation have filled social media platforms in protest against these campaigns, with no response from the regime.

Especially concerning is the fact that these demolitions have reached the tombs and graves of figures deeply rooted in ancient and modern Egyptian civilization—scholars, poets, military leaders, politicians, and others.

 

Imam Warsh

One of the most prominent tombs that fell victim to the demolition efforts of the Egyptian authorities, and was marked for relocation, is the tomb of the author of the famous Qur’an recitation, Imam Abu Sa’id Uthman Ibn Sa‘id al-Qutbi, better known as Warsh.

On May 22, photos were published on social media platforms showing the shrine of Imam Warsh in the Imam al-Shafi’i cemetery in Cairo, with a sign indicating its demolition and the relocation of the Imam’s remains. This angered many researchers and scholars as Imam Warsh is considered one of the brilliant figures in Egypt and the Islamic world in the field of Qur’anic recitation.

He was born in Egypt in the year 110 AH and received the Qur’an from his teacher, Imam Nafi’ al-Madani, who himself was a student of Imam Malik bin Anas in al-Madinah.

Imam Warsh recited the Qur’an multiple times under the guidance of his teacher, and he was given the nickname “Warsh.”

The Warsh recitation spread from Egypt to North Africa, the western regions, and even reached al-Andalus. Currently, it is one of the most widespread recitations in the Islamic world, second only to the Hafs narration.

The Warsh recitation remained dominant in Egypt until the period of Ottoman rule, when it was replaced with the recitation of Hafs ‘an Asim.

 

Muhammad Rifat

On May 9, the family of the late Sheikh Muhammad Rifat woke up to a letter from the Cairo Governorate regarding the decision to remove the cemetery located within the al-Sayyida Nafisa cemetery in Cairo to construct the Salah Salem traffic street.

Sheikh Muhammad Rifat was one of the prominent Egyptian Qur’an reciters. He inaugurated the broadcast of the Egyptian radio in 1934 with the recitation of verses from the Noble Qur’an.

He was the first reciter to record for the Arabic version of BBC Radio after obtaining a fatwa from the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar at that time, Imam al-Maraghi.

Sheikh Rifat was renowned for his melodious voice and distinctive style of recitation, characterized by a sense of serenity and meticulous attention to the pronunciation of each letter.

Al-Zarkali, the author of the book Al-A’lam, described him as “the most knowledgeable reciter in Egypt regarding the proper pauses in the verses.” He frequently recited the Qur’an at the Fadel Pasha Mosque in the Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood of Cairo.

During his time, he was sought after by prominent individuals, including King Farouk, who would come to listen to him. Many reciters were influenced by his school, including Muhammad Rashad al-Shareef, the Imam of al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hanaa, Sheikh Rifat’s granddaughter, expressed her shock and her family’s dismay at the decision to remove the Sheikh’s grave.

In a statement to the local newspaper Masrawy, she said: “Several graves have been removed in the past, and I believed that the authorities would exempt the Sheikh’s grave from removal due to its historical significance.”

She tearfully and emotionally questioned how the Sheikh’s legacy could come to such an end in a way that does not befit his stature.

 

Imam al-Shafi’i

On May 26, a group of members of the Egyptian Parliament submitted a request to explore alternative solutions to avoid demolishing Egypt’s ancient heritage and removing the tombs of al-Sayyida Nafisa and Imam al-Shafi’i.

Member of Parliament Maha Abdel Nasser, who is also a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, addressed a request to the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Tourism and Antiquities, Transportation, Local Development, and Housing regarding the development plans for Cairo that involve the removal of the tombs of al-Sayyida Nafisa and Imam al-Shafi’i.

The tomb of Imam al-Shafi’i holds special symbolism not only for Egyptians but for Muslims in general.

Al-Shafi’i is the third of the four imams revered by the Sunni Muslims, and his full name is Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i.

The Islamic historian Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi wrote in his book Stages from the Life of Imam Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i that al-Shafi’i “is one of the closest of the four imams to the household of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”

He was from the Quraysh tribe, and the Maliki school is proud of him because he was a student of Imam Malik. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal highly respected and considered him one of his teachers.

Al-Shafi’i studied under Muhammad al-Shaybani, a student of Abu Hanifa.

Al-Shafi’i had a deep affection for Egypt; he migrated there, where he also wrote poetry, saying: “My soul longs for Egypt…without it, the land is barren and desolate.”

During his time in Egypt, al-Shafi’i wrote his book Al-Risala, also known as “Al-Risala” Al-Jadida (The New “Message”), as he had previously written “Al-Risala” Al-Qadima (The Old “Message”) in Iraq. He renewed his school of jurisprudence in Egypt.

He died in Egypt in the year 204 AH (820 CE) and was buried in his current mausoleum, known as the Tomb of Imam al-Shafi’i, in historic Cairo.

These tombs are now under threat of removal by the government of President Sisi under the pretext of development.

 

National Security

This is not the first time a controversy has arisen in Egypt regarding demolishing tombs to construct bridges.

Throughout the years 2020 and 2021, the Sisi regime demolished thousands of historical tombs in ancient Cairo to pave the way for bridges connecting different parts of the sprawling capital with its extension in the New Administrative Capital.

Demolishing historical tombs began on July 18, 2020, when images and videos were published on social media in Egypt showing the destruction of ancient graves to build roads and bridges for cars in historic Cairo.

In this area, there is what is known as the “City of the Dead,” which houses a vast complex of tombs dating back to the 7th century CE.

The tombs, mosques, and landmarks in that area are part of historic Cairo, which is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. For centuries, historical rulers, elites, and the general public have been buried there during various Islamic historical periods.

The researcher in Islamic history, Khaled Khairy, commented on what Sisi’s regime is doing with the mausoleums, saying: “This is a major crime and a disgrace in the history of the Egyptian nation. We are going through one of the worst eras in Egypt, where history and the past are being crushed in front of an uncertain future.”

He added to Al-Estiklal: “The archaeological and historical areas in countries around the world are a matter of national security. Let’s look at countries like Italy, Turkiye, Greece, and France. Not a stone can be moved or a house demolished there. How about entire areas and tombs that date back more than a thousand years?

“We can say that the tomb of Imam al-Shafi’i, for example, is the soul of ancient Egypt. There are thousands of tombs of symbols and scholars, some of which are not even known to the public, such as Imam al-Layth ibn Sa’d, ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and others.”

He continued: “Which place or spot can hold this heritage in the Arab and Islamic worlds? These areas have suffered neglect, and successive governments used to boast about their plans for development and heritage revival. But the sudden reality is that they are being destroyed to build bridges and roads. This will be written on the pages of dark history, just like the burning of the Library of Alexandria, the fall of Baghdad at the hands of the Mongols, and the destruction of civilization.”