The Sabil is a historical charity water dispensary, an extensively recognized building typology within the Middle East’s historic centers. Unfortunately, there are limited research and practices concerned reviving the rich urban character of Sabil buildings. Most of the interventions worked on restoring the historical building, or reconfiguring its internal spaces. The study is elucidating this practical and theoretical gap, tackling the disciplines guiding the urban rehabilitation of Sabils. The study is approaching this topic from the Nara document on authenticity perspective. The research method adopted a qualitative approach based on 3 phases. The former performed a dense literature survey investigating the historical database and authentic dimensions of Sabils. It concluded by an analytical structure describing the urban authentic features of Sabil buildings. The second phase adopted a field survey exploring 10 Sabil buildings along Al Muiz Street. The latter designed a Numerical Data Matrix compiling the authentic attributes, indicators, and dimensions within the 10 Sabils. The results are displayed graphically and numerically. The outcomes employed a numerical interpretation for the Data Matrix to reach quantitative values responding to each qualitative dimension. Finally, the research paper concluded with a comprehensive analytical matrix reflecting the impacts of an evidence-based urban rehabilitation practices on enhancing the awareness of the local community and visitors to the urban significance of Sabil buildings. The Matrix offered a blueprint guiding a proactive stewardship for rehabilitating Sabil building’s urban settings, facilitating the legibility of historical eras and augmenting the community knowledge base regarding the complexity of Sabils.
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Elsayed, D. S. I. (2026). Reviving urban Authenticity within Sabil buildings: Case study Sabils of ALMuiz Street-Cairo. JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 54(1), 52-77. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2025.376714.1479
MLA
Doaa Salaheldin Ismail Elsayed. "Reviving urban Authenticity within Sabil buildings: Case study Sabils of ALMuiz Street-Cairo", JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 54, 1, 2026, 52-77. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2025.376714.1479
HARVARD
Elsayed, D. S. I. (2026). 'Reviving urban Authenticity within Sabil buildings: Case study Sabils of ALMuiz Street-Cairo', JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 54(1), pp. 52-77. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2025.376714.1479
VANCOUVER
Elsayed, D. S. I. Reviving urban Authenticity within Sabil buildings: Case study Sabils of ALMuiz Street-Cairo. JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 2026; 54(1): 52-77. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2025.376714.1479
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