Egypt: Dr. Zakia Shafie

Dr. Zakia Shafie is considered the first professional woman architect in Egypt. She held a bachelor’s degree from Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt (1957), where she was the first woman to enroll in the Faculty of Engineering. She also held a PhD in hospital architecture and design from the University of London in London, England (1964).  Dr. Shafie was employed at the Building Research Institute in Dokki, under the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, before she transferred to the government’s engineering department. When she returned from England to Egypt after completing her education, she continued her work in this department before pursuing a career in academia. She worked as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, serving as head of the Architecture Department (1994) and earning Professor Emeritus status. While employed at Cairo University, Dr. Shafie also worked as an engineer for Dr. Youssef Shafiq’s firm before co-founding Shafie-Sharif Firm with her family. Dr. Shafie served as president of the Society of Egyptian Architects, and was a member of the Architecture Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture in Egypt. She also served as a member of the International Union of Architects (UIA), and contributed to the UIA Architecture Education Commission. She earned a Centennial Gold Medal from the Society of Egyptian Architects (2017). Dr. Shafie died in 2021.