Hanaa El-Husseini

First female architect in Egypt who pioneered women's roles in urban planning and architectural design.

Hanaa El-Husseini (1910–2003) was a groundbreaking Egyptian architect who shattered gender barriers in her field. Born in Cairo to a family of intellectuals, she studied architecture at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, becoming the first Egyptian woman to earn a degree in architecture in 1934. Her career began with designing schools and residential buildings, but she gained international recognition for her work on the Cairo University campus, where she blended modernist principles with traditional Egyptian motifs.

El-Husseini’s most notable project was the Faculty of Agriculture building, which incorporated sustainable design elements decades before the concept became mainstream. She also co-founded the Egyptian Society of Architects, advocating for women’s inclusion in professional guilds. Her memoir, "Pioneering Spaces: An Architect’s Journey," details her struggles against societal norms and her vision for inclusive urban development.

In 1952, she became the first woman to lead Egypt’s Public Works Department, overseeing projects like the New Cairo Development Plan. Her legacy lives on through scholarships at the Egyptian Architects Association, which she helped establish. Today, her designs are celebrated for their harmony between functionality and cultural identity, inspiring a generation of female architects across the Middle East.