Downtown Cairo
Downtown Cairo (
History
Downtown Cairo was designed by prestigious French architects who were commissioned by
It was once home to the prosperous elite of late 19th and early 20th century Cairo. It is a relic of a bygone era – Egypt's belle epoque
Landmarks
Tahrir Square
A major public town square in made internationally famous during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
Qasr al-Nil Street
One of Wust al-Balad's main streets, lined with vintage architecture from the late 19th and early 20th century European
Talaat Harb Street
Another important Wust al-Balad street, with famous cafes and restaurants.
Yacobian Building
A model of upper-class life in mid 20th Century Wust al-Balad, the Yacobian Building and its residents were fictionalised as a metaphor for Cairo's later deterioration in the award-winning novel The Yacobian Building.
Groppi
Groppi is one of the first and most famous ice cream shops in Cairo, located in Talaat Harb Square. It was founded in 1909 by the Swiss Groppi family, survived the nationalization movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and was owned by the Groppi family until 1981 when it was bought by Abdul-Aziz Lokma.[4]
Café Riche
One of the most renowned downtown landmarks, on the 29th of Talaat Harb Street, is the
Restoration
There has been renewed interest from the government and the private sector since the 2000s to restore Down Town/ Khedival Cairo. The government has done mostly cosmetic work, repainting facades and replacing store signage.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Khedivial Cairo". egymonuments.gov.eg. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ a b Khedival Cairo protection boundaries (PDF) (in Arabic). Cairo: National Organistation for Urban Harmony. 2022.
- ISSN 2275-6639.
- ^ Salama, Vivian (August 20, 2012). The enduring charm of Café Groppi. Newsweek.com.
- ^ a b c "A Riche history: The café at the heart of revolutionary Cairo". The Economist. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
- ^ "Behind the scenes of Egypt's project to face-lift Khedivial Cairo – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 2023-03-26.