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Cairo Tower

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Cairo Tower
Arabic: برج القاهرة, burj al-qāhira, colloquially burg al-qāhira
2008
Map
General information
TypeCommunications, observation, restaurants, visitor attraction
LocationCairo, Egypt
Construction started1956
Completed1961
Opening1961[clarification needed]
OwnerEgyptian Governorate
Height
Antenna spire187 metres (614 feet)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Naoum Chebib
Website
cairotower.net
(requires Adobe Flash; in English)

The Cairo Tower ([برج القاهرة] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), burj al-qāhira, colloquially burg al-qāhira) is a free-standing concrete tower located in Cairo, Egypt. At 187 m (614 ft), it has been the tallest structure in Egypt and North Africa for 50 years. It was the tallest structure in Africa for 10 years, until 1971 when it was surpassed by Hillbrow Tower in South Africa.

One of Cairo's well-known landmarks, it stands in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the River Nile, close to Downtown Cairo.

History

Built from 1956 to 1961,[clarification needed] the tower was designed by the Egyptian architect Naoum Chebib. Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a pharaonic lotus plant, an iconic symbol of Ancient Egypt. The tower is crowned by a circular observation deck and a rotating restaurant with a view over greater Cairo. One rotation takes approximately seventy minutes.

A story published by the Egyptian government in the 1960s, is that the American government gave US$100,000 to Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt (1956–1970), as a personal gift, and that Nasser deployed this amount of money to start the construction of the tower, thus uncovering the gift's American source to the city.

Between November 2004 and 17 May 2009 it underwent a EGP 35 million restoration project, completed in time for its fiftieth anniversary on April 2011.

  • Cairo Tower by night (2004).
    Cairo Tower by night (2004).
  • View from the top of the Cairo Tower (2003).
    View from the top of the Cairo Tower (2003).
  • Evening view from the top of the Cairo Tower (2004).
    Evening view from the top of the Cairo Tower (2004).
  • Late afternoon view from the top of the Cairo Tower (2004).
    Late afternoon view from the top of the Cairo Tower (2004).
  • View of the River Nile showing Cairo Tower in the middle, with the Sofitel and Grand Hyatt hotels on the far right (2008).
    View of the River Nile showing Cairo Tower in the middle, with the Sofitel and Grand Hyatt hotels on the far right (2008).
  • Cairo Tower at night, now with a lighting system capable of different colour schemes. Seen in green, against the River Nile (2008).
    Cairo Tower at night, now with a lighting system capable of different colour schemes. Seen in green, against the River Nile (2008).
  • Cairo Tower at night, with the Sofitel Hotel in Gezira Island. Seen in purple colour scheme (2008).
    Cairo Tower at night, with the Sofitel Hotel in Gezira Island. Seen in purple colour scheme (2008).

See also

External links

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