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The story of lions guard Kasr is related
to the Kasr-el-Nil Bridge, the lions being the bridge's “guards”
since this was built. The famous Kasr-el-Nil Bridge was
inaugurated in 1933, on June 6, by King Fouad; the festivity
took place on the bridge's Zamalek side. The 1932 meters bridge
cost 308,000 LE and was built by the company Dorman, Long, and
Co. The bridge was made in the honor of the King Fouad`s father
and named after his name - the Khedive Ismail Bridge. After
Egypt's independence, in1952, many landmarks from Cairo received
new names; the Khedive Ismail Bridge's was changed in Qasr El
Nile Bridge. The bridge was constructed to help the Gezira
Island's development and to improve the connections with the
neighboring areas. But, the story of the guardian lions from
Kasr-el-Nil Bridge is older; in winter of 1931, the 4 lions were
moved to the Zoological Garden of Giza. The massive lions were
created from bronze, by Alfred Jacquemart, a French sculptor.
Initially the lions were designed to surround the statue of
Mohammed Ali in Alexandria. But Linant de Bellefonds decided to
put them at the Kasr El Nil Bridge. Before that, the lions`
weight was modified and the height increased with two meters.
The imposing lions were disposed at the Kasr Al Nil Bridge
opposite gates. There are people who doesn't know about the
bridge but are very interested to see the lions` statues, so
they are maybe more famous than the objective they guard. Today,
the Kasr-el-Nil Bridge makes the connection between Zamalek
Island and the Tahrir Square (Cairo's most important square), as
well as the connection between the Opera House and two major
hotels (Hilnan Shepard and Samiramis). And thousands of visitors
walk on the bridge guarded by the kingly lions. |
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