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The Al-Qahira (Cairo), a
megacity which houses Africa’s only subway, is the
continent’s largest city. The city is home to numerous
monumental edifices. Aside from the great pyramids which had
been built over 4,500 years ago, there are several modern
architectural masterpieces in Cairo, Egypt.
The Cairo Tower, a famous city landmark, just recently
underwent extensive repair and renovation after almost 60
years since it was first built. This posed an unusual and
difficult challenge as the tower’s exterior is decorated
with over 8 million porcelain mosaic tiles. Each tile needed
to be replaced and several other repairs had to be made.
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The renovation contract which involved changing the
mosaic, repairing the plaster, cleaning the granite,
and checking the structure’s integrity was awarded
to the Arabian Construction Company. European
standards had to be met for the monumental task of
renovating the Cairo Tower. The Arabian Construction
Company enlisted the services of the Eczacibasi
Koramic Yapi Kimyasallari, a Turkish company, and
Wacker, a German company, to help with all
renovations required.
The Cairo Tower offers visitors the best view of the
beautiful city of Cairo. Located just north of the
Museum of Modern Art, the Cairo Tower offers a great
view of the city’s modern and ancient sites.
Standing at 187 meters, the Cairo Tower takes up the
appearance of a lotus plant and is fourth highest tower in
the world. Entirely made of granite, a favorite material of
ancient Egyptians, it is approximately 45 meters taller than
the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The Cairo Tower was the late
Egyptian president’s, Gamal Abdul Nasser’s, favorite place
to dine. He would often bring his family to enjoy a meal at
the tower’s restaurant. Rotating at an inconspicuous pace,
the tower’s honoring book carries the signature of all
notable persons and VIPs who have ever visited it. These
signatures had also been engraved on the tower walls.
Katherine Hepburn,
the famous Hollywood actress, was one of the Cairo
Tower’s first visitors. This was during the time
when American-Egyptian political relations were not
so solid. The building of the tower was actually
financed by the American government but was not
exactly how they expected Nasser to use the funds
given his government.
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Built in 1961 under the supervision of Naum Chebib,
the Cairo Tower is arguably the second most famous
landmark in the city of Cairo next to the Great
Pyramid of Giza. It is definitely the highlight of
the city’s modern architecture.Also known as the
Borj Al-Qahir, the Cairo Tower is best visited
during sunset when the sparkling lights of the city
come alive.
You can witness at
this time of the day the shadows cast by Cairo’s dark gray
buildings upon the Muqattam Hills. To the west, you can see
the pyramids which mark the end of the city and the
beginning of the vast desert. You can also see how the Nile
flows placidly north to the Mediterranean, almost as though
it were slicing the city in two. Telescopes are available to
facilitate a better viewing experience.
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