Vlog 16 | Up above Cairo so high... | Cairo Tower | Khan El-Khalili Bazaar
We are on our way to see the Cairo Tower. The Cairo Tower is the tallest building in Cairo; in fact it was the tallest building in all Egypt for 31 years until 1998. Not only that, it was the tallest building in all of Africa when it was completed in 1961. When we reached the tower we shall climb to the top and see a Bird's Eye view of Cairo from its circular Observation Deck.
I have heard that the view from the top is amazing! After the Pyramids of Giza, it is the most conspicuous monument in Cairo albeit very modern in comparison. To reach the Cairo Tower we will have to cross a branch of the Nile to an island in the river, the Gezira island. This is one of the poshest areas of Cairo with all the high-rise buildings and luxury hotels, it is a popular tourist destination. We are now crossing the same bridge that we saw in the beginning of the last Vlog that is the Qasr El-Nil Bridge which joins downtown Cairo with the Gezira island. On either side of the bridge are four bronze lion statues designed by Henry Alfred Jacquemart, a French Sculptor. And we get our first glimpse of the Cairo Tower. We are now on the Gezira island between two arms of the great Nile River.
We are now inside the tower. We shall take the Express elevator to the very top floor, the Observation Deck which is the 62nd floor. We shall reach it within a minute! The cars on the road look like toys; it reminds me of my childhood toy car collection.
This is the 6th October Bridge. Another bridge that runs parallel to the old Qasr El- Nil Bridge. Its name commemorates the outbreak of the Yom Kippur war or the October War of 1973 between the Arab Coalition and Israel. The Arab Coalition was led by Egypt and Syria. This is the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which we have also seen in Vlog 3. We can see some Cruise ships on the shores of the Nile. We shall soon board a Nile cruise ship ourselves in the coming Vlogs.
Beautiful landscape this! Cairo is a beautiful Metropolis. Can you see that man riding a horse? Is this a Polo ground? Misr (Egypt) is a land of Palms. You will see these Date Palm trees everywhere. Those hills you see at the distance are the Mokattam hills. The Citadel or Fort of Cairo is located on these Hills. This Islamic era Fort was where the rulers of
Cairo lived for almost 700 years from the 13th century to the 19th century. That is the Tahrir Square, the heart of Cairo; and this is the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel; this Orange Building is the Egyptian Museum where we have spent considerable time in Vlog 13 and 14. I have come here at sundown and the views are breathtaking! That is the Qasr El-Nil Bridge which we have just crossed to reach this Tower. If you look carefully you can see two bronze Lions behind the two pillars at the far end of the bridge. This is the Cairo Opera House - the main Center for Performing Arts in Egypt. It has seven theaters, a music library, an art gallery and a museum.
Look at those cars. WOW! There it is! The Sofitel Cairo Nile El-Gezira Hotel. What an unconventional structure! Mother doesn't seem to be afraid of heights. She is enjoying the view. Unlike Indian cities, Cairo has very few motorbikes. The roads here are full of four-wheelers.
I can see a Sailboat in the Nile from here. That seems to be a Public Swimming Pool. What happens if someone dives in it from this height? Seems a very bad idea... That is a football ground. Egypt is a football crazy nation and Egyptians come together almost
daily to watch football matches of various Egyptian clubs. Mohamed Salah (Mo Salah) is the most popular player who is the captain of Egypt's national team and also plays the Premier League for Liverpool. The Sun God Ra is watching us! That hemispherical structure is the venue of Egypt's popular talent show - El Dome. This structure was constructed especially for the show in only a 1000 hours. This structure seems to be inspired from the American inventor Buckminster Fuller's Geodesic dome concept.
What's written here? Some facts about Cairo Tower. How many of you can recognize the structure we see on the far end of the horizon? Those are the Pyramids of Giza! Difficult to see clearly because of the smog, but you can make out their silhouettes. The Bridge on the River Kwai. I mean River Nile. For those who don't know, The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of the finest films ever made. A classic! if you haven't watched it yet, go watch it.
That is the Nile Ritz Carlton that we saw from up above the Cairo Tower, and that is the QasrvEl- Nil bridge that we crossed while coming to the Gezira island. We are on our way to the shopping district of Cairo, the khan El-Khalili Market or Souk - the word for market in Arabic. This by the way is the GAD restaurant. A good place to eat if you are interested in tasting authentic Egyptian Delicacies at reasonable prices. This customer seems to be bargaining quite hard just to buy a pair of Track-pants! the Cairo traffic is Infamous at this time of the day. We seem to be stuck in a traffic jam! Oh a restaurant! if I'm stuck here all night at least I won't starve! That is one of the old Gates of the Khan El-Khalili Market. This Market is from the
Islamic era more than 500 years old, but it has changed considerably from that time. Look at this engraving from a book published in the early 19th century. This Bazaar is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Cairo and a great place to get some Souvenirs. I am on my way to my hotel. It has been a fantastic day and I need some rest. We shall
leave Cairo early in the morning tomorrow before Sunrise. We have to catch a flight to Aswan. The next city... I hope I do not get stuck in the traffic again! So long, till the next Vlog...
2023-03-07 18:12
