Cairo
modern streets
Ramses
Street
Ramses Street is the longest and
most crowded street in Cairo. It is also the main artery connecting many of
Cairo districts. Ramses street extends from Tahrir Square to Abbasia Square.
Reasons
behind the name
At first, Ramses street was known
as Abbas street after Khedive Abbas Helmy, who ruled Egypt in 1892. After
Khedive Abbas died, the street’s name was changed to El-Malika Nazli, the wife
of King Fouad II. Later, King Farouq shortened the name to El-Maleka Street because
of the bad reputation of his mother. Then in1962, after placing the sculpture
of Nahdet Masr “Rise of Egypt” by the Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mukhtar in
Ramses square, the street became known as Nahdet Masr Street. After the 23rd of
July revolution in 1955, the sculpture was moved to Cairo University square, and
Ramses II statue was placed instead. Since then, the street retained the name
of Ramses despite moving Ramses statue to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza in
2006.
Landmarks
Ramses street houses many of
Cairo’s significant government institutions such as the Lawyers Syndicate,
Egyptian Chemistry Administration, Sadat Academy for Management Sciences (SAMS),
Arab Music Institute, Administration Development Bank, and Egypt National Railway.
Mohammad
Mazhar Street
Mohammad Mazhar Street is one of
Zamalek area most famous streets. It runs from 26th July
intersection to Geziret El-Zamalek.
Name
Mohammad Mazhar Street was named
after the brilliant Egyptian engineer Mohammad Mazhar Pasha. Mohammad Mazhar
Pasha was chosen by Mohammad Ali Pasha to be part of the study mission he sent
to France in 1826 to study marine engineering. When he returned to Egypt, he
was appointed as a headmaster of the artillery school. He also built the
Lighthouse of Alexandria upon the request of Mohammed Ali Pasha and
participated in establishing El Qanater El Khayreya.
Landmarks
Mohammad Mazhar Street is home to
many embassies like Algerian Embassy and Vatican Embassy. There is also the
Greater Cairo Library which used to be the palace of Samiha Kamel, daughter of
Sultan Hussein Kamel.
El-Sheikh
Rihan Street
El-Sheikh Rihan Street is another notable
street in Cairo and is the flowing artery from the heart of European Cairo. The
Street extends from Simón Bolivar Square to Port Said Street.
Name
El-Sheikh Rihan Street was named after El-Sheikh Rihan, whose shrine lies at a
corner in the middle of the Street. Historians argued
whether it took its name from Abu Rihanna, one of Prophet Mohammad’s companions
or Rihan ibn Yousef, a descendant of Imam Hussein ibn Ali. In 1917, The Street
was called El-Sultan Hussein Kamel, the Sultan of Egypt and Sudan who ascended
the throne in 1917. After the 23rd of July revolution, the Street
restored its old name El-Sheikh Rihan.
Sabri
Abu Alm Street
Sabri Abu Alm Street runs from
Talaat Harb Square to Mohammad Farid Square. In the past, it was called Gerks street
after the Gerks mosque which was built by the Mamluk Prince Gerks. Then in
1947, the Street’s name was changed to Sabri Abu Alm Street after Mohammad
Sabri Abu Alm Pasha, one of the Egyptian leaders who played a vital role in the
political life in Egypt. Mohammad Sabry graduated from Law School in 1971, and
he was appointed Minister of Justice in 1942. He also participated in the
committee that prepared the two draft laws of abolishing capitulations and the
independence of the judiciary in Egypt. Moreover, he was Secretary-General of
Al-Wafd Party and the owner of “Sout Al-Umma” newspaper.
Salah
Salem Street
Salah Salem Street in Cairo is Egypt’s
most famous streets ever. The Street is
known far and wide because it is connecting many of Cairo’s areas that lead to
the main bridges of the city.
Location
Salah Salem Street runs from Cairo airport
to El-Malek El-Saleh tunnel. The Street is one of Cairo’s longest streets passing
through three areas which are Madinet Nasr, Masr El-Gadidah, and El-Abbasia. Salah
Salem is a two-way street, and it was built by Abdel El-Latif Al-Baghdadi on
instruction from the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Naser in the 1950s. It was
called then El-Tariq El-Harbi Street, and most of its lands were cemeteries. It
was like a traffic circle whose middle phase lies on the outskirts of Cairo.
Name
Salah Salem street was named after
one of the Egyptian free officers as the day in which Abdel El-Latif Al-Baghdadi
finished the construction of Salah Salem road marked the anniversary of the
officer’s death. Salah Salem was of Sudanese origin, and he lived in Cairo
since childhood. He graduated from Military School
in 1940. After the 23rd of July revolution, he commanded the
Egyptian army forces in Sudan. Salah Salem was also a politician and played an
important role in signing the agreement of 12th of February with
Britain on Sudan. After he quit politics, he worked in journalism.
Landmarks
Salah Salem Street houses Oruba
Palace, Baron Palace, and other significant places like the Cairo Stadium, the
Egyptian Military Academy, Ministry of Defense, and the Cairo Airport.
Qasr El-Nil Street
Qasr El-Nil Street is one of the main
arteries in the heart of Cairo. It is where the Egyptian army built their
barracks and the hangout of Egyptian elites. The street was also the cradle of political
conflict in Egypt.
Location
Qasr El-Nil Street extends from Tahrir
Square, passing by Talaat
Harb Square and Mustafa Kamel Square and ends on Oprah Square.
Name
Qasr El-Nil is the only street that retained its first
name which is associated with the palace built by Mohammed Ali Pasha for his Daughter
“Nazly Hanem”, on the Nile. Then Said Pasha built army barracks in the area. In
1950, the barracks were demolished and replaced by Arab League headquarters and
Nile- Ritz Carlton Hotel.
Landmarks
In its early days, Qasr El-Nil Street
was the headquarters of the Egyptian army because it was close to Qasr El-Ainy
Street, home to palaces of royalty and dignitaries at this time. Being an
important military and political site made it an aspiration for the British
occupation. So, when the British forces arrived in Egypt, they occupied the
Egyptian army barracks on Qasr El-Nil street, and after the evacuation of the
British troops, King Farouq raised the flag of Egypt on
Qasr El-Nil’s army barracks.
Later, the street developed to be one
of Cairo’s iconic streets housing several stores like Chalons, Sidnawy, Benzoin;
companies such as Almasnoat Almasryia Company; banks like Bank Misr, and
National Bank of Egypt. It also houses
two of Cairo’s historic El-Imobilia building and Wahba building as well as
Mamar Behlar “Behar passageway” which is the most famous in Cairo. It was named
after a Swiss businessman Charles Behlar, the founder and owner of several real
estates and hotels in Cairo. The passageway was modelled after the French
shopping streets.
Significance
The construction of this area is
attributed to Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohammed Ali Pasha, who ordered the
pavement of the land extending from Abu El-Ela Bridge in the north to Qasr
El-Nil Bridge in the south. Then in 1882, Khedive Ismail assigned genius
Egyptian architect Ali Mubarak to design Qasr El-Nil Street. The street has
distinctive architectural style and artistic decorations that imitate the
European one that emerged in Europe during the second half of the 19th
century.
