Qasr El-Nil Bridge
History
Egypt witnessed unprecedented urban development
during the era of Khedive Ismail, who had a dream of making Cairo a piece of
Europe. He thought of establishing a bridge linking Ismailia Square and the
western bank of the Nile in Gezirah area currently Zamalek area similar to the
European cities where a bridge links between the cities’ banks.
In 1869, Egypt entered
the age of bridges as the Egyptian government commissioned a French company to
build a bridge at a request of khedive Ismail.
Reason behind the name
In the past, it was known as the Khedive Ismail Bridge,
given that it was his idea to establish it. As for its current name, it was
named after Qasr El-Nil palace, the palace of Princess Nazly Hanem, daughter of
Mohammad Ali Pasha Qasr El-Nil Palace, which was the old headquarter of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official inauguration of Qasr El-Nil Bridge
was in 1872, and it became the artery of the heart of the Capital. Although it
was allowed for all people to cross the bridge, the Egyptian government issued
a decree to impose fees on everyone want to pass over the bridge except
children below the age of six years.
It is worth mentioning
that the four bronze lion statues in Qasr El-Nil were to stand at the gates of
Giza Zoo, but instead, Khedive Tawfiq put them at the ends of Qasr El-Nil
Bridge to befit the glory of his father’s name.
Hence, the four lions became an essential part of Qasr El-Nil Bridge’s design.
Qasr El-Nil Bride
Renovation
During the era of King
Fouad, the Authority of Roads and Bridges announced a project to reconstruct
the bridge as it became unable to endure fast urban development and population growth.
In 1933, King Fouad inaugurated the new Qasr- El-Nil Bridge.
