9
suchasHeliopolis,Maadi and
laterMohandessinabandoning
Downtownand leaving it behind in
dust of fadedglory.
Fortunately, today, thecitycenter
isgettinga face-liftwithmany
buildings renovated. Tahrir Square
wasfixedwitha largepoleholding
theEgyptianflagas a tribute to
all thehistorical events that once
tookplace there. But themost
significant changewas the long-
awaitedcar parkwhich tookyears
tofinishandwith theopening
of the largeparkingarea, all the
streetshavebeenemptiedof
parkedcars. Street vendorshave
alsobeencleareddecreasing the
clutter that occupied the streets
andmicrobuseswere forced to
change theirwaiting spots. The
government’seffort to renovate
Downtownhas taken special
interest in 19thcenturybuildings
that extend fromTahrir toAbdeen
squareall theway to theold royal
palace. Cairogovernorate is joined
bymanycontributors suchas the
area’smain real estatecompanies
includingMisr InsuranceHolding
CompanyandAl-Ismaelia forReal
Estate Investmentwhich took its
name from IsmailiteCairobuilt
byKhedive Ismail. Thecompany
has set aside 125millionEgyptian
pounds for the renovations.
While the renovations canclearly
be seenwhile roaming the streets
ofDowntownCairo, onecan’t
helpbutwish that the talesof
cultural diversity, social events and
avibrant artisticand fashionable
scenewould soon (andonceagain)
becomea reality.
Be sure tocheckout our following
issues formore fascinating taleson
DowntownCairo!
