2023

The Cairo tower functions as an observatory, café, and transmitter. Both domestic and foreign tourists find it to be a highly attractive tourist destination. The Cairo tower, also called the Borg Al-Qahira, is a stand-alone tower in the Gezira neighborhood of the Egyptian capital. The most famous modern monument in Cairo, he stands guard over the island of Gezira in the middle of the Nile. With a height of 614 feet, or 187 meters, it is the highest building in both Egypt and North Africa.

It was also the highest structure in Africa until the Hillbrow Tower in Johannesburg opened for business in 1971. It is 14 meters in diameter and has 90 stories overall. One of Cairo's most visited tourist destinations, the tower is currently used for communications and observation.

Construction began in 1954 and was completed in 1961. For three of these years, the work was suspended due to the outbreak of the Suez crisis. After the towers were completed, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser revealed that the building funds came from the US government. The Americans did not intend to do that: the money was a $6 million gift to Nasser to encourage him to end his support for the Algerian struggle against French colonialism. Offended by the bribe, Nasser used the money to build the tower as a symbol of Arab resistance, located right in front of the US embassy.

Although the purpose of visiting the Cairo Tower is obviously to reach the top, the circular entrance hall is a full attraction. A mosaic mural depicts monuments from across the United Arab Republic, the sovereign state formed by the brief political union of Egypt and Syria from 1958 to 1971. These monuments include the pyramids of Giza, the citadel of Cairo Salah al-Din, the Umayyad mosque in Damascus and the water mills in Hama. Like the tower itself, the mural was designed as a clear representation of Arab pride and provides insight into the political landscape of the region in the second half of the 20th century.

Things to do

After exploring the lobby, take the elevator to the circular observation deck at the top of the tower. Here, a 360 degree panorama awaits you, offering an unobstructed view of the Greater Cairo area. On a clear day, it is possible to see all the way from the hills of Muqattam at the eastern end of the capital to the pyramids and the beginning of the Sahara desert in the west. Below, the Nile flows around both shores of Gezira Island and through the city as it has since its foundation by the Fatimid dynasty in 969 AD. Telescopes are provided for those who wish to observe the main monuments of Cairo more closely.

Take the elevator to the top of the tower's circular observation deck after touring the lobby. A 360-degree panorama that provides an unhindered perspective of the Greater Cairo region is waiting for you here.