Cairo Tower

About Cairo Tower

Free-standing concrete tower in Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt

The Cairo Tower, sometimes called the Gezira Tower, is the Egyptian capital's best-known modern monument and, for many, the country's second most famous landmark after the Pyramids of Giza. It was built between 1956 and 1961 in reinforced concrete to a design by the engineer Naoum Shebib in the form of an Egyptian lotus flower, and stands on a base of Aswan granite, the stone the ancient Egyptians used for their temples and tombs. At 187 metres it is about 43 metres taller than the Great Pyramid; it remained the tallest structure in Egypt for 37 years until 1998 and was briefly the tallest in Africa when it opened. The tower rises in the Gezira district on Gezira (Zamalek) Island in the Nile, close to downtown and the Opera House. It has 16 floors, and the lift reaches the top in about 45 seconds, where a full panorama of Cairo opens up: the Nile and its islands, downtown and the television building, the Citadel and Al-Azhar, and on clear days the Pyramids and the Sphinx. The upper floors hold a cafe and a restaurant on a revolving platform that slowly turns diners past every side of the city. Visiting at sunset and after dark, when Cairo lights up, is a favourite experience for visitors and families.

Where:

Cairo, Egypt