Gezira (Cairo)

30°03′N 31°13′E / 30.050°N 31.217°E / 30.050; 31.217

Gezira is an island in the Nile, in central Cairo, Egypt. The southern portion of the island contains the Gezira district, and the northern third contains the Zamalek district.

Gezira is west of downtown Cairo and Tahrir Square, connected across the Nile by four bridges each on the east and west sides, the Qasr El Nil Bridge, 15 May Bridge, Al-Gala'a Bridge and 6th October Bridge. Under 19th century ruler Khedive Ismail the island was first called "Jardin des Plantes" (French for "Garden of Plants"), because of its great collection of exotic plants shipped from all over the world.^[1]

Landmarks

Cairo Tower (1960), the tallest concrete structure in Egypt, built near the Gezira Sporting Club.^[2]
Egyptian Opera House (1988), built near the Cairo Tower.^[3]
El Sawy Culture Wheel Centre (2003) (Arabic: ساقية الصاوى), located beneath 15 May Bridge in Zamalek, one of the most important cultural venues in Egypt.^[4]
Gezira Sporting Club (1882), the oldest club in Egypt.^[5]
Al Ahly SC main branch, founded in 1907 by Omar Lotfi as a gathering place for student unions against the British Occupation.

Education

Schools on the island include:

Lycée Français du Caire Zamalek Primary Campus^[6]
Pakistan International School Cairo in Zamalek^[7]
Previously, the British International School in Cairo (BISC) in Zamalek^[8]

Sports

Gezira Island is home to the basketball club Al Gezira Cairo, 2017 Champion of the Egyptian Basketball Super League.

Al Ahly SC is located on Gezira island.

Gallery

Gezira (on the left) in 1904
El Gezira Gardens
Cairo Tower with Al-Gala Bridge
Southern Tip of Gezira Island
El Gezira Tower

References

^ "Zamalek Today". e-dar.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
^ Samir Raafat (16 August 1997). "The Cairo Tower". egy.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
^ "Egypt hosts London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time in the region". Albawaba News. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
^ "El Sawy Culturewheel in Egypt: From a place for beggars to a resort for intellectuals" (in Arabic). CNN. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
^ Helmy, Heba. "Four clubs, four communities: The Gezira Sporting Club". egyptindependent.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
^ "L'administration du lycée Archived 28 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine." Lycée Français du Caire. Retrieved on 23 January 2015. "Zamalek Site primaire 8, rue Ibn Zanki"
^ Official public page at Facebook. Pakistan International School Cairo. Retrieved on 12 January 2017. "Taha Hussain Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt"—Map Archived 18 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine which shows location on Gezirah Island
^ Home. British International School in Cairo. 24 January 2001. Retrieved on 19 July 2018. "Our physical address is: 5 El Yemeni Street Zamalek Cairo Egypt"

External links

Media related to Gezira Island at Wikimedia Commons
Cairo/Gezira travel guide from Wikivoyage

[History-1] "Zamalek Today". e-dar.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2010.

[2] Samir Raafat (16 August 1997). "The Cairo Tower". egy.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.

[3] "Egypt hosts London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time in the region". Albawaba News. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2014.

[cnn-4] "El Sawy Culturewheel in Egypt: From a place for beggars to a resort for intellectuals" (in Arabic). CNN. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2009.

[egyptindependent.com-5] Helmy, Heba. "Four clubs, four communities: The Gezira Sporting Club". egyptindependent.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013.

[6] "L'administration du lycée Archived 28 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine." Lycée Français du Caire. Retrieved on 23 January 2015. "Zamalek Site primaire 8, rue Ibn Zanki"

[7] Official public page at Facebook. Pakistan International School Cairo. Retrieved on 12 January 2017. "Taha Hussain Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt"—Map Archived 18 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine which shows location on Gezirah Island

[8] Home. British International School in Cairo. 24 January 2001. Retrieved on 19 July 2018. "Our physical address is: 5 El Yemeni Street Zamalek Cairo Egypt"

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