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| , surrounded by the Nile.]] |
| in the Zamalek area.]] |
Zamalek ( , al zamalek) is a qism (ward) within the West District ( hayy gharb) in the Western Area of Cairo, Egypt.
The island is connected with the river banks by four bridges: The Qasr El Nil Bridge, Galaa Bridge, 15 May Bridge and 6th October Bridge.
Description
The island is divided into a northern third that is fully urbanised, and generally referred to as
Zamalek, same as the official qism name covering the entire island from 1983.
And the southern, green two thirds that have sports grounds, parks and a cultural district, and is still
Colloquialism referred to as
Gezira (lit. island in Arabic), the original name of the island
as is reflected in the names of many institutions there, for example the Gezira Sporting Club, Sofitel Cairo Nile El-Gezira Hotel,
and the Gezira Police Station.
Zamalek (Northern part)
The Zamalek portion of the island is a mixed residential and administrative neighbourhood that is almost a diplomatic quarter with at least 52 embassies and consulates,
in addition to a number of ambassadors' residences taking up what is left of its early 20th Century villas and mansions, many of them of the
Art Deco style.
Along with
Maadi,
Mohandessin, Heliopolis, and Garden City, it is one of the more affluent residential districts in
Greater Cairo,
a fact reflected by clocking the highest average real estate prices in the city.
Paradoxically, many apartment buildings suffer sporadic maintenance because the landlords rarely make improvements; the rent control law (Old Rent) that allows several Zamalek complexes to house low income and middle income Egyptians despite the expensive real estate.[Peter Hessler. " Tales of the Trash" (). The New Yorker. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.]
The northern third of the island is also culturally active: with art galleries, book stores and museums, including the Museum of Islamic Ceramics, the Aisha Fahmy Palace/ Zamalek Arts Center,
Gezira (Southern part)
The southern two thirds of Zamalek is a mostly green area with sports grounds, parks and a cultural district. Dominating the middle is the originally colonial Gezira Sporting Club,
while in the middle of its horse race course is the post-independence Gezira Youth Center.
Zamalek is also home to the famous top league Ahly Sporting Club, and the Equestrian Club.
A former fair grounds located near the Qasr al-Nil and Galaa bridges has been converted over time into a cultural district where the central attraction is the modern Cairo Opera House. Others are the Modern Egyptian Art Museum, the Gezira Art Museum (arts collection from the former royal family),
History
Under
Khedive Ismail the Island was called "Jardin des Plantes" (Garden of Plants), because of its great collection of
exotic plants shipped from all over the world. French landscape designer De la Chevalerie designed the island's landscape plan, gardens, and
Plant nursery. On the east shore a kiosk was built for attending the island and supervising its development. Although the area is known as "Gezira Island", this is an unknown nomenclature for those living in Cairo and adjacent areas, most Egyptians know the area simply as "Zamalek".
The kiosk was replaced in 1869 with the Gezirah Palace, a U-shaped summer mansion, which was designed by Julius Franz Pasha and decorated by Karl Von Diebitsch. The palace was built and first used for guests attending the 1869 opening of the Suez Canal.[ touregypt.net -image: Prince Amr Ibrahim palace-Museum of Islamic Ceramics] In 1882 the Gezira Sporting Club was built in the southern region of the island.
Several notable Egyptian figures lived in Zamalek including the Diva of the East Umm Kulthum and the famous movie star Salah Zulfikar.
Administrative subdivisions and population
The 2017 census counted 14,946 residents in the island's four shiakhas.
|
| 'Umar Khayyâm, al- (Omar Khayyam) | 011803 | 1,392 |
| Abû-l-Fidâ | 011801 | 5,513 |
| Jabalâya, al- | 011802 | 2,992 |
| Muḥammad Maẓhar | 011804 | 5,049 |
Landmarks
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Al Ahly SC (1907), the most successful sporting club in Egypt.
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Gezira Sporting Club (1882), the oldest club in Egypt.
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Cairo Tower (1960), the tallest concrete construction in Egypt, built near the Gezira Sporting Club.
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Egyptian Opera House (1988), built near the Cairo Tower, and one of the better performing arts venues in the Middle East.
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El Sawy Culture Wheel Centre (2003), () located beneath 15 May Bridge in Zamalek, one of the most important cultural venues in Egypt.
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Museum of Islamic Ceramics
[ The Museums of Islamic Art and Islamic Ceramics | Egyptian Monuments]
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Faculty of Fine Arts (1908)
[ zamalek101.com]
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All Saints' Cathedral, Cairo
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Gezirah House, Omarah El Yamani, Oldest Building in Zamalek
Education
International schools:
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Lycée Français du Caire Zamalek Primary Campus
[" L'administration du lycée." Lycée Français du Caire. Retrieved 23 January 2015. "Zamalek Site primaire 8, rue Ibn Zanki"]
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Pakistan International School of Cairo
[" Official public page at Facebook. Pakistan International School Cairo. Retrieved 12 January 2017. "Taha Hussain Street, Zamalek,, Cairo, Egypt" – Map which shows location on Gezirah Island]
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Previously, the British International School in Cairo (BISC)
[" Home." British International School in Cairo. 24 January 2001. Retrieved 19 July 2018. "Our physical address is: 5 El Yemeni Street Zamalek Cairo Egypt"]
Embassies
There are a number of embassies in Zamalek:
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Albania
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Algeria
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Argentina
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Armenia
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Austria
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Bahrain
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Brazil
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Brunei
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Bulgaria
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Chile
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China
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Colombia
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Croatia
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Cyprus
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Estonia
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Finland
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Germany
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Holy See
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Hungary
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India
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Iraq
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Ireland
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Latvia
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Lebanon
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Libya
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Lithuania
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Mauritius
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Morocco
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Myanmar
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Nepal
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Netherlands
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Nigeria
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North Korea
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Norway
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Oman
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Panama
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Poland
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Portugal
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Romania
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Serbia
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Spain
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Sri Lanka
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Sweden
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Tunisia
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Uruguay
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Vietnam
See also
