Egypt protesters flock to Tahrir Square | World news | The Guardian Egypt protesters flock to Tahrir Square ElBaradei joins tens of thousands heading to Tahrir Square demanding immediate end to military rule Protesters in Tahrir Square on Thursday. Friday's demonstration - known as 'the Friday of the Last Chance' - could be the biggest for months. Photograph: Fohlen Corentin/Sipa/Rex Friday 25 November 2011 05.13 EST First published on Friday 25 November 2011 05.13 EST Close This article is 5 years old Protesters are gathering throughout Cairo for mass demonstrations ahead of Monday's elections, which continue to polarise the country. The largest rally is planned for Tahrir Square, to which thousands of people are heading. However, in public spaces elsewhere in the city, pro-regime gatherings are forming. Supporters of the military regime will be kept away from Tahrir Square, where opponents of the military council have gathered over the past week to demand it cedes power to civilian control.

The Nobel peace prizewinner Mohamed ElBaradei on Friday morning tweeted that he was on his way to Tahrir to "pay respect to the martyrs", a repeat of his visit in January, which was received rapturously and another clear step in his bid for the presidency. The interior ministry has said it cannot guarantee the safety of the election and there are fears that today's march may also test its capabilities – and resolve. The marches are set to begin in earnest after midday prayers, the first day of the weekend in Egypt. Friday prayers have proved to be a lightning rod for dissent throughout 11 months of upheaval in Egypt and in other restive states throughout the Arab region. Up to 30 political parties have called for Friday's rallies, demanding an end to the rule of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces (Scaf) and an immediate transition to a salvation government led by civilians. The political blocs are not, however, united on pushing ahead with a ballot that is viewed by many as a further risk to an already unstable security environment. The Muslim Brotherhood, which is poised for sweeping electoral gains on Monday, is adamant the poll should continue.

However, many groups believe the situation remains too chaotic to hold an election. The White House has released a statement praising Egypt's commitment to change and urging the military to give way "as soon as possible" to full civilian rule. "We will continue to stand with the Egyptian people as they build a democracy worthy of Egypt's great history," the statement said. European states, including Britain, have remained coy, condemning violence this week between youths and secuity forces in Tahrir Square but stepping back from earlier strident calls for elections to help the transition from martial law to fledgling democracy. Tweets from Tahrir Square | World news | The Guardian Tweets from Tahrir Square Protesters are using Twitter to tell extraordinary stories of the Egyptian revolution Egyptians protesting against the military council in Tahrir Square, Cairo Photograph: Mohamed Omar/EPA Alex Nunns Close This article is 5 years old The aerial pictures showed an impressive mass of humanity in Tahrir, but it is on Twitter that the extraordinary individual stories of the Egyptian revolution can be found. So we can glimpse events through the eyes of Mahmoud Salam, or @Sandmonkey, one of the most prominent bloggers in Egypt .

Yesterday he set out to Tahrir from Heliopolis across the city in a convoy of vehicles, a "car march". "All hung the gasmasks outside the car and blew their horns, all the way to #tahrir. Many people joined," he tweeted. The gas masks were to protect against teargas, a far more immediate concern for the protesters than Monday's elections. When the gas and gunshots started last Saturday, Sandmonkey, a parliamentary candidate, immediately suspended his campaign, tweeting: "To anyone I was supposed to meet today. Everything is cancelled till further notice." Instead he delivered supplies to Tahrir and visited his friend in hospital: "What? @MaLek LOST HIS EYE?" On Mohamed Mahmoud Street protesters set up makeshift hospitals to treat the wounded. It was on Twitter that the small acts of humanity that occur in the midst of dramatic events were reported. "#Egypt is amazing, the pharmacist just gave us a discount, because the supplies are going to the injured in#tahrir. #egysolidarity," tweeted @Egyptocracy. She had done this kind of thing before – in January her cornea was ulcerated during the uprising.

Now she was back in the middle of it, as half an hour later she tweeted: "I just got teargassed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Five minutes later, at 12.50am: "We got out. I am dizzy and nauseous." But by 1am the vital supplies are delivered: "Thank you everyone. We are safe. Made it to the hospital. This is not pretty. #tahrir." Twitter is awash with chilling reports of the unusually strong teargas. "Saw a man in ambulance suffering from severe epilepsy. Doctor said nerve agents within the teargas very concentrated," reported @mosaaberizing, aka Mosa'ab Elshamy, a photographer-protester, at the height of the clashes. Mona Seif, a campaigner against military trials since the Scaf (military council) took over and the sister of imprisoned blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, is still suffering from the effects: "For 2 days toxic gases cause me: fever, diarrhea, sore throat, aching muscles specially back & legs. :( I couldn't even go visit my brother." The festive spirit of February was not as prominent in the tweets, replaced by a gritty determination and pride.

Elshamy described "a full house energetic Tahrir with not a single stage or political party banner. Hasn't been more beautiful." Meanwhile activists shared jokes about the appointment of Kamal Ganzoury as the new prime minister. For Tahrir, he is already irrelevant. As Mohamed El Dahshan, a writer and economist, tweeted under the name @TravellerW, "I don't care if they get #Ganzoury or the #Tahrir sweet potatoes vendor as PM. Is #Scaf stil in power? Yes? See you in the street." Alex Nunns is co-editor of Tweets from Tahrir, published by OR Books.

For live tweets from Tahrir click here They were a key part of the Arab spring but the country's secular forces are failing to make political headway Published: 26 Nov 2011 Deaths and injuries over past week have served only to harden Egyptian demonstrators' resolve Published: 25 Nov 2011 Major Tamer Samir Badr says he now feels it is his duty to protect 'these people who are fighting for our rights' Published: 25 Nov 2011 Washington increases pressure on ruling generals to cede power to civilian government as protests continue in Cairo Published: 25 Nov 2011 Cairo/Midan Tahrir – Travel guide at Wikivoyage WARNING: See the warning in Egypt . Midan Tahrir Midan Tahrir (Arabic: ميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo and, as a city district, to the streets and institutions located nearby.

The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League, and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located within this district, as are several important government offices. The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services. Understand[ edit ] The square was known as Midan Ismaili until 1954, when president Nasser gave it its current name. Orientation[ edit ] The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center. Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, which was Africa's first Hilton hotel, located between the Square and the Nile Corniche. Immediately to the north and perpendicular to the hotel is the unmissable Egyptian Museum in reddish-pink stone. South of the Hilton Hotel stands the dingy Arab League Building. Somewhat further southeast, across the busy thoroughfare of Tahrir street, is the brutal Stalinist-looking Mogamma Building which houses 18,000 Egyptian government bureaucrats.

This building is the most convenient place for tourists to renew or extend their Egyptian visas. From here, Sharia Tahrir heads due west to cross the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira (the island suburb), and beyond to Giza and the Pyramids (several miles away) Next to the Mogamma Building is a small but attractive Mosque of Omar Makram, in which many state and business funerals are held. Only slightly further south can be found the Intercontinental Hotel. Bordering Tahrir Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office buildings and stores, topped with neon signs. The downtown campus of the American University of Cairo lies across the busy Qasr al-Ainy. Get in[ edit ] Midan Tahrir is served by the Sadat metro stop, but it occasionally closes at times of expected demonstrations. It was closed from 2013 till late 2015. There is a bus stop near the area at Talaat Harb Square. Get around[ edit ] Probably one of the easiest ways to negotiate the busy Tahrir Square area is to use the interconnecting underground pedestrian tunnels linking the Metro station with various points in and around the Square.

This can save a great deal of time and prevent much negotiation of crazy traffic and the ongoing remodelling of the Square itself. The Egyptian Museum[ edit ] Statue of Old Kingdom monarch, approx 4,500 years old The Egyptian Museum (officially, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir, is one of the world's great museums. An extensive building and massive collection of Egyptian antiquities, the museum (also commonly referred to as the "Cairo Museum") is truly a destination in its own right,with at least 136,000 items on display; hundreds of thousands of additional items languish in the museum's basement storerooms and are added to each year with ongoing excavation and discovery. Plans are now well advanced for the transfer of the main collection to a new Grand Egyptian Museum within the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids . Hopefully the new building will be more user friendly, instead of the current poorly-labeled and documented nature of many prime exhibits. The museum is an outgrowth of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, in an attempt to limit the looting of antiquities sites and artifacts.

The museum first officially opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette Pasha, the French archaeologist employed by Isma'il Pasha to organise the collection. After residing in an annex of the Bulaq palace of Ismail Pasha in Giza from 1880, the museum moved in 1900 to its present location, a neoclassical structure on Tahrir Square in Cairo's city centre. More than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually, in addition to half a million Egyptians. There are seven sections within the museum that are arranged in chronological order: Tutankhamen's treasures. Pre-dynasty and Old Kingdom monuments. First intermediate period and Middle Kingdom monuments. Monuments of the Middle Kingdom. Monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods. Coins and papyri. Sarcophagi and scarabs. General admission is adults LE 75, students LE 30, not including the mummies room (LE 100). Since February 2016, tickets for photography are available at LE 50 per camera. There are three separate checkpoints that have x-ray machines.

There is one outside the courtyard, then there is one before the steps of the museum and a third right inside the doors. Highlights[ edit ] Cairo Museum: Funerary mask of Tutankhamen Objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Upper Floor - discovered in 1922 and gradually revealed over the next few years, many of the objects from the tomb of the "boy king" were brought to the Egyptian Museum for display. A small number of objects found their way into foreign collections, whilst several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body of Tutankhamen himself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings . The most famous objects from the tomb are the funerary mask of Tutankhamen and the inner coffin. The mask is made of solid gold, inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. The inner coffin is made of solid gold. It is 74" long, 20" wide, and 20" high. The king is shown as Osiris holding the crook and flail, traditional symbols of kingship.

A significant number of items from the Tutankhamen collection are currently on tour to museums in Europe and North America. The complete collection of items found in the tomb has yet to be fully documented. It took almost ten years for the founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, to finish excavating the tomb. he current permanent housing for the Tutankhamen collection is in the basement of the Cairo Museum but there are hopes to move it to a downtown location soon. The Royal Mummies, Upper Floor, separate admission charge of LE 100, Students LE 50, no photography allowed please note there are two rooms you can enter using same ticket so make sure that you see both of them: many of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom period and later are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall, which is at the corner of the first floor lobby. There are mummies of eleven kings and queens that are kept in temperature and pressure controlled glass cabinets on display. Unfortunately, some mummies are not even identified by the name or the period to which they belong to and other chronological information. Jewelry: there is a large collection of Egyptian jewelry on display in the museum. Egyptians were concerned with creating harmonious forms and color combinations.

To a large extent, the majority of Egyptian jewelry was made with gold and semi-precious stones. Silver was used but it much less popular than gold in the creation of jewelry. The majority of the jewelry found on display in the museum were found on the mummy of Tutankhamen himself. Egyptian Museum Library: created in the year 1902, the library specializes in ancient Egyptian civilization and houses some 42,500 books on the topic. However, the library is not open to the general public, with access restricted to accredited researchers and students. Do[ edit ] Attend one of the illustrated lectures on Egyptology, art and culture at the offices of the American Research Center in Egypt [dead link], close to Tahrir Square at 2 Midan Simon Bolivar (known locally as Midan Qasr al-Dubara), Garden City, tel +20 2 794 8239, fax +20 2 795 3052, mailto:arce@internetegypt.com . Lectures are held every Wednesday evening at 6PM during the academic year, open to all visitors, admission free.

Buy[ edit ] A bookstore and several small gift stores are open during museum hours within the main entrance hall to the museum. Prices are often somewhat inflated. Be careful also that the proprietors do not pass on a dusty, grimy equivalent of the display copy you think you are purchasing. Budget[ edit ] Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC. Fatari Pizza Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC). 24 hours. Serves sweet fatirs, as well as varieties with cheese and meat toppings. Has a small sitting area, or is good for take away. ~10 LE. Koshari el-Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC's Greek Campus, corner of Youssef el-Guindi and el-Tahrir Street). Popular koshari chain, serves koshari in various sizes though the small (3 lb) is a good size portion. You can add hot sauce or a lemon sauce.

For 5.50 LE, you can get a small koshari and a can of Coca-Cola. Eat-in or takeaway. Mid-range[ edit ] The basement of the Annex to the Hilton Hotel on Tahrir Square has a large number of internationally flavoured eateries in a mall-type setting, everything from Egyptian to Thai and hamburgers. Prices are reasonable and the setting comfortable. Beano's, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain, serves salad, sandwiches, etc. Cilantro, 31 Mohamed Mahmoud St.. Modern coffee-chain that also serves sandwiches, salads, etc. Wi-Fi available, credit cards accepted. Costa Coffee, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain that also serves desserts and some sandwiches Splurge[ edit ] Bird Cage, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20 2 7957171 . Reportedly the best Thai food in Cairo. We see no reason to contest.

Drink[ edit ] 30.045291 31.240391 1 El Horreya Cafe And Bar (كافيه وبار الحرية), El Mazloum St, 2, ☎ +20 2 23920397 . While noisy and crowded, this classic baladi bar (the Cairene take on a dive bar) is one of very few left in the city centre. (updated Dec 2016) Budget[ edit ] Hotel Osiris, 49 Nubar St. Hotel Osiris is a small, seventeen room hotel located on the top floor of a building near Bab el-Louk Square, and is a five minute walk from Midan Tahrir. The hotel provides clean rooms, some with private bathrooms. $20-40 USD (105-230 LE).

Each way hostel 44 talaat harb street downtown cairo front of elamrecain cafe tel 00202 27725259 - 0114037014 email eachway-hostel@hotmail.com rate for single room $13 for double $19 all rooms with city view wifi internet and aircondation, TV room, internet room, fax Paris Hotel, 15 Talat Harb St. Walid and his staff are great. US $50. Splurge[ edit ] 30.065540 31.228088 1 Conrad Cairo , 1191 Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-5808000 . A 24-story hotel located along the Nile. (updated Dec 2016) 30.045920 31.232227 2 The Nile Ritz-Carlton , 1113 Corniche El Nile, ☎ +20 2 25778899 .

Located on the western edge of Midan Tahrir, close to the Egyptian Museum, and built on the site of the former barracks of the British garrison of Empire days. This branch of the Hilton chain was the first major international hotel to be built in Cairo after the war. Very convenient for transport connections, for the Egyptian Museum and for Downtown. (updated Dec 2016) 30.043017 31.232356 3 Semiramis InterContinental Hotel , Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-7957171 , fax: +20-2-7963020, e-mail: cairo@interconti.com . Opened in 1987, the Semiramis is one of Cairo's premier hotels. (updated Dec 2016) Wi-fi[ edit ] Free wi-fi is available at Pottery Cafe. Free wi-fi (Orange) is also available at modern coffee shops such as Cilantro and Costa Coffee, where you obtain access by getting a 2-hour "promotional" card from the waiter. McDonalds restaurants also offer free wi-fi.

Stay safe[ edit ] Be extra careful crossing the roads in and around Tahrir Square. Egyptian motorists drive fast and seldom obey red lights. Tahrir Square has become one of the most dangerous spots in Greater Cairo, as many political demonstrations have been held there, since 2011. The danger arises not only from the unfortunate escalation of demonstrations into violence, but also because thugs exploit the situation when security forces evacuate the area which makes it easier for them to steal, rob under the threat of injury and even rape. These incidents are usually made by a group of people riding motorcycles. Be careful at Midan Tahrir, or nearby Midan Ataba, as these seem to be epicentres for the touts and pretentious helpful locals. They will pretend to innocently ask you where you where you are from and then point you in the wrong direction in direct you towards a friend's business. Only at the pyramids does this happen more often. Ataba is always crowded and has a very high incidence of pickpocketing, in a scenario such as getting in the metro station from there. This district travel guide to Midan Tahrir is a usable article.

It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page . Midan Tahrir travel guide - Wikitravel 11 Stay safe Midan Tahrir (Arabicميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo and, as a city district, to the streets and institutions located nearby. The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located within this district, as are several important government offices (including those for the renewal of visas). The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services. Orientation[ edit ] The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center. Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, between the Square and the Nile Corniche.

Immediately to the north and perpendicular to the hotel is the unmissable Egyptian Museum in reddish-pink stone. South of the Hilton Hotel stands the dingy Arab League Building and, somewhat further south-east, across the busy thoroughfare of Sharia Tahrir, the brutal Stalinist edifice of the Mogamma Building (housing 18,000 employees of the Egyptian bureaucracy, together with the most convenient offices for visa renewal). From here, Sharia Tahrir heads due west to cross the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira (the island suburb), and beyond to Giza and the Pyramids (several miles away) Next to the Mogamma Building is a small but attractive Mosque of Omar Makram, in which many state and business funerals are held. Only slightly further south can be found the Intercontinental Hotel. Bordering Tahrir Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office buildings and stores, topped with neon signs. The downtown campus of the American University of Cairo lies across the busy Qasr al-Ainy. Get in[ edit ] Midan Tahrir is served by the Sadat metro station and micro buses and other forms of public transport from most areas of Cairo.

While closed during the revolution, Sadat Station is now open. Get around[ edit ] Probably one of the easiest ways to negotiate the busy Tahrir Square area is to use the interconnecting underground pedestrian tunnels linking the Metro station with various points in and around the Square. This can save a great deal of time and prevent much negotiation of crazy traffic and the ongoing remodelling of the Square itself. The Egyptian Museum[ edit ] Statue of Old Kingdom monarch, approx 4,500 years old The Egyptian Museum [1] (officially, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir, is one of the world's great museums. An extensive building and massive collection of Egyptian antiquities, the museum (also commonly referred to as the "Cairo Museum") is truly a destination in its own right,with at least 136,000 items on display; hundreds of thousands of additional items languish in the museum's basement storerooms and are added to each year with ongoing excavation and discovery. Plans are now well advanced for the transfer of the main collection to a new Grand Egyptian Museum within the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids .

Hopefully the new building will be more user friendly, instead of the current poorly-labeled and documented nature of many prime exhibits. The museum is an outgrowth of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, in an attempt to limit the looting of antiquities sites and artefacts. The museum first officially opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette Pasha, the French archaeologist employed by Isma'il Pasha to organise the collection. After residing in an annex of the Bulaq palace of Ismail Pasha in Giza from 1880, the museum moved in 1900 to its present location, a neoclassical structure on Tahrir Square in Cairo's city centre. More than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually, in addition to half a million Egyptians. There are seven sections within the museum that are arranged in chronological order: Tutankhamen's treasures. Pre-dynasty and Old Kingdom monuments. First intermediate period and Middle Kingdom monuments. Monuments of the Middle Kingdom. Monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods. Coins and papyri. Sarcophagi and scarabs.

General admission is adults LE 75, students LE 35, Egyptian and Arab LE 4 (February 2015), not including the mummies room but including Tutankhamun's mask (don't let the touts convince you otherwise!). Recently, rules have been posted that no photography whatsoever allowed within the museum for the protection of the ancient art. There are three separate checkpoints that have x-ray machines. There is one outside the courtyard, then there is one before the steps of the museum and a third right inside the doors. Highlights[ edit ] Cairo Museum: Funerary mask of Tutankhamen Objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Upper Floor - discovered in 1922 and gradually revealed over the next few years, many of the objects from the tomb of the "boy king" were brought to the Egyptian Museum for display. A small number of objects found their way into foreign collections, whilst several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body of Tutankhamen himself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings . The most famous objects from the tomb are the funerary mask of Tutankhamen and the inner coffin.

The mask is made of solid gold, inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. The inner coffin is made of solid gold. It is 74" long, 20" wide, and 20" high. The king is shown as Osiris holding the crook and flail, traditional symbols of kingship. A significant number of items from the Tutankhamen collection are currently on tour to museums in Europe and North America. The complete collection of items found in the tomb has yet to be fully documented. It took almost ten years for the founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, to finish excavating the tomb. he current permanent housing for the Tutankhamen collection is in the basement of the Cairo Museum but there are hopes to move it to a downtown location soon. The Royal Mummies, Upper Floor, separate admission charge of LE 100, Students LE 50, Egyptian and Arab LE 10.

no photography allowed please note there are two rooms you can enter using same ticket so make sure that you see both of them: many of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom period and later are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall, which is at the corner of the first floor lobby. There are mummies of eleven kings and queens that are kept in temperature and pressure controlled glass cabinets on display. Unfortunately, some mummies are not even identified by the name or the period to which they belong to and other chronological information. Jewelry: there is a large collection of Egyptian jewelry on display in the museum. Egyptians were concerned with creating harmonious forms and color combinations. To a large extent, the majority of Egyptian jewelry was made with gold and semi-precious stones. Silver was used but it much less popular than gold in the creation of jewelry. The majority of the jewelry found on display in the museum were found on the mummy of Tutankhamen himself. Egyptian Museum Library: created in the year 1902, the library specializes in ancient Egyptian civilization and houses some 42,500 books on the topic. However, the library is not open to the general public, with access restricted to accredited researchers and students.

Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Attend one of the illustrated lectures on Egyptology, art and culture at the offices of the American Research Center in Egypt [2] , close to Tahrir Square at 2 Midan Simon Bolivar (known locally as Midan Qasr al-Dubara), Garden City, tel +20 2 794 8239, fax +20 2 795 3052, mailto:arce@internetegypt.com . Lectures are held every Wednesday evening at 6pm during the academic year, open to all visitors, admission free. Buy[ edit ][ add listing ] A bookstore and several small gift stores are open during museum hours within the main entrance hall to the museum. Prices are often somewhat inflated. Be careful also that the proprietors do not pass on a dusty, grimy equivalent of the display copy you think you are purchasing. Budget[ edit ] Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.

Fatari Pizza Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC). 24 hours. Serves sweet fatirs, as well as varieties with cheese and meat toppings. Has a small sitting area, or is good for take away. ~10 LE. edit Koshari el-Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC's Greek Campus, corner of Youssef el-Guindi and el-Tahrir Street). Popular koshari chain, serves koshari in various sizes though the small (3 lb) is a good size portion. You can add hot sauce or a lemon sauce. For 5.50 LE, you can get a small koshari and a can of Coca-Cola. Eat-in or takeaway. edit Mid-range[ edit ] The basement of the Annex to the Hilton Hotel on Tahrir Square has a large number of internationally-flavoured eateries in a mall-type setting, everything from Egyptian to Thai and hamburgers. Prices are reasonable and the setting comfortable. Beano's, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain, serves salad, sandwiches, etc. edit Cilantro, 31 Mohamed Mahmoud St..

Modern coffee-chain that also serves sandwiches, salads, etc. Wi-Fi available, credit cards accepted. edit Costa Coffee, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain that also serves desserts and some sandwiches edit Splurge[ edit ] Bird Cage, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, Corniche El Nil, ☎ 7957171. Reportedly the best Thai food in Cairo. We see no reason to contest. edit Budget[ edit ] Hotel Osiris, 49 Nubar St. Hotel Osiris is a small, seventeen room hotel located on the top floor of a building near Bab el-Louk Square, and is a five minute walk from Midan Tahrir. The hotel provides clean rooms, some with private bathrooms. $20 - 40 USD (105 - 230 LE).

edit Each way hostel 44 talaat harb street downtown cairo front of elamrecain cafe tel 00202 27725259 - 0114037014 email eachway-hostel@hotmail.com rate for single room 13$ for double 19 $ all rooms with city view wifi internet and aircondation , tv room , internet room , fax Paris Hotel, 15 Talat Harb Street. Walid and his staff are great. US$50. edit Dahab Hostel, Rooftop, 7th Floor. 26, Mahmoud Bassiony St., Tal’at Harb Sq., Cairo, Egypt. Hostel on a rooftop. Relaxed, clean, by far the best place to stay. No luxury except the most important one: quietness. Single ~ 45 Egy. Pound (~7$), Double 60 (~10$). Splurge[ edit ] Nile Hilton, ☎ +20-2-5780444/5780666 (fax: +20-2-5780475), [3] .

Located on the western edge of Midan Tahrir, close to the Egyptian Museum, and built on the site of the former barracks of the British garrison of Empire days. This branch of the Hilton chain was the first major international hotel to be built in Cairo after the war. Very convenient for transport connections, for the Egyptian Museum and for Downtown. edit Semiramis InterContinental Hotel, Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-7957171 ( cairo@interconti.com , fax: +20-2-7963020), [4] . Opened in 1987, the Semiramis is one of Cairo's premier hotels. edit Conrad Cairo, 1191 Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-5808000, [5] . A 24-story hotel located along the Nile. edit Wi-fi[ edit ] Free wi-fi is available at Pottery Cafe. Free wi-fi (Mobinil) is also available at modern coffee shops such as Cilantro and Costa Coffee, where you obtain access by getting a 2-hour "promotional" card from the waiter.

McDonalds restaurants also offer free wi-fi. Stay safe[ edit ] Be extra careful crossing the roads in and around Tahrir Square. Egyptian motorists drive fast and seldom obey red lights. That said, Tahrir Square is arguably one of the safest areas in which to stay and visit, being full of heavily-guarded government offices, the American University of Cairo, international hotels and cultural institutions. Also, Tahrir Square is a frequent gathering spot to stage political protests, which sometimes can become violent and are best avoided. Be careful at Midan Tahrir, or nearby Midan Ataba, as these seem to be epicentres for the touts and "helpful locals". They will innocently ask you where you where you are from and then point you in the wrong direction in direct you towards a friend's business. Only at the pyramids does this happen more often. Tahrir Square, Cairo -- National Geographic Tahrir Square, Cairo In Cairo's Tahrir Square, Egyptians celebrate President Hosni Mubarak's resignation the previous week.

Photograph by The New York Times/Redux By Carl Hoffman Writer Carl Hoffman traveled to Egypt in February 2011, a week after popular demonstrations led to the president's resignation. These are his observations. Cairo’s Tahrir Square isn’t much to look at. There’s no Bernini in its midst like Rome’s Piazza Navona, nor any neon corporate hustle making the night day like Times Square in New York. It’s far more prosaic—a round circle of dirt and a few scraggly shrubs in the middle of thick, honking traffic, surrounded by a jumble of open spaces and buildings that include the Egyptian Museum and the Mogamma, a vast testament to Egyptian government bureaucracy. A few modern, featureless hotels and the burned-out hulk of the National Democratic Party building stand as backdrop. But what happened here on January 25, 2011, is hard to grasp.

A handful of citizens, most of whom had never been politically involved before and many of whom were young, said "no more." They were joined by others, and then even more, and before long they had stood up to armed snipers and marauding camel riders, and Hosni Mubarak, a 30-year autocrat, was gone. For Egyptians, the empowerment and self-awareness that came with toppling the president and his police force felt as momentous as the American Revolution, and the square remains hallowed ground. Egyptians can’t leave it alone. It’s an all-day-into-the-evening convention, a place full of debate and discussion and celebration, of chanting and drumming. Sometimes there are a few hundred people; other times a few thousand. On Friday afternoons after prayer the numbers swell into the tens of thousands. You can munch on baked sweet potatoes and drink sweet, hot tea, buy an Egyptian flag, or have one painted on your face. Egyptians snap your photo and ply you with questions. “What do Americans think of Egypt?” they ask. There’s a feeling of equanimity and energy in the square.

It’s political theater, open-air market, and tailgate party, and the place feels every bit as momentous as the Pyramids. tahrir square | The Africa Report The Africa Report The Tahrir Square Republic Sunday, 27 February 2011 Patrick Smith, ?Pietro Musilli & Gemma Ware After their courageous campaign drove President Hosni Mubarak from power, the young revolutionaries will have to negotiate the new political and constitutional rules for Egypt with the military and security forces, the Islamist factions and the established political parties After the revolt, the change Friday, 25 February 2011 Patrick Smith New freedoms seized by the people are rolling back the power of the military-political complex in North Africa, writes Patrick Smith. Shockwaves across North Africa Monday, 21 February 2011 Nicholas Norbrook in Tunis In a region where stasis and repression seemed to offer no hope, a generation of young and committed revolutionaires have swept aside the autocrats. North Africa and the Middle East are having to learn a new language, one of democracy and pluralism. Activism and state tolerance: what’s next for Egypt?

Tuesday, 08 February 2011 Khadija Sharife As in Tunisia, authorities in Egypt are learning that stifling dissent is not so easy in an age of Facebook protest movements and blogger activists. How will the new powers that be in Cairo, especially the army, respond to this new reality? Tahrir Square seen through South African eyes Thursday, 03 February 2011 Oliver Meth In the Middle East, youth are claiming their place. South Africans should be doing the same, writes Oliver Meth.

Question: Tahir Square is in which North African city?
Answer: Cairo