Cairo Tower
Cairo - Capital Cities
What: Commonly known as “Nasser’s Pineapple” is a free-standing concrete tower
Where: Gezira district, Gezira Island, River Nile
When: Construction started in 1956 and was completed in 1961
Why: Symbol of Egypt’s, Africa and the Middle East’s resistance, revolutions and pride
Who: The Architect was Naoum Shebib and was inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Owner: Government of Egypt
Height: Antenna spire: 187m and Roof: 159m and Top floor: 142.6m
Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a pharaonic lotus plant, an iconic symbol of Ancient Egypt. The tower is crowned by a circular observation deck and a rotating restaurant with a fabulous far reaching view over greater Cairo. One rotation takes approximately 70 minutes.
History
In the 1960s, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced that the funds for the construction of the Tower originated with the Government of the United States, which had provided $US6 million to him as a personal gift with the intent of currying his favour.
Affronted by the attempt to bribe him, Nasser decided to publicly rebuke the U.S. government by transferring all of the funds to the Egyptian government for use in building the tower, which was ‘visible from the US Embassy just across the Nile, as a taunting symbol of Egypt’s, Africa and the Middle East’s resistance, revolutions and pride’.
Between 2006 and 2008 it underwent a EGP 15 million restoration project, completed in time for its fiftieth anniversary on April 2011.
