Midan Tahrir
Encyclopedia
Tahrir Square is a major public town square
in Downtown Cairo
, Egypt
.
' design. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1919
the square became widely known as Tahrir (Liberation) Square, but the square was not officially renamed until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which changed Egypt from a constitutional monarchy
into a republic
. The square was a focal point for the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
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At the centre of Tahrir Square is a large and busy traffic circle
. On the north-east side is a plaza with a statue of nationalist hero Omar Makram, celebrated for his resistance against Napoleon I's invasion of Egypt, and beyond is the Omar Makram Mosque.
The square is the northern terminus of the historic Qasr al-Ayni Street
, the western terminus of Talaat Harb Street
, and via Qasr al-Nil Street
crossing its southern portion it has direct access to the Qasr al-Nil Bridge
crossing the nearby Nile River.
The area around Tahrir Square includes the Egyptian Museum
, the National Democratic Party-NDP
headquarters building, the Mogamma
government building, the Headquarters of the Arab League building, the Nile Hotel, Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church and the original downtown campus
of the American University in Cairo
.
The Cairo Metro
serves Tahrir Square with the Sadat Station, which is the downtown junction of the system's two lines, linking to Giza, Maadi
, Helwan, and other districts and suburbs of Greater Cairo
. Its underground access viaducts provide the safest routes for pedestrians crossing the broad roads of the heavily trafficked square.
, and the March 2003 protest against the War in Iraq.
against former president Hosni Mubarak
. Over 50,000 protesters first occupied the square on 25 January, during which the area's wireless services were reported to be impaired. In the following days Tahrir Square continued to be the primary destination for protests in Cairo. On 29 January Egyptian fighter aircraft
flew low over the people gathered in the square. On 30 January, the seventh day of the protests, BBC
and other correspondents reported that the number of demonstrators had grown to at least 100,000, and on 31 January Al Jazeera
correspondents reported that the demonstrations had grown to at least 250,000 people. On 1 February, Al Jazeera reported that more than 1 million protesters peacefully gathered in the square and adjacent streets. However, such media reports that so many people congregated in Cairo’s largest public square are believed to be exaggerated for political purposes and, accordingly to STRATFOR
analysis the real number of gathered protester never exceed 300,000 people.
The square became established as a focal point and a symbol for the ongoing Egyptian democracy demonstrations. On 2 February violence erupted between the pro-Mubarak
and pro-democracy demonstrators here, followed by the 3 February 'Friday of Departure' demonstration, one of the named "day of" events centered in the square. Within a week, due to international media coverage, the image and name of Tahrir Square became known worldwide.
A Facebook
page called "Tahrir Square" ميدان التحرير
was maintained by a rotating staff of twenty during the uprising, particularly to offset the lack of and/or distorted coverage of events and responses in the state-run media outlets.
An iPhone and Blackberry app called Tahrir Square was launched on 6 May 2011. It offers a unique opportunity for Egyptians everywhere to provide their collective and unfiltered opinion on the hottest topics of the new Egypt. The results presented clearly in simple graphs and tables for everyone to see. The interactive mobile app will be distributed on a regular basis to over a dozen Egyptian news agencies, government offices, the military council, and hundreds of social media sites.
The 18-day revolt centered in the square provided the Egyptian Armed Forces an opportunity to remove Mubarak from power on Friday 11 February 2011, when the president officially stepped down from office. The announcement that Mubarak had passed all authority to the Council of the Armed Forces
, was made by longtime intelligence chief and new vice president Omar Suleiman
. Tahrir Square erupted in a night-long celebration after the twilight announcement, with shouts such as "Lift your head up high, you're Egyptian," "Everyone who loves Egypt, come and rebuild Egypt," and others. The next day Egyptian Cairen women and men came to clean up the square, "they came and cleaned up after their revolution," relaying 'projectiles' in the cobblestone paving and removing eighteen day's worth of trash and graffiti
.
, Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union
, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
of the United States
, John Kerry
, Chairman of the American Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Kevin Rudd
Foreign Minister of Australia, and American actor Sean Penn
visited Tahrir Square after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
.
One of the ships in the planned Freedom Flotilla II
, intended to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, was named Tahrir after the square. Among its passengers was Haaretz
reporter Amira Hass. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place.
On 29 June 2011, Egyptian police attacked rioting Egyptian youth in the square with tear gas and other non-lethal materials. The youth had been demanding that trials of senior officials overthrown in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
proceed more quickly. The Interior Ministry blamed the unrest on disruptive and subversive groups.
Index: Buildings and structures of the Arab Spring
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in Downtown Cairo
Downtown Cairo
Downtown Cairo, , has been the urban center of Cairo, Egypt since the late 19th century, when the district was designed and built.-History:The area, designed by prestigious French architects was commissioned by Khedive Ismail...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
History
The square was originally called Ismailia Square ( ), after the 19th-century ruler Khedive Ismail, who commissioned the new downtown district's 'Paris on the NileNile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
' design. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1919
Egyptian Revolution of 1919
The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan. It was carried out by Egyptians and Sudanese from different walks of life in the wake of the British-ordered exile of revolutionary leader Saad Zaghlul, and other members of the Wafd...
the square became widely known as Tahrir (Liberation) Square, but the square was not officially renamed until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which changed Egypt from a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
into a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. The square was a focal point for the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
Features
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
. On the north-east side is a plaza with a statue of nationalist hero Omar Makram, celebrated for his resistance against Napoleon I's invasion of Egypt, and beyond is the Omar Makram Mosque.
The square is the northern terminus of the historic Qasr al-Ayni Street
Qasr al-Ayn Street
Qasr El-Einy Street ; also known as Tahir Qasr El-Einy Street is one of the oldest streets in Downtown Cairo, Egypt.-Namesake:...
, the western terminus of Talaat Harb Street
Talaat Harb street
Talaat Harb Street is a historic street in downtown Cairo, Egypt, connecting Tahrir Square—Liberation Square and Talaat Harb Square.-Naming:...
, and via Qasr al-Nil Street
Qasr el-Nil Street
Qasr el-Nil Street, also spelled Qasr al-Nil, is a street in Downtown Cairo, Egypt. Qasr el-Nil Street is one of the biggest streets in the downtown Cairo area with many businesses, restaurants, and an active nightlife....
crossing its southern portion it has direct access to the Qasr al-Nil Bridge
Qasr al-Nil Bridge
The Qasr al-Nil Bridge spans the Nile River in central Cairo, Egypt. It connects downtown Cairo to Gezira Island and the Zamalek district. At the bridge's east and west approaches there are two large stone lion statues flanking each entrance, they are late 19th century works by French sculptor and...
crossing the nearby Nile River.
The area around Tahrir Square includes the Egyptian Museum
Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms....
, the National Democratic Party-NDP
National Democratic Party (Egypt)
The National Democratic Party , often simply called Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭaniy – the "National Party", was an Egyptian political party. It was founded by President Anwar El Sadat in 1978....
headquarters building, the Mogamma
The Mogamma
The Mogamma , also spelled Mugamma is a government building in Cairo, Egypt. The Mogamma building was given as a gift by the Soviet Union and was ordered for construction in 1950. The building was completed in 1952, just before the revolution in Egypt...
government building, the Headquarters of the Arab League building, the Nile Hotel, Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church and the original downtown campus
Khairy Pasha palace
Khairy Pasha palace is a neo-Malmuk palace residence built near Midan Ismaileyya square in 19th century Cairo, Egypt. It is now within the present day Tahrir Square area on Qasr el-Nil Street, and has been incorporated into the American University in Cairo Tahrir Square campus - 'AUC Downtown'...
of the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
.
The Cairo Metro
Cairo Metro
The Cairo Metro in Egypt is the first of only two full-fledged metro system in Africa, and the Arab World. The system consists of two operational lines, with construction having begun on a third line in 2006....
serves Tahrir Square with the Sadat Station, which is the downtown junction of the system's two lines, linking to Giza, Maadi
Maadi
Maadi is a wealthy suburb south of Cairo, Egypt. The town is home to the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Cairo American College , Lycée Français du Caire , Misr American College , Maadi British International School , the Cairo Rugby Club, and the national Egyptian Geological Museum.-...
, Helwan, and other districts and suburbs of Greater Cairo
Greater Cairo
Greater Cairo is the largest metropolitan area in Egypt and the third largest urban area in the Islamic World after Jakarta and Greater Istanbul. It is the largest urban area in Africa. It is the world's 16th largest metropolitan area, consisting of governorates Cairo, Giza and Shubra El Khiema of...
. Its underground access viaducts provide the safest routes for pedestrians crossing the broad roads of the heavily trafficked square.
Public use and demonstrations
Tahrir Square has been the traditional site for numerous major protests and demonstrations over the years, including the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots1977 Egyptian Bread Riots
The Egyptian 'Bread Riots' of 1977 affected most major cities in Egypt from January 18-19, 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower class people protesting World Bank and International Monetary Fund-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs...
, and the March 2003 protest against the War in Iraq.
2011 Egyptian Revolution
Tahrir Square was the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
against former president Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
. Over 50,000 protesters first occupied the square on 25 January, during which the area's wireless services were reported to be impaired. In the following days Tahrir Square continued to be the primary destination for protests in Cairo. On 29 January Egyptian fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
flew low over the people gathered in the square. On 30 January, the seventh day of the protests, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and other correspondents reported that the number of demonstrators had grown to at least 100,000, and on 31 January Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
correspondents reported that the demonstrations had grown to at least 250,000 people. On 1 February, Al Jazeera reported that more than 1 million protesters peacefully gathered in the square and adjacent streets. However, such media reports that so many people congregated in Cairo’s largest public square are believed to be exaggerated for political purposes and, accordingly to STRATFOR
Stratfor
Strategic Forecasting, Inc., more commonly known as STRATFOR, is a global intelligence company founded in 1996 in Austin, Texas by George Friedman who is the founder, chief intelligence officer, and CEO of the company...
analysis the real number of gathered protester never exceed 300,000 people.
The square became established as a focal point and a symbol for the ongoing Egyptian democracy demonstrations. On 2 February violence erupted between the pro-Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
and pro-democracy demonstrators here, followed by the 3 February 'Friday of Departure' demonstration, one of the named "day of" events centered in the square. Within a week, due to international media coverage, the image and name of Tahrir Square became known worldwide.
A Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page called "Tahrir Square" ميدان التحرير
was maintained by a rotating staff of twenty during the uprising, particularly to offset the lack of and/or distorted coverage of events and responses in the state-run media outlets.
An iPhone and Blackberry app called Tahrir Square was launched on 6 May 2011. It offers a unique opportunity for Egyptians everywhere to provide their collective and unfiltered opinion on the hottest topics of the new Egypt. The results presented clearly in simple graphs and tables for everyone to see. The interactive mobile app will be distributed on a regular basis to over a dozen Egyptian news agencies, government offices, the military council, and hundreds of social media sites.
The 18-day revolt centered in the square provided the Egyptian Armed Forces an opportunity to remove Mubarak from power on Friday 11 February 2011, when the president officially stepped down from office. The announcement that Mubarak had passed all authority to the Council of the Armed Forces
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military. As a consequence of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Council took the power to govern Egypt from its departing President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.The junta meets regularly, as...
, was made by longtime intelligence chief and new vice president Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman is a former Egyptian army general, politician, diplomat, and intelligence officer. A leading figure in Egypt's intelligence system beginning in 1986, Suleiman was appointed to the long-vacant Vice Presidency by then-President Hosni Mubarak on 29 January 2011...
. Tahrir Square erupted in a night-long celebration after the twilight announcement, with shouts such as "Lift your head up high, you're Egyptian," "Everyone who loves Egypt, come and rebuild Egypt," and others. The next day Egyptian Cairen women and men came to clean up the square, "they came and cleaned up after their revolution," relaying 'projectiles' in the cobblestone paving and removing eighteen day's worth of trash and graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
.
Post-revolution
Tahrir Square, with 'democracy anniversary' celebrations and visits from foreign dignitaries, continues to be a symbol of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. British Prime Minister David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, Chairman of the American Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
Foreign Minister of Australia, and American actor Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
visited Tahrir Square after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
.
One of the ships in the planned Freedom Flotilla II
Freedom Flotilla II
"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place....
, intended to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, was named Tahrir after the square. Among its passengers was Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
reporter Amira Hass. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place.
On 29 June 2011, Egyptian police attacked rioting Egyptian youth in the square with tear gas and other non-lethal materials. The youth had been demanding that trials of senior officials overthrown in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
proceed more quickly. The Interior Ministry blamed the unrest on disruptive and subversive groups.
See also
- Downtown CairoDowntown CairoDowntown Cairo, , has been the urban center of Cairo, Egypt since the late 19th century, when the district was designed and built.-History:The area, designed by prestigious French architects was commissioned by Khedive Ismail...
Index: Buildings and structures of the Arab Spring