A “High” Light Tour of the Cairo Tower

Enjoy a panoramic view of Cairo from 180 meters over the city. The Cairo Tower is an outstanding attraction to add to your Cairo travel plans.

The Tower of Cairo

The tower is a freestanding television tower made from concrete. It is found in Cairo, Egypt, the capital of Egypt and one of the most important cities in the world. You can find the Tower of Cairo in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the River Nile. This is located right about the center of the city. You will definitely take note of the tower - it stands at 187 meters and is even taller than the nearby Great Pyramid of Giza.

Why was it Built?

The Tower of Cairo was first built in 1956 and finished about five years later, with the help of the Soviet Union. Why was it built? Reportedly it was to “show the world” that Egypt was capable of constructing a complex and expensive project - and hopefully one that would give others confidence in the nation’s ability to construct the Aswan Dam, which was later built in the 1960s.

You might notice that the design style of the Cairo Tower is partially open and built with a latticework-style, as if to resemble a lotus plant. The tower not only serves a purpose as a television tower but also contains an observation deck and a restaurant for visitors. Even though you shouldn't expect the best cuisine the view of the restaurant makes it worth a visit.

The Cairo Tower, also called the Borg al-Qahira, is opened morning till midnight and costs about 50 Egyptian pounds. It is a very distinctive landmark that is viewable from most of downtown Cairo. Since it is open most hours of the day, it offers splendid views of both day and nighttime Central Cairo. You can even see the pyramids from the top of the tower.

The restaurant on the 14th floor is very appealing as it is built to be a revolving café. Along with a cafeteria there is also a viewing room with telescopes so you can get closer views of all that breathtaking scenery.

The Cairo Tower View

What can you see from the viewing room? Looking east you will see the medieval quarter, the Nile Hilton Hotel and Muqattam Hills. When you look west you can see the desert and the famous Egyptian Pyramids. Look northwards and you can see Zamalek, Shubra and the Nile Delta.

Tourists say the best time to visit the Cairo Tower is just before sunset as you get to view literally millions of twinkling lights around the city and more upwards into the sky. Last but certainly not least you can see even more twinkling lights with a belly dancing performance at the bottom of the tower at the “Legends” nightclub!

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