CAIRO - Before January 25, Egyptians walking through Al Tahrir (Liberation) Square in downtown Cairo didn't feel liberated, but estranged by an entrenched regime. But now the area “glows with liberty”. Al Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the 18-day youth revolt that led to the toppling of long-serving strongman President Hosni Mubarak and the end of his repressive regime, has become a symbol of the real, glamorous face of Cairo. During the last ten days of the peaceful revolution, the square was a “mini-republic”, organised by young revolutionaries and ruled by the virtues of courage, determination, willpower and solidarity. All Egyptians who went to the square were amazed by the vitality they saw there; they were also shocked by how deeply they were isolated from each other. When Mubarak threw in the towel on February 11, the square erupted. Everyone was delirious with joy, a feeling which echoed across Egypt and riveted the whole world. The name “Liberation Square” now is very appropriate. The “ashes” of frustration have gone and Egyptians are now ablaze with hope and pride. Still yearning for a genuine change, young people have transformed the square – the land of dreams – into a popular parliament, asking for their demands to be met. They have put up placards expressing what they want the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to do. One of these placards reads: “We want the deposed President to be put in trial,” while another one reads: “Lift the Emergency Law”. A plan is being worked out to set up a memorial of Egyptians killed by police during the anti-Mubarak protests. Besides the square becoming a political platform for the youth of this nation, the street hawkers benefited too, doing brisk business – not selling the usual sweets and tissues, but revolution-related things like the Egyptian flag, headbands with Egypt's colours on them, photos of the martyrs and badges. People visiting the plaza can still catch the whiff of freedom and feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Even the trees, painted in the colours of the Egyptian flag, look proud that the Egyptians made victory on the pure patch of land they were planted in. The revolution has made Al Tahrir Square famous and some tourism experts think it should be turned into a tourist destination. “I think this is the best and most advantaged time to visit Egypt and see history in the making,” Amr Badr, a tourism expert, told The Egyptian Gazette. Some tour operators, believing that Al Tahrir Square is the top destination for tourists who have begun trickling into Egypt in recent days, have already made it part of their tour programmes. Akorn Destination Management, for example, is offering “Tharir Square – Egypt is making history”, a trip that includes a Nile cruise, a walk through Tahrir Square and a stay at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel, which is near the square. Other tour operators greatly welcome the idea, but still need to co-ordinate their efforts. “This is a great idea, but we must discuss it first with the Ministry of Culture and the other concerned bodies,” says Samia Galal, a tour operator based in downtown Cairo. The square has already become a magnet for tourists eager to see the “new Egypt” and even foreign diplomats visiting the country. British Prime Minster David Cameron, who recently visited Egypt, seized the opportunity to walk through the square and admire the revolutionary memorabilia there. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton also visited the square and said she was impressed by what the young Egyptians had achieved.
