Though the desert mega-city of Cairo has little in the way of green spaces, what it has, if discovered, is a source of wonder, writes Samia Zeitoun* In the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life, residents seem to forget that Cairo has its share of public parks that are worth visiting. And not only for the sheer pleasure of experiencing open green spaces and fresh air, but also to wonder and admire the varied natural heritage this mega-city has acquired since the start of the 19th century. In an attempt to vie with European models, past rulers of Egypt embellished their many palaces with landscaped gardens full of exotic ornamental plants, carefully selected from all over the world under the direction of expert horticulturalists. During the early 1950s these gardens became part of the public trust; that is, accessible to all to enjoy and conserve for future generations. Orman Botanical Gardens : This is the largest botanical garden in Cairo, with the greatest diversity of trees and plants. It lies on the west bank of the Nile, east of Cairo University and north of Cairo Zoo. The garden was set up in 1875 by Khedive Ismail who commissioned its landscaping to the French designer Gustave Delchevalerie, who used a collection of rare trees and plants imported from, among other locations, South America, India, Madagascar and Australia. Part of its 95 feddans was allotted to grow fruit and vegetables for the benefit of the royal palaces. With the construction of Cairo University in 1934, a large road divided the Orman Garden into two parts, with 80 feddans in the south set aside for Cairo Zoo. This accounts for the great variety of trees that make the Cairo Zoo unique. The park presently has 28 feddans, with greenhouses, flower gardens, rare cactuses, the only redwood trees in Egypt, a magical lake with aquatic plants, lotus, papyrus and a distinctive wooden bridge rising above it. Many romantic scenes were filmed here in the 1940s and 1950s. A herbarium houses an extensive collection of dried plants as well samples for research, exchange and documentation to serve academic institutions in Egypt and the Arab world. The Orman, which means "forest" in Turkish, is the venue of the annual Spring Show, where horticulturists display the best of their production. It is open to the public all year round and is one of the best places to observe the seasons through the changing foliage of its trees and shrubs. Zohreya Botanical Gardens : By order of Khedive Ismail this charming garden was set up in the southern part of his palace on Gezira Island in 1868. It was named after the extensive flower gardens that provided palace vases with flowers throughout all the seasons. By 1876, the park had a collection of one million plants brought in from all over the world. A programme of plant breeding and propagation for growers made the Zohreya unique as a gigantic experimental nursery. Many remember the wonderful flower shows held there under the auspices of the royal family. In its heyday, Zohreya spanned 49 feddans. Over the years it has been reduced to 8 feddans. The garden is graced with four greenhouses, flower gardens and a number of rare trees. Among these rare trees we find the jackfruit tree with its huge pineapple flavoured fruits, the candle tree, rare cycas, and liquid amber. We also find the Derris Mely, with its delicate pink foliage that blooms in early June, as well as the royal palms that line the avenues and can be seen from Gezira Street. One of the garden's caretakers remarks that the palms never drop their fronds on anything beneath them. They seem to sense when it is safe to naturally prune! Andalous Park : With its Arabesque design, this park overlooking the Nile in Gezira was designed by Zulfikar Pasha as a present to his wife. Its rectangular pool is surrounded by steps of grass embedded with exquisite Spanish tiles. Mosaic-covered decks are installed as seating for the pleasure of the visitor. The northern end is graced with a pavilion and a seated statue of the famous Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki. The southern end of the garden adjacent to the Kasr El-Nil Bridge has an octagonal fountain encircled by marble lions. Further north a Pharonic style garden with several statues gives a charming contrast to the Arabesque style of the sister garden. Stately poincianas, acacias and royal palms shade the promenade affording a cool walk for visitors in the summer. A small cafeteria offers refreshments. Azhar Park: The latest addition to Cairo's parks opened to the public in the summer of 2004. A creation of the Agha Khan Trust for culture, it stands high above ground on the site of an earlier 10th century Fatimid garden. The area was neglected for the last 500 years reducing it to a hazardous rubbish dump; initially 80,000 truckloads of debris had to be removed to make way for the project. A budget of $30 million was earmarked for this largest park in recent history. Its 71 feddans, graced with 325 plant species, was planned to resemble a large tree spreading its roots into the Darb El-Ahmar neighbourhood. Many species were chosen with Egypt's dry climate in mind. The innovative vision behind the park was to revitalise the impoverished urban area of El-Darasa, bordered by Al-Azhar and Salah Salem highway, situated right at the heart of the historic Islamic sites. The landscaping project was used as an engine for rehabilitation projects throughout the area. With amazing views of the Citadel and the city, the park comprises well-planned open spaces, sloping grassy hills, pedestrian paths, marble floored promenades graced by stately white royal palms, pavilions, a children's playground, a man-made lake, a theatre and two major restaurants. Maher Stino, one of its main architects, says the design gives Islamic architecture and landscaping a modern twist to the delight of all visitors. Proper maintenance and excellent management policies have made the Azhar complex a model for others to follow. The park is a gem in the social, aesthetic and environmental map of Cairo. Another park open to the public is the Fish Garden in Gezira that has recently been renewed, with its landmark coral grotto aquarium, a cactus garden and many ornamental trees and shrubs. Also noteworthy, is the park surrounding the Agricultural Museum in Dokki that is unique for its ancient Egyptian trees, like the gemez, the dom palm, tamr henna and papyrus. Residents of the suburbs of Heliopolis and Nasr City enjoy the International Park, a huge green space with welcoming paths and seating areas for the public. The Japanese Garden in Helwan has also been recently landscaped and replanted in attempt to regain its past glory. Not to be forgotten, is the Azbakeya Garden, which was the pride of Khedive Ismail. It has shrunk from its former splendour and now exists on only 12 feddans and has only a very few of its original trees. One of these is a 150 year old sycamore. Amazingly, still intact, and yearning to be saved, is the carrara marble stage complete with ribbed dome, niches carved in Greco Roman style featuring tress and grapevines, recesses with curtain motifs embedded to give the illusion of a theater, and even a pumped water system that probably sprouted water into the fountain and pool ahead. From the time of Khedive Ismail, many performances were held there. Even Om Kulthum performed in the Azbakeya Garden's stage. Despite the existence of these and other smaller public gardens, Cairenes suffer from unchecked urban sprawl and the increase of informal ugly sectors on the fringes of the city. A study notes that the amount of green space per inhabitant in Cairo is roughly the size of a footprint! One of the lowest proportions in the world. * The writer is Secretary General of The Tree Lovers Association.
