Long live my compatriots, the slugs of Zamalek. This same Zamalek is a maze of a place; Don't you dare think of setting foot there. It endangers your life; it's your death and your ruin; So if you want to describe their lives over there, Just say that life for us has never been the same. Despite being written in 1976, the words of Egypt's late, one-of-a-kind, poet Ahmed Fouad Negm still describe the unique Zamalek neighbourhood. It is one of the capital's few areas that has kept its beauty over the years. This small district, in fact an island between the downtown area and Giza, is one of Cairo's richest and most glamorous neighbourhoods. In the past, however, this was not always the case. Older residents say that parts of the island were inhabited by fishermen, while others say the area was used in earlier times to house the guards and servants of Egypt's rulers. Historically, the island was known as El-Gezira, which means “island” in Arabic. Some say the name Zamalek is derived from the Kurdish word zomlok, which means “straw huts.” It is said the island was full of such dwellings during the rule of Egypt's 19th-century ruler Mohamed Ali. “The huts were the homes of Mohamed Ali's servants and guards,” said Hag Essam Bayoumi, one of the area's oldest shopowners. Others, however, say that the name Zamalek refers to a flower that once filled the island in the good old days. “My grandfather used to tell me that the island was once a green haven with plenty of exotic plants and trees on it,” said Ahmed Raafat, a civil engineer and a resident of Zamalek. From the 19th century onwards the small island began to reinvent itself as a self-contained neighbourhood and the favourite residence of Egypt's upper-class society. Stars like Um Kulthoum, Abdel-Halim Hafez and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab all lived in Zamalek. Politicians like Hassan Pasha Sabry, who twice led the government in the 1940s, lived on the island, as did Mohamed Al-Maraashli Pasha, the minister of public works during the rule of the Kedive Ismail in the 19th century and the man responsible for engineering work on the coastal forts. Two of Zamalek's main streets are named after Sabry and Al-Maraashli. “Most of the area's streets are named after the public figures who lived in them,” Bayoumi said. Another example is Mohamed Pasha Mazhar, an engineer chosen by Mohamed Ali to take part in the first Egyptian mission to study engineering in France. Nowadays, due to its beautiful old apartment blocks and villas, along with the greenery and quiet streets, the area has more embassies than any other part of Cairo. It is the preferred residential area for Egyptians from the middle and upper classes, as well as expatriates. The island is connected to the rest of the city by three bridges: 6th October, 15th May and Qasr Al-Nil. Those using Qasr Al-Nil Bridge are greeted by a statue of Saad Zaghloul Pasha, the work of the Egyptian artist Mahmoud Mokhtar. Just a short distance away is the Cairo Tower, once the country's tallest building. Its revolving restaurant, at the top of the tower, is where many scenes in Egypt's famous old black-and-white movies were shot. Across the street is Egypt's oldest club, the Gezira Sporting Club, founded by the British in 1882. The club's sweeping grounds take up almost half the island. In 1866, the Khedive Ismail chose the area as the location for his summer palace. Other members of the royal family soon followed. It is said that Ismail built the palace to accommodate the French Empress Eugenie, among other royal guests, during the inauguration of the Suez Canal. The palace is now part of the Marriott Hotel. The khedive also built a “grotto garden,” now the Fish Garden, which once contained a large collection of exotic fish. But all this is in the past. More recently, and particularly over the last decade, the neighbourhood has been changing. “From 2000 onwards we have seen drastic changes, as dozens of cafes, both traditional and European, have opened on the island,” explained Raafat. “Can you imagine what it is like to have a cafe on your doorstep, depriving you of sleep with its shisha-smoking customers 24/7? “Add to this the traffic problems Zamalek is already known for and we are now suffering from terrible parking problems. You have to go round and round in circles just to find an empty spot,” he added. Due to its twelve schools, nine hotels, and eleven consulates and embassies, along with many other colleges, institutes, companies and other buildings, Zamalek has been known for years for its traffic congestion. There is only one official parking area in the neighbourhood, under the 15th May Bridge opposite the Marriott Hotel. Anyone running errands in Zamalek can still double-park their cars and leave the keys with an attendant. You can find such attendants outside restaurants and bars such as Mori's, Abu Al-Sid, and Crave. As the neighbourhood is quite small, walking is also recommended. However, some residents argue that this is no longer the case. “Nowadays the streets of Zamalek can no longer accommodate both cars and pedestrians like they used to,” Ola Galal said. “The cafes have taken over the sidewalks, making any attempt to walk on certain streets in Zamalek a painful experience.” Refaat added, “The neighbourhood, once known for its villas and quiet streets, is now being overtaken by tall apartment buildings and noisy, polluting and street-blocking cafes. All that is left of the green haven now is a modest green belt crossing the island.” But Zamalek residents have shown that they know how to take matters into their own hands. In 2011, during the security vacuum of the revolution, the Zamalek Association was formed to protect the neighbourhood. The group later became concerned with protecting the environment as well. The Zamalek Association now deals with issues such as rubbish collection, preservation of trees and green spaces, dealing with the shisha cafes and fighting the government's proposed metro station. “We successfully stopped the government from allowing a cafe to open in the garden adjacent to the El-Sawy Culture Wheel,” Galal said. In November 2013, the island also saw marches protesting against violations committed by cafes. The council responded by promising to deal with the violations, though some of the cafe owners then claimed that it would be wrong for them to be forced to relocate and lay off their employees. “It's not fair for you to arrive on my doorstep and then make my life a misery such that some people have even had to move to escape the congestion,” Galal said. “And then these same people turn round and protest that people will be out of a job if the cafes are closed down.” Unlike the still-unresolved dispute with cafe owners, Zamalek residents have won their battle with the government over the opening of a metro station. The Ministry of Transportation and National Authority for Tunnels planned to open a new metro station on Sedky Street. Residents moved quickly to oppose the plans. Meetings and marches were organised to protect what was left of the island's uniqueness. Complaints were filed and reports were commissioned from experts who said that the proposed metro station would cause major traffic congestion and could pose hazards to buildings. They pointed out that there are six schools in Sedky Street. Their efforts forced the ministry to cancel its plans. Apart from the civic activism, Zamalek is a place of culture, with many art galleries, theatres and museums, including the Museum of Mahmoud Mokhtar and the Museum of Ceramics, the former palace of Prince Amr Ibrahim. The island is also home to two of Cairo's key music and performing art venues: the Cairo Opera House, on the very edge of Zamalek, and the El-Sawy Culture Wheel under the 15 May Bridge, built on land that was formerly used as a garbage dump. The island is well known for its schools. The Catholic Girls College on Bahgat Ali Street and the Saint Joseph Preparatory School for Boys on Gabalaya Street are among the oldest in Cairo. The upscale area has managed to maintain its beauty over the years and offers attractions for every taste. It also has more contemporary charms. Cupcake lovers will want to visit the Zamalek outlets of Nola Cupcakes and Crumbs. Architecture of Zamalek The following are among the architectural gems of the island of Zamalek: -- Prince Amr Ibrahim Palace, designed by Garo Balyan and built in 1924. The palace is opposite the Gezira Sporting Club's main gate and currently houses the Museum of Islamic Ceramics. -- Prince Saaed Tousson Palace, built in 1869 and currently used as a office by the Council of Ministers. -- Algerian Embassy on Brazil Street. Originally the villa of Swiss banker Jean Hug, the building was designed by Raoul Brandon and built in 1908. -- Embassy of Libya on Al-Saleh Ayoub Street. The art deco villa was designed by Antoine Selim Nahas as a private residence for Adele Toma. -- Ayrout residential building, on the corner of 26 July and Hassan Sabry streets. Designed by Charles Habib Ayrout in 1929. -- Ismail Sidki Pasha residential building, on Al-Maahad Al-Swissri Street, designed by Albert Zamamirir and built in the 1940s. -- Lebon and Cie Building, designed by Antoine Selim Nahas and built in the early 1950s, located on Abu Al-Feda Street overlooking the Nile. The building is one of the most famous in Zamalek and is usually referred to along with the Ali Labib Gaber building on Ibn Zenki Street and the Union Building, designed by Garo Balyan and Max Edrei, on Gabalaya Street, as the “three queens of Zamalek.” Stars like Roushdi Abaza, Faten Hamama and Sherihan once all lived in the Lebon Building.
