CAIRO - When Egyptians began demonstrating against the regime of Hosni Mubarak on January 25, few could have anticipated that the protests would grow into a revolution that amazed the world. Al Tahrir Square in central Cairo became the throbbing heart of the 18-day revolution: its centre, its force and its spirit, that was peaceful and determined. Swedish photographer Mia Gronhal, a journalist based in Cairo, returned day after day to Al Tahrir, to photograph the incredible tent city within a city that would not budge until the president did. She has captured the great humanity of a revolution that impressed Cairo, Egypt and the world in a book entitled: Tahrir Square – The Heart of the Egyptian Revolution. This book, with a foreword by Ayman Mohyeldin, Egypt's correspondent for Al Jazeera English, features a selection of her moving photographs from those historic days, along with the written testimonies of some of the people who were there. In this 153-page book published by the American University in Cairo Press, you can see the real faces of the people behind Egypt's quest for freedom and a better future. These pictures capture what was plain for the world to see: the evolution of the revolution. They tell the story of the fall from power of a despotic ruler and his regime and the rise to power of 80 million people. The above photo shows a referee, representing the people, gives Mubarak the red card. On Mubarak's shirt is written: ‘30 years of corruption'.
