Garden City (Cairo)

Garden City (Egyptian Arabic: جاردن سيتى‎ Garden Siti  pronounced [ˈɡɑɾden ˈsiti]) is a wealthy, residential district in Central Cairo that spans the East side of the Nile and just south of downtown, the location of the famous Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). Two main streets, Qasr al-Ayni Street on the East and Nile Corniche on the west, delineate the eastern and western borders. Garden City is known for its quiet, upscale, secure atmosphere and as a major destination for wealthy, Western tourists as the U.S., British, and Italian Embassies are all located here. Despite the great political, technological, and industrial changes that occurred in Egypt, Garden City managed to keep its trendy, European feel.

Garden City, in addition to Zamalek, Maadi, Mohandessin, and Heliopolis, is one of the wealthy, residential districts in Greater Cairo. Garden City is a marked difference in the development of other neighborhoods and districts in Cairo. Garden City was planned by private investors as opposed to the natural development of cities characterized by the random and often unexplainable migration of people. Its landscape, street layout, architecture, and general atmosphere can be explained by both the nature of its founders and Khedive Ismail's attempts to Europeanize Cairo. Garden City was a city strictly planned by private investors wishing to escape the period of national construction that took place until 1952. Its quiet, windy, tree-lined streets, beautiful gardens, and elegant, ornamental palaces coupled with the proximity to the American and British embassies make it an attractive place for affluent Cairenes and tourists.Furthermore, the geography and landscape more closely resemble a lofty, European village. In line with the European feel of the district, Italian architect Beyerly designed the palace. Garden City was modeled after an English garden suburb meant to radiate tranquility and security. Its winding, leafy streets often intersect with each other multiple times and graceful palaces and lofty mansions line the streets next to modern banks and other professional buildings. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, Egyptians from the older neighborhoods flocked to the trendier, up-and-coming parts of the city including Garden City and during the British occupation of Egypt. After 1952, there was a movement in direct response to the period of nationalist construction that took place throughout Egypt. Its European architecture, windy roads, palm-tree lined streets, and proximity to downtown were contributing factors for a perfect location for the professional elite, like doctors and lawyers, desiring a peaceful lifestyle that differed from many other parts of Cairo where they could still be in the scene (bordering downtown Cairo, Tahrir Square) but live more luxuriously.

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