Qasr El Nil Bridge
The Qasr El Nil Bridge, also known as the Kasr El Nil Bridge, connects Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square to the Cairo Opera House complex on Gezira Island. You will very surely encounter this bridge during your stay in Cairo, even if it is not listed or included in our Cairo tour packages.
Apart from being a major tourist destination, the bridge is also home to four of Cairo’s most photographed tourist attractions: the 4 Lions of Ksar El Nil Bridge. There are four bronze lion statues on either end of the bridge, two on each end.
The bridge, which is 1,932 meters in length, was built and completed in 1933. One of the most difficult tasks was to include a 67-meter-long part that could be electronically opened in a very short amount of time to allow ships to pass.
Apart from its principal function as a bridge spanning the Nile, it also serves as a stunning viewpoint and is popular with people who simply wish to go for a walk. A lot of young Egyptians go to the bridge with their partners for a cheap outdoor date.
Brief History
The Qasr El Nil Bridge was far from the first in the area. The area’s first bridge, which spans the Nile, was constructed between 1869 and 1871 and opened to traffic in 1872.
It was barely more than a narrow causeway made of iron, yet it served the function it was built for.
The construction of the original bridge was likewise a contentious endeavor because people had to cross the river by boat for thousands of years. Ferry and felucca boat owners were naturally concerned about the potential loss of revenue.
However, the bridge and the fact that they could now cross the river anytime they wanted were favored by even more people.
The old bridge was given a significant renovation and improvement in 1913, but by 1930 it could no longer cope with the ever-increasing number of vehicles in and around Cairo. The decision was made at this point to demolish the bridge and replace it with a much larger and superior bridge, and thus Qasr El Nil Bridge was formed.
The bridge was christened the Khedive Ismail Bridge after King Fuad’s father once it was constructed. Following the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, the name of the bridge, as well as the names of several highways and bridges, was officially altered.
Facts
- The bridge’s construction contract was awarded to Dorman, Long & Co. Limited of Middleborough, Yorkshire, England. This company had already established a strong international reputation for high-quality steelwork building at the time. This same business was working on another bridge at the time, the now-famous Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia.
- Almost all of the equipment and gear used for the building of the Qasr El Nil Bridge was imported for Briton, as was just over 3,700 tones of steel, all of which came from Middleborough Steel Works in Yorkshire, England.
- Middleborough’s Dorman, Long & Co. Limited had only 30 months to finish the bridge. On the 4th of February 1931, the late King Fouad lay the foundation stone, and the Qasr El Nil Bridge was officially inaugurated on the 6th of June 1933, exactly 15 months after the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
