Designed by the Egyptian Engineer Na'oum Shobaib, the Cairo Tower was constructed between1956 and 1961 with the help of more than 500 Egyptian workers, in the shape of a lotus, which the ancient Egyptians used to produce papyrus. The tower consists of 16 floors and built on a huge Aswan granite base, which the Pharaohs used to build fascinating temples and structures, is considered by many as an architectural gem.

Located in the middle of Cairo at the edge of Zamalek Island and built out of concrete and iron, the Cairo Tower with its majestic height of 187 m is 43 meters higher than the great pyramid of Chepos.

There is a history behind the construction of the Cairo Tower. During the reign of former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, the tower was built at a cost of six million pounds and that money was given to the Egyptian government by the United States of America to stop the Egyptians from supporting the Algerian uprising against the French occupation. Nasser felt insulted at it, as it was nothing but the American attempt to bribe and purchase the Egyptian support against the Arab brotherhood. However, instead of a direct retaliation, he took a different line of action to express his displeasure.

Although, at that time, Egypt was badly in need of that much of money to rebuild its infrastructure, Nasser was keen to prove that the six million pounds did not affect the Egyptian attitude towards supporting other Arab nations. He therefore, insisted on building a great tower with the American money, which would stand as a clear indication and the everlasting proof of the unity and the alliance Egypt had with the other Arab states. Consequently, the Cairo Tower earned two more names. While its American name is the ‘fork in the back of Nasser’, the Egyptian name is ‘stopping Roosevelt’.

Between 2006 and 2008, the Cairo Tower went through a huge restoration by the Arab contractors at a cost of fifteen million pounds, which included restoring the iron body of the tower, installing emergency stairs and putting in a new elevator for visitors.

Apart from that, the entrance of the tower was also upgraded and strengthened, while a new coat of paint was applied on the outer body of the tower to give it a fresh look.

Today, the Cairo Tower offers the visitors the amazing panoramic view of the Nile and the city of Cairo, the city of thousand minarets, along with the Saladin Citadel, the Abdeen Palace, the old campus of the American University, Al Azhar Mosque and Qaser El Nile Bridge. On a clear day, even the pyramids can be seen at a unique vantage point from the Cairo Tower. There is a nice revolving restaurant with fifteen tables at the top of the tower, where the visitors may comfortably relax and enjoy the bird’s eye view of the city with a delicious meal. A café is also there that offers different types of drinks and light snacks.