Cairo Tower

Iconic 187-metre concrete tower on Gezira Island offering the best panoramic view of Cairo, with a revolving restaurant at the top

Cairo Tower stands on Gezira Island in the Nile, a 187-metre concrete lattice tower built in 1961 in the form of a stylized lotus flower. It offers the best panoramic view of Cairo available to ordinary visitors — on a clear day you can see the Pyramids to the west and the Muqattam Hills to the east, with the chaotic city grid stretching between them.

There is a revolving restaurant at the top and an observation deck below it. The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the light softens the city's dusty sprawl and the minarets catch the sun. Ticket prices are charged separately for the observatory and the restaurant.

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A story
The Cairo Tower was built in 1961 during Nasser's presidency, partly funded, according to Egyptian government sources, by CIA money that the Americans had given Nasser as a bribe to suppress the Egyptian communist movement. Nasser reportedly used the money to build a monument instead — a joke that, if true, has aged well. At 187 metres, it was the tallest structure in Africa at the time of its construction.