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The Contrasts of Modern Day Egypt
By Sarah Grimaldi
The landscape and architecture in Egypt
is complete with contrasts everywhere the eye can see. With Cairo
being the largest city in Africa, one
would
assume an array of different architectural styles amongst skyscrapers
throughout
the city. In reality, the characteristics that shape this city are
unlike any
we have seen in other global cities. None of the houses in the city
were
finished, appearing as if someone had left their housing construction
midway
through. If it were not for the clothes drying on a line or the
satellites on
the roof, one would think these massive red brick buildings were
vacant. Every
housing building looked identical to its neighbor with no architectural
or
style uniqueness throughout these housing complexes.
The city of Cairo is full of
sugar cane fields and palm
trees making it a fertile and plush environment. However, with just a
short
drive from the city’s center a different environment emerges with
mountains of sand,
white camels, and the monumental Pyramids of Giza. I also noticed
Contrasts
similar to these in the city of Luxor.
The surroundings of the infamous Nile River
consisted of
luxurious boats that served as restaurants, bars, and night clubs. Five
star
hotels were scattered along the shore, giving the Nile
a transnational setting to any of its onlookers.
According
to the article, “Remaking the Modern “by Ghannam, the beginning of the
recent modernization
of Egypt
was driven by the policies of Anwar el-Sadat after 1973. The growing
demand for
luxury by the transnational community led to new hotel chains, roads,
and
bridges to facilitate a modern Cairo.
The uses of land and architecture in and around Cairo are full of countless contrasts
between
the transnational and vernacular that are mind boggling. It will be
interesting
to see if Cairo
continues to modernize and change as it goes through this phenomenal
period of
globalization.
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