Famous for the Arab Spring protests in 2011, Tahrir Square is a central meeting place for young people in Cairo and was designed by a French city planner back in the 19 century. The remnants of the protests are largely gone, except for the burned out shell of the Mubarak regime building at the north end of the square and the political street art in the surrounding areas.
I visited Egypt in 2014, and the tourism industry was deeply struggling to rebuild following the Arab Spring. I was fascinated to be visiting at such a crucial and interesting time in the country's history, and found that the Egyptian people were very open and honest when talking about their political feelings. And their street art reflects that same openness. I highly recommend taking a look at the street art murals around downtown Cairo, because I think that it gives any visitor a sense of what the people of the city are feeling at any given moment in time.
There is lots of political street art, graffiti and murals to commemorate the protests surrounding Tahrir Square. Some of them are very impressive and beautiful. According to our local street art guide, the murals periodically get painted over by the police, and the artists will come back and paint another mural. It is a constantly revolving collection of memories, sayings and political cartoons. There were a few that were actually quite emotional.
Looking for more tips on traveling in Egypt? My detailed 2 week itinerary is a great place to start!
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