Business · Cairo
Tahrir Square
One of downtown Cairo's best-known public squares and the focal point of the 2011 revolution.
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The story
Tahrir is one of the main squares of Cairo and was first named Ismailia Square after Khedive Ismail. It became "Liberation Square" in reference to freedom from colonial rule, and the name was formally established after the July 1952 revolution. Its design is said to echo the Place Charles de Gaulle with the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The square has long been a stage for political demonstrations and saw the 2011 revolution and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
Good to know
- The square was first called Ismailia Square, after Khedive Ismail.
- It is also known as Martyr Square, and its name translates as "Liberation Square".