The northern half of the island is the area that is properly referred to as Zamalek. The Fish Garden, to the north west of the Gezira Club, is another relaxing place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo, though it has certainly seen better days! These days it is still reserved for the (Egyptian) elite, who spend their leisure time playing golf and tennis, and hobnobbing with the great and good.Īlthough the roads are admittedly quite busy, and the Gezira Club off limits for non-members, this area of Cairo is still a pleasant place to wander around, and greener than anywhere else in the city. This exclusive club was established by the British in the early 20th Century, and was famous for its horse racing and polo. Stretching north of here, and covering a fair chunk of the whole of the island, is the Gezira Sporting Club, Nadi al-Gezira. Moving slightly further north again, is the Nadi al-Ahli sporting club, the Teachers Club, the Anglo-American Hospital and – of most interest to foreign visitors – the Cairo Tower. As well as the Opera House, this complex houses the Planetarium, and the Museum of Modern Islamic Art. Just north of here is the Cairo Opera House Complex, beside the Opera Metro station. The southern tip is home to the super-posh Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel, the Nadi al-Qahira Sporting Club, and the Mahmoud Mukhtar Sculpture Museum. The south half of the island is very green. Although somewhat vulnerable until the Aswan Dam was built in the early 20th Century, today Zamalek is one of the most important areas of Cairo, and two of the main bridges in the city pass over it. It is a large island, about 4 km long and 1 km wide. Zamalek is more properly known as Gezira (the "island"), although most people refer to it as Zamalek.
Almost slap bang in the middle is the island of Zamalek, with Downtown and Shubra to the east, and Imbaba, Mohandiseen and Dokki to the west. The River Nile flows from south to north through Cairo, splitting the city in two.
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