Modernization of Downtown Cairo

Abstract

Cairo's movement towards modernization was the main influence on the urban development of the city of Cairo till this time. The period from 1805 till 1922 starting from Mohamed Ali's reign till the period of Prince Fouad, the youngest of the deposed Khedive Ismail's sons was the main trigger point for the start of modernization in Egypt and Cairo in particular. This period has featured one of the most dramatic shifts in the history of the city. It was a turning point from the traditional medieval era to modernization and industrialization. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the first developments towards the modernization of downtown Cairo which led later on to a significant change in the urban pattern of the center of Cairo and its expansion. It highlights the importance of studying the development of the city centers which affects the development of the city later on and its urban pattern.