The Capital Egypt
With the tallest tower in Africa, the largest opera house and cathedral in the Middle East, and a park twice the size of New York's Central Park , the city aspires to become the icon of modernity in the country of the pharaohs.
It has not yet been given a name and at the moment it seems little more than the sum of monumental buildings raised without much coherence in the middle of the vast desert, but for almost three years Thousands of Egyptians work from dawn to dusk in what promises to become **Egypt's new capital**.
Nativity Cathedral
It is true that a few hours in Cairo enough to realize that the pearl of the Nile is tremendously polluted , prey to the floods of cars that wander uncontrollably through its streets, and trapped in hellish noise levels.
And since this is the land of pharaonic works and megalomaniacal and egotistical military dictators, instead of trying to improve the current capital, in 2015 it was decided to start over and build one from scratch . To understand that claim to greatness, ** the future capital is one of the best options.**
Luckily for those who wish to visit it when it is ready, the macroproject lies just 35 kilometers from Cairo , although at the moment it can only be reached by car.
Planned over an extension of 714 square kilometers (seven times the area of Barcelona), for now the first phase of the city is being built , which accounts for a quarter of the total. However, in it will rest the heart of the city, which, if all goes according to plan, should be completed by 2023.
Finish when finished, the city will have eight neighborhoods high-end residences, international universities, diplomatic and government districts, and a huge presidential Complex, although the most striking is the rest.
Render of one of the future hotels of the 'new capital of Egypt'
Taking inspiration from its quirky Gulf neighbors, its still-nascent financial district will be, with 20 towers , one of the most important points of the new city and from it will stand out the tallest skyscraper in Africa, about 345 meters high and 250 floors.
For travelers, one of the great attractions will be the city of arts and culture, located in the center of the phase under construction. With more than 500,000 square meters , the area will have several theaters, movie theaters, bookstores, exhibition halls and galleries. The most spectacular, even so, is expected to be the new opera , which, with a room with capacity for 2,000 spectators, is destined to be the largest in the Middle East.
Those most fond of visiting religious buildings will also have no problem finding their place, since, on plan, the new capital should house no less than 1,250 mosques and churches when it is finished.
Until that time comes, what has already been inaugurated is the Nativity Cathedral , again the largest in the Middle East and with the capacity to 8,000 parishioners , as well as the Al-Fattah al-Alim Mosque , which can receive almost twice as many people as the previous one.
What will undoubtedly become another of the main icons of the future city will be the so-called Green River which, in an attempt to emulate the passage of the Nile River through the middle of Cairo, will make its way along 10 kilometers, expandable based on trees and gardens , and will connect all the neighborhoods of the city. In total, the river should be twice the size of New York's Central Park. Not bad for a country with hardly any water.
THE BIG BROTHER
As if all this were not ambitious enough, the future new capital of Egypt also aspires to be the first 2.0 city in the country. Homes will be smart, as will resource and traffic management, buildings will have fiber optics, and there will be surveillance cameras throughout the city.
Although it may seem like a fantasy, this will make the city a truly Orwellian city, so it is advisable to be careful with everything you do to avoid problems with the dour local authorities.
If any adventurous would like to live the experience of entering the macroproject, they will not have to wait. One of the best ways to do it while it's not open is by visiting the Al Masa Hotel , which is already in operation and offers unique services.
Owned by the Armed Forces, the hotel has the capacity to accommodate delegations from up to 50 countries simultaneously and contains 14 presidential villas, 60 apartments, 90 private suites and 270 rooms.
The Al Masa hotel is already in operation
In addition, his 42,000 square meters They are also home to the largest convention hall in the Middle East and Africa, an Andalusian-style shopping mall, four cinemas and restaurants, a spa, a gym and even a shooting range and a wave pool.
TRANSPORTATION IN THE FUTURE CAPITAL OF EGYPT
Although the city also will have a modern airport , which at this point is already built, the best way to get to it from Cairo in the future will be with the electric train or the monorail that will connect them , and that will offer an experience opposed to the archaic and poor train system that links the rest of the country.
Work on the other two phases of the project, which should be built in an easterly direction, is not expected to start until after 2023 at the earliest, if at all. Even so, the remaining extension will house residential neighborhoods and more functional services , so it will be less attractive than what is under construction now.
Whatever happens to Cairo when this dream city becomes reality and the egyptian administration packs up and moves it's still a mystery . Many fear that it and its more than 20 million inhabitants will slowly fall into oblivion. Fortunately, it seems that there are still many lovers of the city who will know how to keep it alive.
One of the finished hotels in Cairo