Manshiet Nasser

By Mazen Metwaly

Egypt is a country in the corner of northeast Africa and southwest corner of Asia. It lies on 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq. mi) of North Africa that is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east south, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. Egypt is the fifteenth most populated city in the world, with Cairo, the capital, being the third most populated city in the world. Cairo’s population is more than over eighty four million compared to that of all Africa and the Middle East.  About half of the population of Egypt lives in urban areas such as Cairo, Alexandria and Nile Delta. Egypt has one of the longest histories of any modern state and has one of the most diversified economies of the Middle East that gains revenue with the help of tourism, agriculture, industry and services.

Manshiet Nasser is one of the largest populated slum areas in Cairo, Egypt and it is the third largest slum area in the world. Manshiet Nasser has an estimate population of one million inhabitants. It is located on the rocks where Egypt’s Eastern Desert plateau meets the Nile valley, right under Al Mokattam Mountain. Al Mokattam is one of the most beautiful areas in Egypt. It is a five hundred foot mountain favorite to many Egyptians.  This mountain is a favorite place where Egyptians socialize and have a good time.  Inhabitants and tourists like to sit on the edge of the mountain, drink traditional tea, smoke hookah or drink a local hot bean beverage.

From Al Mokattam’s location, you can almost see the view of all of Cairo.  With Manshiet Nasser being right beneath the mountain, the first thing populates and tourists of Egypt see is the slum before the beautiful view of the Cairo.  Manshiet Nasser is located in between Al Mokattam and its symmetries. The city of Cairo at one point had plans to enter in an architecture competition to change the area of Manshiet Nasser to a nice urban place right before the revolution in 2011, but the city had to cancel their plans due to the conflicts brought upon the revolution.

Citations

            Horwood, C., & Phillips, T. (2007). Tomorrow's crises today the humanitarian       impact of urbanisation. Nairobi, Kenya: OCHA/IRIN