Gezira (Cairo)

30°03′N 31°13′E / 30.050°N 31.217°E / 30.050; 31.217

Aerial view of Gezira Island looking south, with the Zamalek district, surrounded by the Nile.
Map of Gezira.

Gezira is an island in the Nile, in central Cairo, Egypt. The southern portion of the island contains the Gezira district, and the northern third contains the Zamalek district.

Gezira is west of downtown Cairo and Tahrir Square, connected across the Nile by four bridges each on the east and west sides, the Qasr El Nil Bridge, 15 May Bridge, Al-Gala'a Bridge and 6th October Bridge. Under 19th century ruler Khedive Ismail the island was first called "Jardin des Plantes" (French for "Garden of Plants"), because of its great collection of exotic plants shipped from all over the world.[1]

  1. ^ "Zamalek Today". e-dar.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2010.