Giving the name Liberation Square (or Midan al-Tahrir in Arabic) to one of the Arab world’s largest squares was one of the features associated with transforming Egypt from a constitutional monarchy into a republic after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. This square, which had taken the name ‘Ismailia Square’ for about one hundred years, is a major public town square located in Downtown Cairo. It was attributed to Khedive Ismail (r.1863-1879) who intended to make a replica of Paris in Cairo. It is considered a city district to the streets and institutions located nearby, such as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities (The Egyptian Museum), the Arab League Building, the Mugamma Building, Mosque of Omar Makram, and the American University of Cairo.
Tahrir Square witnessed revolutions beginning from the end of the 19th century. In 1881, the Egyptian army officer, Colonel Ahmad Orabi (1841-1911) led a military unit from Liberation Square towards Abdeen Palace, where he gave his memorable speech in front of the ruler of Egypt, Khedive Tawfiq (r. 1879-1892). In this speech, the famous words “Our mothers bore us free men” were stated. This revolution was a push for liberalism and freedom. It was started by army officers and then included other classes of the Egyptian people as a result of poor economic conditions and cruel treatment of the public. Thus, it is considered the first example of Egyptians anti-colonial nationalism.
The hub of Cairo, Tahrir Square, witnessed other important political movements in the 20th century. In 1919, the Egyptian revolution broke out again and thousands of Egyptians thronged in Tahrir Square, in place of what is now the Arab League Building, to demonstrate in front of the British Army barracks. As a result, the Nation's Leader, Saad Zaghloul (1857-1927) returned from exile, and Britain's unilateral grant of independence was given to Egypt in 1922, and a new constitution was implemented in 1923.
Throughout the British occupation of Egypt, Tahrir Square was the launching pad of the Egyptian revolution. The Egyptians once revolted to cancel the 1936 Treaty, then to prompt King Farouk to give up the throne. It also witnessed the demonstrations supporting the 1952 Revolution, then the two Students’ Uprisings: one after the 1967 defeat (setback), and the other in January 1973. Therefore, Tahrir Square became the traditional site for numerous major protests and demonstrations, whether for local demands such as the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots, or for Arabian political affairs such as the 2001 demonstrations against killing Palestinian children by US-made weapons, and the March 2003 protest against the War in Iraq.
In the 21st century, Tahrir Square witnessed the first Egyptian popular revolution against a native ruler and not against foreign occupation as always happened in the past. It is identified as a social revolt not a military coup like that one in 1952. After more than 5,000 years in the history of united Egypt, the Egyptians succeeded for the first time in isolating their ruler. For the Egyptians, it is considered a beginning of a new phase to contribute again in human civilization and to re-write history.
On January 25, 2011, a day selected to coincide with the National Police Day holiday, a series of popular street demonstrations began in Egypt. Tahrir Square, a symbol for the ongoing Egyptian pro-democracy demonstrations, was the primary destination for protests. On February 11, 2011, the resignation of President Mubarak was officially announced and all authority was passed to a council of military leaders. The Egyptians celebrated their success in overthrowing the president and state system. It has been suggested that Tahrir Square be limited to pedestrian traffic, and to re-plan it to be a plaza for arts and creativity reciting the story of 2011 Egyptian popular revolution and its martyrs. A simple memorial for martyrs now exists in Tahrir Square to remind visitors of this magnificent incident.
No comments:
Post a Comment