I SPENT TWO WEEKS ON OR NEAR TAHRIR SQUARE BEFORE THE REVOLUTION LAST YEAR....AND THERE IS NOTHING OF INTEREST THERE...
TAHRIR SQUARE IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE UNCONTROLLED TRAFFIC CIRCLE THAT TOURISTS HAVE TO NAVIGATE...AT GREAT RISK... TO GET TO THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM...SINCE THERE ARE NO CLEAR CUT WAYS FOR PEDESTRIANS TO GET FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE SQUARE TO THE WEST SIDE...WHERE THE MUSEUM IS LOCATED...
THE SQUARE IS UNREMARKABLE AND NONDESCRIPT...DUSTY, DRY AND POLLUTED...THE BEST THINGS ON TAHRIR ARE THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF CARIO AT ONE END...WHICH HAS A VERY NICE CLEAN QUIET BOOKSTORE...AND THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM AT THE OTHER END..
THE SECRET TO GETTING ACROSS THE TAHRIR TO THE MUSEUM IN ONE PIECE...IS TO USE TWO OR THREE OF THE METRO UNDERGROUND SUBWAYS WHICH CONNECT IN A RATHER BIZARRE COMBINATION ...THIS AVOIDS THE HORRIBLE TRAFFIC CHAOS THAT IS FOUND ON MOST EGYPTIAN ROADS...TAHRIR BEING AMONG THE WORST...
ITS RATHER ODD THAT ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM MIDAN TAHRIR...IS MAIDAN TAALAT HARB...WHERE THE ANTI BRITISH RIOTS OF 1952 STARTED...
