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The History of The Fish Garden |
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For many
years throughout the history of Cairo, Zamalek or ‘El-Gezira’ meaning
the island was a green paradise you can spot from almost anywhere along
either bank of the Nile.
The island's landscapes
were designed by De la Chevalerie, who had once done the landscape
designs for the City of Paris.
The Gardens of Gezira
were originally spread on 2,200 hectares; the Khedival -later to be the
Gezira- Sporting Club in which were the race course and polo field that
previously surrounded the royal residence, the Marriott Gardens and to
the west of the estate lay the Fish Garden formerly named the ‘Grotto
Garden’.
These were all parts
which formed a huge park attached to the Gezira Estate. At first only a
kiosk was built near its east shore, and after a few years it was turned
into the baroque mansion or palace designed by Julius Franz Pasha, now
the Marriott Hotel.
The Palace and grounds were
completed in 1869 in honour of Empress Eugenie who was invited by Ismael
Pasha to attend the inauguration of the Suez Canal, the occasion for
which Verdi’s Aida was commissioned.
Later on, the palace
grounds were divided. The building of the Gezira Sporting Club took
place in late 1882 and hence was no longer part of the palace gardens.
Ismael’s Grotto Garden was
completed in 1867 on nine and half acres of his private property. It was
once one of Cairo's highlights as it was one of the few 19th century
gardens open to the public. It was a garden of plants and home to the
Khedive's exotic plants shipped from all over the world and it also
housed his collection of fish and reptiles from the Nile and Africa.
In the early 1900s,
Captain Stanley Flower introduced the Fish Garden; as he added aquariums
in the old grottos of the garden, it became home of a rare collection of
African fish.
The Fish Garden was
rehabilitated and reconstruction in 2000. The Garden also known as the
Gabalayia Garden or the Aquarium Grotto Garden was completely restored;
damaged parts were rebuilt while retaining all original features.
The project aimed at
restoring and maintaining the elegant grounds of the garden that first
opened to the public nearly a century ago, in 1902.
The rehabilitation
project included plans to expand an existing lake within the garden. Now
it is divided into two parts, one for ducks and geese and the other for
swans. The park is in particular characteristic for the grottos and
tunnels which house interesting fish aquarium. The aquarium settings are
fairly original and the walk through the grottos is very pleasant. The
garden is now illuminated with indirect lighting so that the scenery can
also be enjoyed by night.
The garden is quite close
to the downtown areas; however, the fascinating thing is that once
there, one feels distant from the busy streets and crowds.
The Fish Garden is very
popular for students who go enjoy the afternoon there after school and
on holidays with the family. It is also a famous spot for young romantic
couples given the nice scenery and quite surroundings. On the other
hand, students from the faculty of Arts and amateurs painters are often
found there painting different objects and landscapes of the garden.
(14th Dec. 2005)
Source:
website "Tour
Egypt!"
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