Shimmering posh complex
towering over Ramlet Boulaq slum showcases the class divide in Egyptian
capital.
Al-Jazeera
(Click on photos to enlarge)
The slums of Ramlet Boulaq, spread out beneath Nile City's gleaming towers, lack
almost all modern conveniences, such as plumbing and electricity.
"Along central Cairo's corniche, the twin towers of the shimmering Nile City
complex - containing malls, movie theatres and hotels - screen the ugly truth
behind them.
Stuck in ramshackle hovels in the towers' shadows, the residents of the Ramlet Boulaq slum struggle to keep their land and have their voices heard.
The juxtaposition says much about Egypt's biggest modern-day problem: the stark divide between the rich and poor, exacerbated by a housing crisis and rampant privatisation of land.
Ramlet Boulaq was born when migrants relocated from southern Egypt in the early years of the 20th century to work in Cairo's factories. Generations were buried and new ones born on the land, but the ambitions of big business to turn the area into a luxurious Nile-front complex now threatens Ramlet Boulaq......"
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