The fight for Ramlet Bulaq

Ramlet Bulaq, also named by the French for more than 215 years as the “beautiful lake,” is a poor neighborhood located in the heart of Cairo on the Nile corniche. Living in this neighborhood are approximately 2,000 people who reside in mud houses that have been around for more than 90 years. On the edge of the neighborhood, two of the tallest towers in Egypt and a five star hotel stand in contrast to the slums. The towers have dozens of fancy cars outside, luxurious offices inside, and millions of pounds passing through its bank branches.

 Their story began in 1995, when investors came to the area and claimed a part of a poor neighborhood to build towers that directly overlooked the Nile. A conflict has arisen, as more investors showed ambition to obtain the rest of the land, a process that would eventually drive away the original population of this area. There have been different attempts to buy the land from the population, negotiating individually with the residents. Some gave up their land in exchange for little money, nowhere near the real price of the land. The price per square meter in this area is equal to about US$5,500 and investors offered only $600. Other residents, in order to avoid troubles for them and their families, gave their land and moved away from the pressure exerted by those with power and money. There have been ongoing cases in courts between the residents and the investors, in order for residents to legally claim their land. A court sentence was issued in favor of the residents, but the reality hasn’t changed and the fear of expulsion continues.