Mohandessin

Map of Mohandessin and Greater Mohandessin in Cairo

Mohandessin (Arabic: المهندسين‎), could also be spelled Mohandesin or Mohandeseen, is an up-scale neighborhood in Giza. Its name means in Arab literally the engineers, which was because it was given to at cheaper prices to engineers in Egypt; there is a similar area in Mohandesin called Sahafeyeen (journalists), mo'alemeen (Teachers), and ateba'a (Doctors), all designed for people with these professions.

History

Mohandessin was built in the early 1950s. It was built over agriculture land and was a massive area of villas, and mansions. However in the 1970s, the population increased dramatically, and the once the rich villas neighborhood turned into crowded apartment blocks. In the last 10 years, Mohandessin became the most expensive districts to in real estates. Apartments have a cost of about EGP 12,000 (USD 2000) per square meter.

Today, Mohandessin is usually referred to the districts of Dokki, Agouza and Mohandessin.

Today

A major street that is intersecting the neighborhood called Game'et el Duwal el Arabya (Arab League Blvd.). The main shopping area in Mohandesin is called Sour Nadi el Zamalik, which is a magnetic location for Arab Tourists that visit Cairo in the summer and on vacations. Also a new state of the art mall in Shehab street was constructed and currently operating, it is called Platinum Mall. Several sporting clubs are also to found there, including Tersana , El Zamalek, and The Shooting Club.

The area is rapidly turning into a commercial business district, and people living there are now moving outside of the city to the suburbs of Giza in search for a more peaceful substitute.

Life style

Although Mohandessin does not have as much monuments and historical buildings as other districts in Cairo, it enjoys being a leading district in shops, restaurants and cafés. Most international franchises, which opened in Egypt, with over 200 stores operating 18 hours a day. There are several cinemas in Mohandessin catering to the district's population.

The Arab League Boulevard, located in central Mohandessin is considered Cairo's notable red-light district along with Haram avenue, both are considered main attractions for tourists especially those from the Persian Gulf.

Mohandessin is home to many foreign embassies in Egypt.

When it comes to Religion & Spirituality, Mohandessin hosts a diverse population which required several Mosques and Churches, yet the majority of the residents adopt Islam, with several Important Mosques located there, such as Chazliya Mosque, and Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque, as well as Tarik Ibn-Al Walid Mosque.

Yet in Major Celebrations, the rich residents of Mohandesin tend to pray in the Shooting Club Mosque, while the surrounding poorer areas of Mohandesin, pray in the Larger Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque.

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived there:

• Amr Moussa (1936–present), Secretary-General of the Arab League.
• Naguib Mahfouz (1911–2006), Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate.
• Adel Imam (1940–present), Prominent Arab actor.
• Atef Ebeid (1932–present), Former Egyptian Prime Minister.
• Ahmad Zaki (1949–2005), Prominent Egyptian actor.
• Amr Khalid,(1967–Present) Islamic Preacher, ranked 6th most influential intellectual in the world by Prospect magazine
• Habib El Adly (1938–present), The Former Minister of Interior.