Tahrir Square Dispatch
A Decade On, Silence Fills Egyptâs Field of Broken Dreams
In 2011, Tahrir Square was at the vanguard of popular uprisings known as the Arab Spring. But hopes for a democratic Egypt were crushed and the historic square given a sterile new look.
Hundreds of Thousands protested in Tahrir Square in 2011. Buildings visible in the background include the Arab League headquarters, top left, and the Egyptian Museum, right center.Credit.Pedro Ugarte/Agence France-Presse Getty Images
Jan. 23, 2021
CAIRO â The last guest had checked out, leaving Ahmed Taha sitting on an unmade bed in a deserted room amid rumpled sheets and half-drunk coffee cups, contemplating his future.