Sayyida Aisha Bridge is Being Removed After 46 Years

Work to demolish and remove the Sayyida Aisha Bridge has recently begun. Traffic will be diverted through the new Salah Salem Axis, a 2.8-kilometre corridor designed to relieve congestion safely without cutting through historical landmarks, and to connect the Cairo Citadel to the al-Hadarat Axis and the Nile Corniche.

The bridge, built in 1979 as a temporary solution to traffic congestion, has long raised safety and cultural concerns. In 2025 alone, more than 15 traffic accidents were reported on the bridge. The bridge’s safety concerns are partly a result of its location within a dense historic area. Flanked by the Sayyida Aisha Mosque on one side and the Magra El-Oyoun aqueduct on the other, the bridge was built around these historic sites, resulting in a sharp curve. Cultural authorities have also repeatedly called for its removal, arguing that the bridge disfigured views of some of Cairo’s most important Islamic monuments, including the Cairo Citadel.

The demolition is part of a broader transformation of the Sayyida Aisha Square below it, which is set to become an open-air museum and pedestrian promenade. The project aims to reconnect the Citadel with the mosques of Sayyida Aisha and Sayyida Nafisa, restoring important links between key historic landmarks.