Friday March 29th, 2024
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Cairo Tower Denies Entrance to Individual Visitors for Fear of Suicide

Visitors have complained that they have been denied entry to the iconic tower if they visit alone, as officials try to curb the likelihood of jumping off the 187 metre structure.

Staff Writer

Cairo Tower cannot longer be visited if you are alone. According to Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm, visitors have repeatedly complained that Cairo Tower employees are denying entry to visitors who go there alone, in fear of them committing suicide.

The measure was allegedly taken following the suicide of a university student who jumped off the top of the 187-metre tower last June. The incident prompted tower employees to verbally agree on the measure, even though it was not made official or public.

Al-Masry Al-Youm’s photojournalist Islam Farouk attempted to corroborate the complaints as he visited the tower alone. After a quarrel with the tower's security guards, who had denied him entrance on the basis that he was alone, they allowed him to enter the landmark accompanied by guards, and stay for only 15 minutes.

Tower officials confirmed the decision to Farouk, and indicated that the policy not only applied to Egyptian nationals but also foreign visitors.

Photo Credit: Jorge Láscar, Creative Commons Licence.