Bronze refracts the sunset, and the lions glare forward into Cairene traffic. Lovers stand hand in hand overlooking the Nile, karkade street vendors unroll their wads of tens and fives, and the day comes to a breathless halt: a Saturday evening in the making. Braced at either end of the Qasr al-Nil bridge, witnessing all of it, are four daunting sculptures once intended to guard the Giza Zoo: the four Lions of Qasr al-Nil. Brought to life by French sculptor Henri Alfred Jacquemart, the lions were created following the issuance of a royal decree in 1871. They were sculpted in France before being transported to Cairo by way of Alexandria, valued at the time at FR 198 (EGP 4,031). Despite initially being intended for the Giza Zoo, another massive Khedivial project, the breathtaking nature of the lions saw Khedive Tawfiq change his mind; instead, they became the gatekeepers of his ‘Palace of the Nile’ bridge, to “befit the glory of his father’s name.” Linking Gezirah to Tahrir Square, the lions have been a function of more than just beauty—rather, they have witnessed everything from revolution to mundane routine, political upheaval…
