A green greatness on the island Zamalek is a banyan tree: an eminence that rests on the grounds of Cairo, with large limbs and branches that cascade down to its roots. On the cobbled path in Zamalek sits the 150 year old tree whose serene shadows provide hues of safeness and warmth in the midst of a town busting at the seams. Its roots carry the history of Egypt’s Khedive Ismail, who imported banyan trees from India in 1868. These perennial trees, also known as the Indian banyan or banyan fig, are native to the Indian subcontinent. The tree often towers up to 30 meters, and its grandeur is mainly attributed to its aerial roots that are sent downwards, thus creating branch-like pillars that resemble tree trunks. As passengers make their way through Al Borg street to reach the Cairo tower, they are greeted by India’s native tree that is believed to be the last standing one in Egypt. Ismail was inspired by the West, having completed his education in Europe, he sought a more congenial atmosphere of a modern Egypt. Swayed by the splendor of European richness, Ismail…
