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Tahrir Square was not designed to serve as a space for the Egyptian people's expressions of revolution and protest, but it became exactly that.

Even before the most significant event in the last two decades - the 2011 revolution��- Egyptians used this urban public space, both functionally and architecturally, to express opposition to the Ottoman Khedive, the British occupation, and subsequent presidents.

In 1952, the square became a site for celebrations in the months following the revolution that removed King Farouk I from power. It was also where, in January of 1953, President Mohammed Naguib gave public speeches to address the Egyptian public and face their anger.

In 1972, President Mohamed Anwar Sadat (1970-1981) faced student protests in Tahrir Square, demonstrations amid the tense social atmosphere before the October 1973 War, and the Bread Uprising of 1977.

Even its modern name, 'Tahrir' (Liberation), was revolutionary. Originally named 'Ismailia' after the Ottoman Khedive Ismail Pasha (1863-1879) who constructed it during his reign, it changed following the signing of the British Evacuation Agreement in 1954. 'Tahrir' symbolised emancipation from the British mandate and monarchy.

The historical significance of Tahrir Square's stems from the construction of several politically significant buildings around it, including the new headquarters of the Arab League.��By 2011, the square, situated in the heart of Cairo, was surrounded by no less than 18 government ministries.

It was not surprising, therefore, that it became the focal point of the 2011 protests, which lasted for 18 days before Hosni Mubarak stepped down, and for many other events thereafter. Tahrir Square served as the locality, designated as the central hub for receiving marches from its seven entrances during the revolution.

From 11 February 2011, the square and its revolutionaries were officially embraced for several months before accusations and smear campaigns were directed at them. This was combined with ground movements that aimed to crush the revolutionary wave associated with the square, which became a clear source of worry for the ruling regime.��

Despite security measures applied over many months to suppress the square’s impact, Tahrir later witnessed the 30 June 2013 demonstrations calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi, with the protection and even participation of the state's security apparatus.

It was the only moment in the last 11 years that the security apparatus has allowed mass protests in the square, which were followed by a military coup led by then minister of defence and current president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

After the 2011 uprising, Egyptian authorities have deliberately sought to erase Tahrir Square’s revolutionary identity, part of its broader efforts to suppress the memory and symbolism of what happened there.

This erasure has occurred on three levels: a change in the mental image of the square, a gradual alteration of its visual and architectural image, and finally, a radical transformation of its physical space to align with the media narrative and the ruling regime’s rhetoric that regard the 2011 revolution as a “destructive act”.

The change in the mental image of the square

The first changes began under the rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) months after the uprising, and the square witnessed varying degrees of openness and restriction during Mohamed Morsi's brief presidency.

Following Morsi's ousting in 2013, a campaign escalated to crush the revolutionaries through security restrictions, prosecutions, and laws that restricted protests. Despite the presence of demonstrations rejecting the military coup, they did not reach Tahrir Square until three months later.

When around one hundred arrived at the square on 1 October 2013, chanting slogans against military rule, it became a newsworthy event, followed by tightened security measures to close the square. Another attempt to protest three days later was met with gunfire, live ammunition, and tear gas, resulting in casualties and the arrest of dozens of people on charges of attempting to "infiltrate a public square".

The square transformed into a military barracks, teeming with hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles from the Egyptian Ministries of Defence and Interior, surpassing even its militarisation under the Supreme Council. For several additional months, the square remained inaccessible.

When approximately 50 members of the Popular Socialist Alliance attempted to honour the martyrs with flowers on the revolution's anniversary in 2015, they were met with violence from security forces as they passed through Talaat Harb Square. During the assault, left-wing activist Shaimaa al-Sabbagh was killed, and others were detained.

Accessing Tahrir Square was challenging, particularly for crowds, as the ‘Sadat’ metro station, the nearest to the square, was shut down multiple times for "security reasons". The longest closure spanned 671 days after the dispersal of the Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins. Upon reopening, the station implemented additional security measures and inspection procedures. It would often close during the 25 January memorials or in response to protest calls, such as those opposing the cession of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

In addition to security reinforcements and the closure of entrances to the square with concrete barriers and barbed wire, authorities decided in February 2014 to install three-meter-high at the entrance of Kasr Al-Aini Street leading to Tahrir Square.

This street branches off from People's Assembly Street, where the Council of Ministers, the People's Council, and the Shura Council are situated. Whether the station, concrete barriers, and�� were open or closed, security forces conducted inspections of passers-by and citizens, and conducted raids on popular cafes near the square on various occasions.

The moral, symbolic, and material significance of Tahrir Square underwent a gradual transformation aimed at reshaping its perception in the Egyptian collective consciousness as a prohibited area. This effort was followed by other attempts to alter the square's visual identity, undermining the role of public space in Egypt.

Firstly, graffiti art featuring revolutionary slogans was whitewashed on the walls of streets bordering Tahrir Square. While revolutionaries saw this as erasing a form of revolutionary identity, the government presented it as an attempt to clean up and maintain a “civilised appearance”.

The gradual transformation of Tahrir Square

In 2013, the Minister of Local Development drafted a new law to criminalise any writing on public or private property, punishable with a maximum sentence of four years and a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds, around £10,000 at the then exchange rate.

This measure followed the , which effectively banned street demonstrations, and the arrest of street artists for writing anti-military slogans.

In 2015, a wall owned by the American University in Cairo (AUC) on Mohamed Mahmoud Street was demolished. It had served as one of the most iconic spaces for murals and graffiti in the city.

The university that it intended to showcase the works of art in a permanent exhibition, but that the building was "no longer suited for use” due to damage sustained in the events of 2011. Official discussions regarding its transformation into a public space or a cultural centre varied, eventually resulting in its conversion into a park.

The second element in the gradual visual transformation of the square was the establishment of a low-quality monument. In November 2013, the foundation stone was laid for a memorial dedicated to the martyrs of the "25 January and 30 June revolutions". Engineers responsible for the project said it would be completed �����Ի� unveiled on the anniversary of the . Footage depicted its construction using red bricks, limestone, and cement.

The monument was vandalised hours after the government's announcement. Later official statements expressed understanding of the activists' anger, as it only symbolically honoured the martyrs without substantive recognition. The monument, built and damaged in a single day, was repaired in December.

Bu it was removed the same week as security forces attacked the Socialist demonstration, and days later, on 30 January 2015, a 20-meter-high flagpole bearing the Egyptian flag was erected. The flagpole bore no revolutionary symbolism but instead featured Pharaonic motifs on its base and the inscription "Long Live Egypt" in both Arabic and hieroglyphs.

The radical transformation of Tahrir Square����

Larger-scale architectural changes have further removed all associations with the 2011 revolution. In May 2015, the , the headquarters of former president��Hosni Mubarak’s party, was demolished.

Its charred remains, located between the Nile and Tahrir Square, had stood since 2011 and became a symbol of both Mubarak’s oppression and his fall from power. There was no official announcement regarding any plans for the land, despite various proposals suggesting its conversion into a hotel, a park, a library, or a human rights council. Earlier in 2015, meanwhile, a multi-storey car park was inaugurated in Tahrir Square.

Since 2019, a has sought to redevelop the historic area of Khedival, or downtown, Cairo, including Tahrir Square. Last year, Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund said it was finalising the masterplan to ��Cairo’s historic centre, which would include a broader urban transformation of Tahrir Square.

Amid this renovation, small resurgences of protests have taken place. In 2019, sporadic demonstrations broke out across Egypt following the release of����by an Egyptian businessman living in Spain, Mohamed Ali, documenting government corruption.

Security forces responded swiftly, with up to 600 people detained. By the end of October 2019, the flagpole in Tahrir Square had been removed and metal barriers were erected around the centre to commence work to ‘redevelop’ the square.

Official reasons for these projects have varied, from improving the route for the transfer of mummies from the Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, to the redevelopment plan for Khedival Cairo.

Government statements have linked this goal with the elimination of any perceived "defects" that may have impacted the square, without specific details, with discussions initially revolving around the development of building fronts and commercial shops.

In early 2020, a Pharaonic obelisk from San Al-Hagar in Sharkia and four ram-headed sphinxes from the Karnak temple in Luxor were relocated to Tahrir Square, sparking numerous objections from Egyptologists and academics, who of the potential damage to the artefacts during the transportation process and the possibility of exposure to pollutants and rain.

The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, affiliated with , sent an official letter to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The government proceeded with the plan, nonetheless.

This step further eroded the revolutionary symbolism of the square and replaced it with associations to Egyptian antiquity. Furthermore, the relocation of significant historical artefacts represents the antithesis of heritage decolonisation and is more reminiscent of actions taken by colonial powers in the 19th century, which adorned their squares in a similar fashion.

Official statements and local media, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of decorating the area, referring to it as "Egypt's most famous square," without acknowledging - in most of the sources reviewed by ������ - its significance or any connection to the revolution.

This transfer of historical artefacts, and government statements regarding their protection and security, hinted at the square being transferred from public to state ownership, which eventually happened.

In May 2020, the Cairo Governorate signed a protocol with the Falcon Group, Egypt’s most prominent��security company, to "carry out the securing and guarding of the square and to address any violations decisively to preserve the development work".

Established in 2006, Falcon's security role has greatly expanded since the revolution. The company was responsible for providing security during the presidential campaigns of General Ahmed Shafik in the 2012 elections and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in the 2014 elections. It has since expanded to include 14 branches and employs over 22,000 people across different governorates, including former police and military personnel.

Notably, Falcon is the only security company authorised to carry firearms and deploy Rapid Intervention Forces as a specialised security service. The company currently holds 65% of the , and since 2014 its privileges and contracts have significantly increased, amounting to two billion Egyptian pounds, which includes government cooperation protocols and media facilities.

In April 2021, during the Pharaohs' Golden Parade, which aimed to move twenty-two mummies to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, media coverage continued ignoring the revolutionary history of the square.

For example, headlines such as "From 'Zariba Qusun' to an Open-Air Museum" were featured in local newspapers, including the official newspaper, as well as �����Ի� . These newspapers all quoted a single archaeological researcher regarding the historical background of the square, while none mentioned any connection between Tahrir and the 25 January revolution.

These measures, coupled with the announcement that the third axis of this development plan includes "developing pedestrian pathways and facilitating citizens' crossings at specified locations," have transformed what was once a popular space capable of accommodating crowds into an official site under security protection. Passers-by are subject to inspection, and sitting on benches is prohibited, effectively quashing any possibility of public protests.

Touted as turning Tahrir Square into an open-air museum, Tahrir Square has effectively become a tourist attraction devoid of any political or social significance.

This makeover of the square has come at a huge financial cost, with official putting the redevelopment work at 150 million Egyptian pounds (around $9.6 million by the then exchange rate), in addition to the cost of lighting the square at $3.6 million.

Several years later, in 2023, the Egyptian government began limiting electricity use with daily power cutbacks nationwide, , in response to surging demand and a shortage of natural gas.

The architectural changes of Tahrir Square align with the media narrative and Sisi's statements regarding the 25 January revolution as a destructive act. Some notable examples include his remarks in , where he stated that the “country was on the verge of destruction in 2011”. Months earlier, he that he considered the uprising as a "death certificate for the Egyptian state".

The revolution has even been for Ethiopia’s construction of the ��Grand��Ethiopian Renaissance��Dam (GERD).

Even though the ‘January Revolution’ (Thawrat Yanayir) remained present in the preamble of the , it associates 25 January with 30 June as a revolution, emphasising the "victory of the National Army” and "regaining the will of an independent nation".

This was in contrast to the preamble of Egypt's 2012 constitution, which included praise for the 2011 uprising in phrases such as "This is our constitution" and "The document of the January 25th Revolution, ignited by our youth, embraced by our people, and supported by our armed forces".��

Despite the vast urban and visual changes to Tahrir Square since 2011, a collective consciousness remains connected to it. This was perhaps most evident in October 2023, when packed into the square, after breaching security barriers, to protest against Israel’s war on Gaza.

For many Egyptian activists, this was a scene of victory: the revival of the memory of the revolution, even if the physical space that embodied their hopes no longer exists.

Shaimaa Elhadidy is an Egyptian investigative journalist and human rights defender based in Istanbul.

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