Zamalek

{|align="right" |- ||thumb|Aerial view looking south, with the Zamalek and Gezira districts on Gezira Island, surrounded by the [[Nile.]] |- ||thumb|A boat on the Nile in the Zamalek area. |} Zamalek (, ) is a qism (ward) within the West District (hayy gharb) in the Western Area of Cairo, Egypt. It is an affluent district on a man-made island which is geologically a part of the west bank of the Nile River, with the ''bahr al-a'ma'' (Blind Canal) cut during the second half of the 19th Century to separate it from the west bank proper. The northern third has been developed into a residential area. The southern two thirds are mostly sports grounds and public gardens, a stark green reserve in the middle of Cairo. The island is connected with the river banks by four bridges: The Qasr El Nil Bridge, Galaa Bridge, 15 May Bridge and 6th October Bridge.

== Description == thumb|Gezira Island is home to the Cairo Opera House. The island is divided into a northern third that is fully urbanised, and generally referred to as Zamalek, same as the official qism name covering the entire island from 1983. And the southern, green two thirds that have sports grounds, parks and a cultural district, and is still colloquially referred to as Gezira (lit. island in Arabic), the original name of the island as is reflected in the names of many institutions there, for example the Gezira Sporting Club, Sofitel Cairo Nile El-Gezira Hotel, and the Gezira Police Station.