If you're planning on visiting Egypt to see the pyramids any time soon, you may have another monument to add to your list.
Last month, Egypt's Housing Minister announced plans for a 650-foot tall pyramid skyscraper that will be known as the Zayed Crystal Spark. Yes: a skyscraper pyramid. The term is more than just an accurate description of the Zayed Crystal Spark. Those two words perfectly sum up the contrast the building embodies between modern and ancient -- a contrast that besets the entire country.
The new building will be the tallest in the country. The Great Pyramid of Giza, by comparison, is 481-feet high. According to The Cairo Post, the Zayed Crystal Spark will be a multi-purpose building located in the Sheikh Zayed district outside of Cairo. “It is an administrative, commercial and entertainment project as it includes buildings for various purposes,” Egypt’s Minister of Housing Moustafa Madbouly said.
One of the biggest appeals of and points of fascination with the ancient pyramids is, of course, the mystery. This new one leaves little to the imagination. The structure is going to be made of glass and it's going to be flashy... there will be reflecting pools. From the photos, it looks less like it belongs in the same city as the ancient pyramids and more like it belongs in Las Vegas. Or, if not Vegas, perhaps "Egypt's new glitzy capital"? Here's a look:
Clarification: Language has been amended to describe the Sheikh Zayed district's relation to Cairo more accurately.
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