The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

A picture
is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to the January 25th revolution, pictures are worth millions of words. Still frames that express
anger, courage and even humour are what make Tahrir Square stand out.
The photography book displays the work of Swedish photographer Mia Gröndahl,
who took the photographs during her time in Tahrir throughout the January 25th revolution.

In Tahrir
Square, Egyptians debated, chanted and shouted their anger towards injustice and
poverty, demanding the removal of the old regime and refusing to leave before
it does. Gröndahl managed to capture all these emotions with her camera, as
well as in the words of people who witnessed and participated in the events.

One photo
shows the massive banner in the centre of the square that reads ‘People demand
the removal of the regime.’ Gathered around it were hundreds of thousands of Egyptian
protesters from every social class and gender. Another photo shows a child
carrying a sign that reads ‘Mubarak is stealing my future.’ The book is full of
similarly touching images, though some images and angles are repeated; thus somewhat redundant.

These emotions
aren’t only captured through pictures of children’s eyes or of an old man
shouting his lungs out in the square, but also told by writers, journalists, professors
and public figures who give their perspectives on the events in Tahrir. Their personal experiences are conveyed in an exciting and personal manner.

Tahrir
Square is a book
that will definitely get its reader lost in it; it’s also insightful to read
real stories from the square. However, with so many similar photography books
focusing on the revolution, Tahrir Square isn’t necessarily the most memorable
or the best quality in terms of images and content.