1945 Survey of Egypt City Plan or Map of Cairo, Egypt

This is a 1945 British army Survey of Egypt city plan or map of Cairo, Egypt made for British use in World War II (1939 - 1945). The map was prepared as a resource for British soldiers stationed in Cairo, It offers remarkable insights into British military life in Cairo during the war. Color coding defines zones permitted to British personnel and those that were strictly off-limits. The white zones at the center of the map highlight where British soldiers could move freely, while pink zones were 'out-of-bounds'. Red buildings 'in-bounds' highlight sites of interest for British personnel, including cinemas, the Royal Opera House, and numerous clubs. Other sites include the Y.M.C.A., the Royal Air Force Post Office, the Headquarters of British Troops in Egypt, and the British barracks. An index in the upper left lists the clubs, institutes, churches, museums, cinemas, theaters, and other important locations, along with the grid location of each.

The British in Egypt

The British occupation of Egypt began in 1882 after the Orabi Revolt. Britain remained in control of Egypt until 1922, when the British recognized Egyptian independence. Even after independence, British troops remained in Egypt, to defend the Suez Canal. During World War II, British forces in North Africa operated out of Cairo, with hundreds of thousands of British troops passing through the city to engage Rommel's Afrika Korps. Cairo also hosted U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek for a conference to discuss the war against Japan and the future of Asia.

Publication History and Census

Two editions of this map were published. The first edition was created by the Survey of Egypt and published in 1943. The second edition, of which the present example is representative, was published in March 1945 by the 512 Field Survey Company of the Royal Engineers for the British Army. Nine examples are cataloged worldwide and are part of the collections at Columbia University, the Library of Congress, the University of Utah, the University of Oxford, the National Library of Israel, the University of Auckland, the National Library of New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington, and the University of Queensland.