Al-Zilzal Informal Street Market – Mokattam

The Cairo Governorate carried out the demolition of Al-Zilzal Informal Street Market in the Mokattam area on Friday, April 26, 2025, as part of its plan to regulate informal markets in the district.
The demolition was overseen by Dr. Ibrahim Saber, Deputy Governor of Cairo for the Southern Area, with the participation of several governorate leaders and executive authorities.

According to the Cairo Governorate, the removal came after years of the market’s unregulated presence, its failure to meet health and safety requirements, and the environmental hazards caused by random electrical connections, which posed a direct threat to the site and surrounding residents.

Despite the informal nature of Al-Zilzal Street Market, the Diwan Alomran team spoke with several Mokattam residents, who said the market had provided them with goods—especially vegetables—at lower prices than other shops in Mokattam.

In March 2025, the governorate began delivering the first batch of contracts for new shops to the vendors slated for relocation from Al-Zilzal Informal Street Market to newly established alternative markets in Mokattam: Ammar Ibn Yasser Market and Abdel Majid Mahmoud Market.

Ammar Ibn Yasser Market spans 5 feddans and includes 95 shops of 18 m² each, offering activities such as selling fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, groceries, spices, eggs, baked goods, grilled foods, cleaning products, and plastics. The market also features 4 bakeries, 20 outdoor shops, a cafeteria, 2 grills, a shaded area, and 5 parking zones.

Abdel Majid Mahmoud Market consists of 4 commercial malls housing 222 shops and a cafeteria. Both markets are equipped with automatic alarm systems, fire-fighting measures, and utilities including water, electricity, and sewage services.