ET / Cairo, the “Turf Club” I have spent some days in Cairo and was looking for some spots related to WW2. I have to admit that I did actually not prepare until only a few hours before the aircraft took off… I came across the name “Turf Club”, saw it even marked in an old city map but then, when on the spot (or at least on the assumed spot) in the city, I could not really make out where it would have been. There are several hotels in the area where I think they could have been there already in the 1940ies. But naturally none of them hosts something like the “Turf Club” nowadays. So, I thought I my ask here in the forum, if anybody by accident would have some information about the precise location or eventually the hotel where the club was a part of… Many thanks for your assistance in advance.
Hi, Spotted this:- "The Turf Club, situated in the Sharia al-Maghrabi [now Adly] next to the self-respecting but architecturally painful Sephardi Synagogue, was the fenced city of refuge of the higher British community, many of whom spent anything between one and five hours daily within its walls. The Sporting Club at Gezira, on an admirable site presented in the eighties by the Khedive Tewfik and improved since then almost out of recognition, was the other British headquarters. It was difficult for foreigners to be elected and not easy for Egyptians even to make use of either Club; as I discovered by the glances cast in my direction when I came in with one of the few Egyptian members to play tennis." GEZIRA SPORTING CLUB MILESTONES, February 10-17, 1996 Regards
According to the services guide to cairo it was next door to the south african officers club which was at 34 sharia adly pasha. Services Guide to Cairo, book A better map from a later edition: Enlargement of area around the Turf Club:
Looking at google maps it is Swift Worldwide Insurance, Freight & Transport now, but probably knocked down and rebuilt since ww2?
Just a thought, if you're still in Cairo and have the time a photo of the Tipperary Club (or whatever it is now) would be good, Dad visited there in ww2. Its at top right in the second map I posted, opposite Esbekiah gardens.
Next time, I will take the old "Service Guide" with me. Here another witness of the old times in Egypt:
I know this is an old thread but thank you so much RemeDesertRat! I researching a story that my Grandad told me before he passed away about him narrowly avoiding a cinema explosion during his time stationed out there. That's all I had to go on at the start and the internet has provided me with the name of the cinema, the date, the film that was showing and now, thanks to your map, confirmation of the bar he was drinking at. I can't tell you how happy I am. Thank you.
