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Fans of postmodernist architecture should check out the Cairo Opera House , which is near Tahrir Bridge and directly connected to the metro (the station is called "Opera", but is confusingly marked as "Gezira" on the metro-map). Outwardly Islamic in style, its interior melds pharaonic motifs with elements of the Baroque opera houses of the nineteenth century: an audacious blend of Oriental and Occidental by Japanese architect Koichiro Shikida. A US$30 million gift from Japan, it was built in 1988, belatedly replacing the old building on Midan Opera, which burned down in 1971. Off to the right as you walk towards the Opera House is the Modern Art Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-1pm & 5-9pm, Fri 10am-noon; GBPE10), which displays paintings, sculptures and graphics by Egyptian artists since 1908; there is always something new on show. Following Sharia Tahrir towards the west bank, you'll pass the old Gezira Exhibition Grounds with their dilapidated pavilions housing the Gezira Museum (objets d'art collected by the royal family), the Museum of Egyptian Civilization (illustrating national history from pharaonic to modern times) and a Planetarium ; all are closed for long-term renovation. Across the road to the south, just before the Galaa Bridge, the Mukhtar Museum (also currently closed for restorations; tel 340-2519) honours the sculptor Mahmoud Mukhtar (1891-1934), who is buried in the basement. Working in bronze and marble, he created several patriotic sculptures, including the "Renaissance of Egypt" monument that welcomes drivers into Dokki. The 27-storey El-Gezirah Sheraton at the southern tip of the island can be reached by slip roads from the Tahrir and Galaa bridgeheads. On public holidays, a fountain in the middle of the Nile between Gezira and Roda shoots an immense jet of water into the sky.
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