Abstract
This article looks into the meaning of Tahrir Square before, during, and after the January 25 revolution. We employ Lefebvre's conceptual triad of space to understand how space is not merely a physical form, but also the product of relations between natural and social objects in this space. To understand how these relations changed dramatically after January 25, we will draw on Sewell's insight into how space is a constituent aspect of contentious politics. We discuss the way in which the political space of Tahrir Square went through distinct phases during and after the Egyptian revolution, from counter-space, to eventually a change in the conceived space of Tahrir Square, but not according to the principles of the newly created lived space during the 18 days.
Highlights
This article looks into the meaning of Tahrir Square before, during, and after the January 25 revolution
ArAb StudieS QuArterly important part of political struggle. Giving attention to this idea enables us to understand the different events during the Arab Spring and its aftermath, and adds theory of political space to the area of Middle Eastern studies and functions, as such, as a starting point for more in-depth research on this subject in the context of the Middle East
We will discuss the way in which the political space of Tahrir Square went through distinct phases during and after the Egyptian revolution
Summary
A common way to proceed is to consider the theory of contentious politics. Lefebvre’s conceptual triad offers a framework that explains how contentious politics can change the political meaning of a particular space.8 It states that the perceived space, or the physical space as we see it and deal with it, is itself the product of the way in which this space was and is designed top-down by planners, social engineers, and technocrats. In the case of contentious politics, and in particular in the case of an occupation as part of a transgressive act of contention, the lived space can become radically different from the conceived space, and is likely to have an effect on the physical space as well In these circumstances, one would speak of a counter-space: a space where social processes are regulated in a manner different from how it was conceived and perceived prior to the event. We should first provide a concise historical overview of Tahrir Square and its urban surroundings and the square’s relationship to political order and struggle
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