Unknown Soldier Memorial, Cairo

This monument in the Nasr City district honors Egypt's war dead and takes the form of a large hollow pyramid of concrete, a modern echo of the country's ancient tombs. Beneath it lies the grave of President Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated nearby at a military parade in 1981 and buried opposite the reviewing stand where he fell. Guards keep watch at the site, which serves as a place of official ceremony. Its stark geometric form links modern national memory to the enduring symbolism of the pyramid.