Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Google Street View Comes To Egypt

The tech giants announced today their rolling out of their popular 'street view' function, covering Egypt's best-known sights.

Staff Writer

Google Street View Comes To Egypt

Google Street view is finally here in Egypt. The web giant is now offering users the opportunity to visit some of the country's best known landmarks from the comfort of their arm chair. The 'treks' feature, embedded in Street View, will include the option to take a virtual wander around such word famous sights as the Pyramids of Giza, the Giza Necropolis and the Great Sphinx.

Elsewhere, you can also catch a birdseye view of the Abu Mena, Cairo Citadel and the Citadel of Qaitbay. Images were collected using 75-megapixel 360-degree panoramic cameras mounted on “Trekkers” — backpack-like mounts worn by team members as they walk, hike and climb through a given location.

Speaking about the project, Google Maps Street View programme manager Amita Khattri explained the mammoth task of taking on Egypt. She said: “It was a unique experience for us as well, because the equipment really got tested in the heat."

"The captured scenes collected by the Trekkers were then stitched together into panoramas so that the result is seamless.  This process, which also includes blurring of faces and license plates, can take anywhere from a month to several months, depending on the area being captured and the conditions under which the images were made."

The scheme could be rolled soon be rolled out to cover other Egyptian locations including the Greater Cairo area and Alexandria.