Millions of exuberant Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo this morning for a 'victory march' to celebrate the end of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Egypt's official state news agency, which before Mubarak's downfall had largely ignored or played down protests, said that more than two million people were in Tahrir Square.
Tanks and armoured vehicles were deployed at the entrances to the sprawling square which was packed tightly with marchers.
Hundreds of thousands also joined rallies across Egypt, which are being seen as a memorial to the 365 people who died in the uprising.
Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi, a Qatar-based preacher and one of the first to back the revolution, said fear had been lifted from Egyptians by the 18-day revolution and he was confident the Higher Military Council 'would not betray the nation.'
'I call on the Egyptian army to liberate us from the government that Mubarak formed,' Qaradawi told the faithful at noon prayers in Tahrir Square, after which the huge crowd cheered and waved national flags in jubilation.
However many citizens are wary as the cabinet now in place is largely the same as one that Mubarak appointed shortly before he stepped down from the presidency.
The revolution in Egypt has influenced many countries in the region. Protests have erupted in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Iran and Iraq, taking their cue from Egypt - and Tunisia before it.
Life in Egypt is still far from normal a week after the popular uprising focused on Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, with tanks on the streets, banks closed, workers on strike, schools shut and protests against the government.
With the Higher Military Council facing demands to free political prisoners and to lift emergency rules after dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution, all eyes are on the military's careful management of tghe rallies around Egypt.
The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group which says it is committed to democracy, is seen as the only truly organised bloc in Egypt and believes it could win up to 30% of votes in a free election. The Brotherhood also warned of the need to protect the gains from the revolution.
