Egyptian Opera House in Cairo: History, Venues, Performances & Visitor Guide
The Egyptian Opera House, known in Arabic as Dar el-Opera el-Masreyya and widely called the Cairo Opera House, is the capital's main performing arts venue. It stands on the southern part of Gezira Island in the Nile, in the Zamalek area close to downtown Cairo. The complex is part of Egypt's National Cultural Centre, which operates under the Ministry of Culture. For anyone planning an evening of music, ballet or opera in Cairo, this is where the city's performing arts come together.
The story begins with a loss. The original Khedivial Opera House, commissioned to mark the Suez Canal celebrations and opened in 1869, was a wooden landmark in central Cairo. It later hosted the 1871 premiere of Verdi's Aida, and it was destroyed by fire in 1971. For years Cairo had no dedicated opera house of that scale, until the present building rose on Gezira Island as its successor.
The new house was made possible by a gift from Japan, following President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Japan in April 1983. Japanese and Egyptian architects worked together, with cooperation between Egypt's Ministry of Culture and JICA. Construction began in May 1985 on the former Gezira Exhibition Grounds and lasted about three years. The house was inaugurated on 10 October 1988 by President Mubarak and Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. The opening included a Kabuki performance, the first time Japan staged Kabuki in Africa or the Arab world.
Today the complex holds several stages. The Main Hall, with about 1,200 seats, hosts opera, ballet and classical concerts. A smaller hall is used for chamber events, film screenings and conferences, and the Open Air Theatre, with about 600 seats, is often used for popular concerts in the warmer months. The grounds also include art galleries, a music library and an opera museum, and the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art stands on the same grounds, so a visit can easily combine a performance with a cultural walk.
The Opera House is the home of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, the Cairo Opera Company, the Cairo Ballet Company, the Cairo Opera Choir and the National Arabic Music Ensemble. That mix means the programme can range from Western classical repertoire to Arabic music in the same season. International artists also perform here; the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London chose it for its first performance in the Middle East and Africa in January 2007.
The National Cultural Centre also extends beyond Gezira. Its network includes the Alexandria Opera House, the Damanhour Opera House, the Gomhouria Theatre and the Arab Music Institute, and Cairo Opera House companies perform at several of these venues. Educational programmes sit alongside the concerts, which makes the institution a place for learning as well as for audiences.
