The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House (Arabic: دار الأوبرا الخديوية / ALA-LC: Dār Awbirā al-Khudaywī) was an opera house in Cairo, Egypt, the oldest opera house in all of Africa. It was inaugurated on 1 November 1869 and it burned down on 28 October 1971.
The opera house was built on the orders of the Khedive Ismail to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal. The Italian architect Pietro Avoscani (perhaps assisted by one Mario Rossi) designed the building. It seated approximately 850 people and was made mostly of wood. It was located between the districts of Azbakeya and Ismailyya in Egypt's capital city.
Verdi's opera Rigoletto was the first opera performed at the opera house on 1 November 1869. Ismail planned a grander exhibition for his new theatre. After months of delay due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Verdi's new opera, Aida (set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt), received its world premiere at the Khedivial Opera House on 24 December 1871.
In the early morning hours of 28 October 1971, the opera house burned to the ground. The all-wooden building was quickly consumed, and only two statues made by Mohamed Hassan survived.
After the original opera house was destroyed, Cairo was without an opera house for nearly two decades until the opening of the new Cairo Opera House in 1988.
The site of the Khedivial Opera House has been rebuilt into a multi-story concrete car garage. The square (to the south of Al Ataba metro station) overlooking the building's location, is still called Opera Square (Meidan El Opera)
Khedivial Opera House - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
Khedivial Opera House - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
Khedivial Opera House - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
Khedivial Opera House - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Khedivial Opera House | Museum Engineering
Category:Khedivial Opera House - Wikimedia Commons
Category:Khedivial Opera House - Wikimedia Commons
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House (Arabic: دار الأوبرا الخديوية / ALA-LC: Dār Awbirā al-Khudaywī) was an opera house in Cairo, Egypt, the oldest opera house in all of Africa. It was inaugurated on 1 November 1869 and it burned down on 28 October 1971.
Jun 16, 2013 · On the morning of Oct. 28, 1971, Egypt woke up to a shock: The Khedivial Royal Opera House was on fire. The 100-year-old, rococo-style architectural gem in downtown Cairo burned to ashes.
Jan 19, 2022 · The Khedivial Opera House was renamed the Royal Opera House after Egypt gained independence from British rule. Actor, filmmaker, and politician, Suleman Naguib directed the opera house from 1938 to 1954.
Design proposal for the reconstruction of the theater. To celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal, the Opera House was built in just six months as part of the pharaonic project of Khedive Ismail to make Cairo an elegant and thriving western metropolis.
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House (Arabic: دار الأوبرا الخديوية / ALA-LC: Dār Awbirā al-Khudaywī) was an opera house in Cairo, Egypt, the oldest opera house in all of Africa. It was inaugurated on 1 November 1869 and burned down on 28 October 1971.
Although the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo, Egypt, opened with Verdi’s Rigoletto, the Khedive of Egypt Isma’il Pasha commissioned the composer shortly thereafter to create a grand new work to premiere at the new opera house—the first such venue on the African continent.
Nov 19, 2019 · Built to seat 850 spectators, the Khedivial Opera House was a small-scale replica of the renowned Milan’s La Scala, itself constructed in 1778.
On 1 November 1869, the Khedivial Opera House was inaugurated in Azbakiya in central Cairo in the presence of European nobility and other dignitaries from all over the globe. Designed by Italian architect Pietro Avoscani, the opera house emulated La …
Feb 12, 2025 · Designed by Italian architect Pietro Avoscani, the Khedivial Opera House was opened on the occasion of the inauguration of the Suez Canal. The old Opera house was located in the Azbakiya district in central Cairo. In 1971, a fire …
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House (Arabic: دار أوبرا الخديوي) was an opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on 1 November 1869 and burned down on 28 October 1971. The opera house was built on the orders of the Khedive Ismail to celebrate the opening of …
