The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Cairo is filled to the brim with historical buildings, with some being a bit more famous than others. Today it’s about one of those underdogs, an underrated building that doesn’t get its fair share of attention or time in the spotlight. We’re talking about the historical Palace Cinema.

Located on the other side of the Heliopolis Presidential Palace, you’ll find this tall building with Palace transliterated in Arabic in a unique golden font. Unfortunately, you’ll see that the building is in a horrid state, with broken windows, faded paintings, and an overall aura of sadness. Yet something about it speaks of a huge story within those walls.

Fortunately, the historical cinema is set to witness massive renovation, as part of a larger Cairo-wide initiative to renovate historical buildings in general. This effort identifies buildings with a great historical value or a unique architectural style, and has already completed the renovation of a number of buildings in collaboration with Cairo’s District Authorities and an initiative to revive the heritage of Heliopolis, with support from a number of banks and institutions of civil societies.

This comes as a great step towards improving the streets of Cairo and shedding light on the rich, cultural heritage within its streets. With efforts like the Lived Here Campaign, Street Story Project, the plans to relocate some of Cairo’s most popular shopping areas, and the initiative to make Cairo streets more bicycle friendly, we could be seeing a whole new Cairo within a few years.