Downtown DistrictAlexandria Governorate
العربية
Arts & cultureSayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House

Arts & cultureThe cosmopolitan city

Sayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House

On Fouad Street, Sayed Darwish Theatre carries forward the story of the Mohamed Ali Theatre, opened in 1921, and the city’s musical and theatrical life.

The cosmopolitan city
1921 — the Mohamed Ali Theatre
Opening hours
Open for performances; box office daily from 10:00
Tickets
Prices vary by performance; student rates available
Administrative section
El Attarin
Open in maps(External link)Its place in time

Image credits

What sets it apart

A Neo-classical Ionic front whose founding plaque still records the old name, Teatro Mohamed Ali, with a European opera-house auditorium.

7 documented memories

Its place in time

The cosmopolitan city · 1860 – 1950

The district at the height of its plurality: Greek, Italian, French, Levantine, Jewish and Armenian communities; the tram, theatres, hotels and cafés; classical, Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings.

  1. Fouad Street — the Canopic Way331 BC — the Canopic Way
  2. Roman Theatre at Kom El DikkaRoman era, most likely 4th century — uncovered in 1964
  3. Shallalat GardensOn the line of the 9th-century wall, under Ibn Tulun
  4. Remains of the Alexandria City Wall9th century — under Ibn Tulun
  5. Misr Railway StationThe railway from the 1850s — present building 1927
  6. Mahatet El Raml & Saad Zaghloul SquareFrom 1863 — the Ramleh line’s terminus
  7. The Alexandria Tram1863
  8. Eliyahu Hanavi SynagogueRebuilt in the 19th century — foundation plaque dated 1881
  9. Graeco-Roman Museum1892
  10. The Statue of Nubar PashaUnveiled in 1904, according to a museum record
  11. The Windsor Palace Hotel1906, by the hotel’s own account
  12. Cavafy MuseumCavafy’s home from 1907 to 1933
  13. The Lycée Al-Horreya1909–1910 — the Shatby building from 1913
  14. Sayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House1921 — the Mohamed Ali Theatre
  15. Alexandria National MuseumLate-1920s palace — museum since 2003
  16. The Cecil Hotel1929
  17. Museum of Fine Arts1954
  18. Bibliotheca Alexandrina2002
  • Ancient Alexandria331 BC – 7th century AD
  • The Islamic centuries7th century – 1805
  • The Mohamed Ali revival1805 – 1860
  • The cosmopolitan city1860 – 1950
  • Contemporary Alexandria1950 – today
The Lycée Al-Horreya building and its long front on Tariq El Horreya
Before it in timeThe Lycée Al-Horreya1909–1910 — the Shatby building from 1913
The white façade and double staircase of the Alexandria National Museum on Tariq El Horreya
After it in timeAlexandria National MuseumLate-1920s palace — museum since 2003

Highlights

  • 1A design modelled on the Vienna opera and the Odéon
  • 2The Sayed Darwish name
  • 3The annual symphonic season
  • 4The Fouad Street façade

The story

  1. French architect Georges Parcq designed the theatre with inspiration from the Vienna State Opera and the Odéon in Paris. Its façade and auditorium reflect that connection with European theatre architecture.

  2. The theatre carries the name of Sayed Darwish, the Alexandrian composer who led the Arab musical renaissance, and now houses the Alexandria Opera.

  3. The stage hosts music, opera, ballet and theatre events. Check the published programme for performances, times and admission details.

  • The façade of the Sayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House on Fouad Street
    The façade of the Sayed Darwish Theatre — Alexandria Opera House on Fouad Street

Memories of the place

Every memory is taken from a published, documented source.

  1. 1918

    Building began in the reign of Sultan Fuad I, and the theatre was named the Mohamed Ali Theatre.

  2. 1918–1921

    The French architect Georges Parcq designed the building in the Ionic style for the Qardahi family, after the Vienna State Opera and the Odéon in Paris.

  3. 30 June 1921

    The Teatro Mohamed Ali staged its first performance, “Scheherazade”.

  4. 1962

    It was renamed the Sayed Darwish Theatre in honour of the pioneer of Arab music.

  5. 1990

    The theatre was registered as an Islamic monument by Prime Ministerial Decree No. 449 of 1990.

  6. 2000

    After years of neglect, the building was put on Egypt’s Heritage List and extensive renovation work began.

  7. 2004

    The Sayed Darwish Theatre reopened after restoration, in the presence of President and Mrs Hosni Mubarak.

Around it

© OpenStreetMap

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