Mohammed Ali Street

It is famous street in Cairo and the most of people who live there are singers, musicians and dancers especially oriental dancers so this street has long history over two hundred years.

This street has many old theaters and belly dance halls which was very famous place during British occupation of Egypt during the beginnings of previous century where the British soldiers spent their vacations or their nights in these cabarets and drink wines during their watching belly dancers.

The history has many events related to this street because this street had many famous theaters which show many plays and Drama for many famous Egyptian artists so if you visit this street you will see many old stores for musical instruments and many old pictures for different Egyptian artists from different time stages especially from the early twenties until the end of the fifties.

In this period this street was full of energy and different nationalities plus Egyptians too because this street every night show many different kinds of art such as singing, music, acting and dance.

This street has special story where it’s beginning come back to over two hundred years during the rule of Mohammed Ali Pasha of Egypt.

When Mohammed Ali Pasha take over the rule of Egypt at the beginning of year 1802 he found many of Mamluks opposed to his rule of Egypt he decided to get rid of them where he invited them in the castle for great feast but they discovered he invited them to kill them.

Actually he killed them except one escaped through jumping with his horse above the wall of castle and this day called castle massacre.

All these Mamluks were warlords and their huge entourage of slaves and concubines of dancers and singers in their palaces.

After the castle massacre these dancer and singers found them without anyone can give them money so they decided to leave these palaces and live in this street.

In the beginning these dancers and singers show their arts for ordinary people through the parties such as weddings.

Since this time this street became famous of singers and dancers and it became like important place for all people interest with music or Drama and many famous Egyptian artists came from this street.