Yacoubian Building (Cairo)

The Yacoubian Building (Arabic: عمارة يعقوبيان, Édifice Yacoubian) is a mixed-use building in Downtown Cairo, Egypt, built in 1937.[1] Located on No. 34 on Talaat Harb Street, Cairo,[2] the Art Deco style edifice was named after its Lebanese-Armenian owner and businessman Hagop Yacoubian. The architect of the building was Garo Balian.

Cairo - Downtown - Talaat Harb Street, the Yacoubian building is on the left

The building served as a residence for Cairo's upper-class during the Kingdom of Egypt, home to cotton millionaires, members of the royal family, and foreign nationals. During and after the 1952 revolution the building was used as a domicile for Egyptian military officers and their wives. By the 1970s the building was transferred to mixed use, including shopfronts and offices.[3]

The Yacoubian Building at 24 Talaat Harb St, Cairo, in October 2022.

A fictionalised version of the building serves as a metaphor for Cairo's own deterioration in the 2003 Arabic language novel The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany.[4] The novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name, directed by Marwan Hamed.[5] A larger building, located on Talaat Harb Square was used for the exteriors.[6]

The Yacoubian Building in Beirut, Lebanon belonged to the same family.

References
  1. Netflix: Date of building structure
  2. Richardson, Dan (2007). The rough guide to Egypt (7 ed.). London, England: Rough Guides. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-84353-782-3.
  3. Buchan, James. "A street in the sky". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  4. Buchan, James. "A street in the sky". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  5. "BBC - Movies - review - the Yacoubian Building".
  6. "The Real Yacoubian Building". Foul for a fool. Retrieved 10 December 2022.

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