I love old buildings in general and you will find me weak in front of any old building in Egypt or in place in the world so you can imagine how I felt when I found out about the Eldorado cinema and theatre complex in Port Said. I really felt that as if I were a conquistador who found
the real Eldorado !!
Port Said online published a report in its culture section about
the forgotten and neglected Eldorado complex at the Nahda street. I was so surprised and shocked to see that beautiful cultural place turned in to a ghost place like , this can be turned in to a beautiful cultural center serving the city and the governorates in general like for example the Damanhur Opera house
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| Eldorado In its golden day |
The history of the complex starts in year 1896 by a Greek businessman and the complex was an opera house actually serving the foreigners in the newly found cosmopolitan city. In year 1922 a cinema was added to the Eldorado and according to what I understand it was a cinema and a theatre at the same time. Till the 1960s the Cinema and theatre were active , yes the audience changed from foreigners who enjoyed
La traviata to the Egyptians who enjoyed the
Naguib Al Rihani troupe’s plays.
In 1970s the building was added to Omar Effendi department store and was completely forgotten. As you can see from the photos taken by Mr. Waleed Montasser the building was not or is not used currently by Omar Effendi.
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| Eldorado Now |
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| ornaments are there after all these years |
I really hope that we save the Eldorado and start an online campaign or anything to restore its old beauty before someone greedy would demolish the building.
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| From inside and outside |
Photo Source :
Waleed Montasser from Port Said History
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Hi Z, You haven't posted about Helen Thomas lately so there isn't any place for me to mention this "on-topic" but I know many Egyptian Chronicles readers have a soft spot for her. My opinion is that she's a senile old coot who got fired for embarrassing her employer. Anyway, it turns out that even her own alma mater is embarrassed by her: Helen Thomas' school scraps award over 'Zionists' remark
ReplyDeletei spend many times when i was young in this cinema with my fellow greek friends try to save it please dont make a new parking .many thanks
ReplyDeleteDear
DeletePlease if you have more photos for port said
try to send it to me
thanks
ahmadmetwallet at yahoo
I am writing to you from Australia. My mother was born in Egypt and fondly remembers the "Eldorado" cinema and told me about how it was originally an opera house.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know if you have any photos of other picture theatres in the area. My mother remembers also the Kursal (correct spelling???), the Majestic and Empire theatres. My mother remembers the cartoons and Shirley Temple movies. She also recalls European movies for example Italian movies including Gina Lollabrigida (sorry if incorrect spelling). Generally the movies were subtitled in Arabic, English, French etc.
Are there any photos of these? Do these buildings still exist?
Dear
Deletehow are you
i am happy to meet somebody old to remember more about my city port said
the theater is there
but OPPPPPPPPPSSS ful of careless
my email: ahmadmetwalley at yahoo
if you like we can contact more if you need more photos for port said
and we can exchange more memories or photos
thanks