Kodak Agfa presents : Christmas 2024 in Cairo's Korba

"Tis the season" because it is one of the annual posts Egyptian Chronicles: The Christmas in Egypt post.

Despite the genocides in Palestine and Sudan as well as the developments in Syria and Yemen, I am trying to keep those posts so I would not fall into that dark hole of a depressing news cycle without any hope.

There is always hope

Also, in solidarity with Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and the annual controversial photo of his Christmas tree, I share those photos from Cairo.

God knows I am not a Mo Salah fangirl, but I got bored from the annual attack on Egypt’s national team captain and Liverpool right winger for the wrong reasons.

You can attack and criticize lots of issues, like for instance the lack of true and real support to Gaza and its people. “Salah is said to donate a big sum of money to the Gaza relief but that’s not enough when we are speaking about a true genocide just like other stars like Sam Morsy and Gary Linker”

This year I want to visit the famous Korba area in the Heliopolis district to see its famous Christmas decorations.

Christmas decorations in Korba 

This year, the Korba’s Christmas decorations became the talk of Egypt on social media, specifically that one building.

Christmas decorations in Korba 

This building is on Baghdad Street, which is about two blocks away from the Presidential Palace ala Al-Ittihadiya Palace.

The street of the building was jammed more than usually

The Christmas tree made on the building was dedicated to architect Ashraf Shoukry who passed away two years ago.

The tree was dedicated to Ashraf Shoukry

Shoukry was a pioneer in renovating the original Heliopolis-style buildings including this particular building via his company AlCayan Real Estate Investment Company.

Another shot for the tree

AlCayan Company also played a role in the annual Christmas decorations custom in Heliopolis as far as I understand. It is an excellent move. 

I hope other companies like Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment which owns and renovates many buildings in Downtown Cairo do the same thing during Christmas as well as Ramadan.

Baghdad Street was truly jammed as young people gathered to snap photos as well as selfies of the building.

Tens of youth stood everywhere in the street to get a shoot

Those young people paid visits to the cafes and restaurants all over the street which paid off by this little small gesture.

The famous Mandarin Koueider branch was full 

 Yup, the famous Mandarin Koueider Korba branch is in front of the building and it was packed.

Needless to the car drivers did not like the fact that the street was packed with scores of people standing in the middle of the street to snap the perfect shot.

It was a bit hard for drivers

There was another Heliopolis-style building right behind the famous Heliopolis‘s Basilique de Notre Dame aka Our Lady of Heliopolis Co-Cathedral or as commonly known by the Heliopolitans the Basilica.

The Christmas decorations were hung by a restaurant in the building.

The building behind the Basilica 

There was a Christmas tree outside the Basilique de Notre Dame but I could not snap its photo due to traffic as it was put inside the island in front of the historical famous co-cathederal 

The Basilica is currently being renovated.

Those buildings are the original Heliopolis-style building, which is an Egyptian architectural style building.

A revival style, it is a mix of  Medieval Egyptian Revival, Moorish Revival, Persian Revival, and European Neoclassical architecture styles.

You can not ignore the beauty of the building itself 

It was created by Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oases Company , which established the Heliopolis district in the early 20^th century.

I do not know why we stopped using that style in our buildings and expanded in using it.

In a way, Heliopolis was one of the first open compounds. It was not a gated community but rather an upscale one.

The Heliopolis style along with the neo-classical European style buildings
in the same shot. 

I do not know when Heliopolis as a district started the custom of decorating the buildings like that, but it is a recent custom.

Some say it started during the Mubarak era when his wife, ex-first Lady Suzanne Mubarak headed the Heliopolis Association till April 2011. “She resigned from her position then, there was also an investigation into her conduct in the association as people accused her of embezzlement, but no evidence had been found by the prosecution during then.”

A proud Heliopolitan who was raised and lived in the upscale district in her youth then after becoming the first lady, she moved to live in Ittihadiya Palace or as commonly in Mubarak’s time Al-Oroba Palace aka Heliopolis Palace.

Suzanne Mubarak celebrated Heliopolis and its heritage, especially in the last ten years of her husband’s rule.

I remember she organized a festival there and there was a special interest in reviving the heritage of the famous district built by Baron Empain.

By the way, this post is not out of date because in Egypt we usually hang up the Christmas decorations from mid-December till 7 January so it would cover the Western Churches and Eastern Churches as well as New Year.

It covers all that period.

Anyhow Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.