Egyptian Ministry of Culture Opens First Opera House in Port Said

In celebration of the June 30th uprising, the Ministry of Culture in Egypt is building an opera house in Port Said, the first of its kind in the city. The new opera house is considered a step towards establishing opera houses and cultural centers across Egypt, with the next opera house scheduled for construction in Luxor.

The opera house includes a main theatre with 1,200 seats, two movie theatres that can seat up to 500 viewers, meeting and conference rooms, a cafeteria, parking, and a library. The Egyptian Book House and the Egyptian General Book Authority are set to work together to supply the library with books. 

In a similar vein, the directorate of culture in the Gharbeya region will hold an arts and culture programme under the supervision of Sayed Khattab, the head of the General Authority of Cultural Palaces. The programme will include an exhibition of children’s paintings, “Revolution Through Children’s Eyes”. The exhibition will be hosted by the Child Culture Palace in Tanta. Similar exhibitions will be held in the Santa and Ghazl El Mahala cultural palaces, to allow a greater number of children to participate.

Port Said has been ranked second amongst Egyptian cities according to the Human Development Index in 2009 and 2010. The economic bases of the city are fishing and industry, such as the chemical industry, processed food, and cigarettes. Port Said is also an important harbour for exporting Egyptian products such as cotton and rice, but also a fueling station for ships that pass through the Suez Canal. It thrives on being a duty-free port, as well as a tourist resort especially during summer. It is also home to the lighthouse of Port Said (the first building in the world built from reinforced concrete).