Café
Riche, a Memory of a nation
A Theatre, a restaurant, and a coffee shop
On
Talaat Harb Street in Cairo, you can't miss Café Riche one of Cairo's most
historic and popular coffeeshops. Café Riche had a
role in the evolution of political, cultural and artistic life in Egypt. Many
cultural and political seminars were held in the presence of famous Egyptian
intellectuals among them were Taha Hussein, El-Akkad, and Naguib Mahfouz.
Café
Riche was founded by the Austrian businessman Bernard senberkh in 1914. Then it
was sold to the French man Henry Risney who gave it the name "Riche".
After a while, Mr. Henry sold it to Gorge Evanos, a Greek man, who renovated
the place. The café ended to become the
property of an Egyptian man from Upper Egypt called Abdel El-Malak
Mikhail. After his death, his heirs
redesigned the whole place to preserve its history and heritage. The café
overlooked Suleiman Pasha Square and used to have an illuminated garden which
hosted a classical orchestra band to play every night.
Café Riche, a cellar and a theatre
After
the 1992 Cairo's earthquake, a cellar was discovered at the café, said the
current owner Magdy Abdel Malek. Inside the cellar, they found a printer which
was used in printing secret publications of the Egyptian revolution of 1919.
Café
Riche wasn't just ordinary café. It was the home to intellectuals, writers and
artists such as Taha Hussein and Abbas El-Akkad. In the 40s Louis Awad and
Ramses Younan used to visit the café followed them in the 90s Naguib Mahfouz,
Salah Jahin, Abbas El-Aswani, Umm Kulthum, and Riyadh Al Sunbati along with
politicians who gathered to discuss the country's affairs.
The
café was also a theatre that hosted several concerts. In the café lobby, Aziz
Eid 's ensemble performed many of his plays.
Café Riche, an inspiration for authors Riche
café with its unique characteristics motivated the imagination of its visitors
especially artists and authors on top of them were Ramses Younan and the
scriptwriter Osama Anwar OKasha who inspired his popular show Laily El-Helmia
from the café visitors.
Some of
the café visitors said that the two Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel El-Nasser
and Anwar El-Sadat often visited the café. Other renowned figures like Egyptian
poet Ahmed Fouad Negm and Egyptian novelist Gamal Al-Ghitany were also regulars.
Umm Kulthum on Café Riche stage
On 23
May 1923, Café Riche announced in "El-Mokattam Newspaper" that the
café is going to host Egypt's Star of the East Umm Kulthum and encouraged
people to book their places.
