BUILDING HISTORY
The building was constructed in 1908, then the renowned coffeeshop Cafe Rich was register dand owned by the Frenchman Pierre-Henri Ressigne in 1914. Ownership was later passed on to a Greeknational, Michael Nikolai Politis, who incorporated a theatre within the café and hosted a young singer who was later known as Umm Khultum.
Politis then sold the café to George Basile Avayianos, and ownership was then passed to Abdel-Malak Mikhail Salib in 1962, who became the first Egyptian owner of Café Riche.
From its inception, Café Riche mirrored the history of Downtown Cairo and served as a vital social and cultural meeting point. It hosted leading figures in literature, art, and thought—Naguib Mahfouz, Taha Hussein, Ahmed Shawqi, and Yusuf Idris and played a pivotal role in Egypt’s cultural and political movements.
Restoration Process: Adaptive Reuse Model
In 2008, Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment acquired the 29 Hoda Shaarawi Building building to preserve its distinctive social and cultural impact, however, Cafe Riche is still intact and remains with its owners. The company began the buildings' renovation and restoration in 2020 to safeguard its heritage value and revive it with a contemporary spirit that respects its original character.
Future Plans
