Al-Ahram Fire: A huge fire destroyed the historic studio in “Hollywood on the Nile”
Momen Samir/AFP/Getty Images
The fire swept through one of the finest and oldest film production studios in the Arab world, which was founded 80 years ago, burning everything inside and spreading to three neighboring buildings.
CNN
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A major fire broke out at the famous 80-year-old Al-Ahram Studio in Cairo, causing extensive damage and spreading to neighboring buildings on Saturday morning, according to the Egyptian Al-Ahram news website.
Al-Ahram added that the fire, which took firefighters more than five hours to extinguish and led to the evacuation of nearby residential buildings, broke out just hours after the end of filming a Ramadan series.
The report said: “The studio was destroyed, including the decorations, wood, places designated for filming, and the corridors.”
Video clips circulated on Egyptian media sites showed the studio site and its surrounding buildings completely affected by the fire.
No deaths were reported and many of the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment, according to official media.
Momen Samir/AFP/Getty Images
A firefighter cools the area while it continues to burn.
Egypt has long dominated the Arab film industry, calling it “Hollywood on the Nile,” producing international stars such as the late actor Omar Sharif and the late director Youssef Chahine.
Founded in 1944, Al-Ahram Studio has been a cornerstone of the film and television industry – boasting three production stages, a screening room and an editing suite across its 27,000 square meter campus.
The studio was instrumental in producing countless Egyptian films and television series, making it an important cultural asset.
The Public Prosecution in Egypt has begun an investigation into the causes of the fire that broke out in one of the oldest film production houses in the Arab world, according to official media reports.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Culture Nevin Kilani visited the site to inspect the losses and their impact on the surrounding area.
Madbouly announced that each family affected by the fire in nearby buildings will receive 15,000 Egyptian pounds (about $300) to help rent apartments until their apartments are repaired, the State Information Service reported on Saturday.
