Cairo has undergone so much change in the last 40 years that it is difficult to visualise what it once was. The story of the Semiramis Hotel in Egypt is a fascinating journey through time, reflecting the changing landscape of Cairo and Alexandria. From its grand beginnings to its modern-day incarnation, the Semiramis has been a landmark of luxury and a witness to significant historical events. This article explores the history and facilities of the Semiramis Hotel, both in Cairo and Alexandria, highlighting its importance in Egyptian tourism.
Cairo's skyline along the Nile River.
The Original Semiramis Hotel in Cairo
As one of the original Nile riverfront properties, the first incarnation of Semiramis Hotel was opened by a well-established Swiss hotelier in 1907, set in a luxurious neighborhood filled with the massive homes of the world's elite. Semiramis Hotel was inaugurated in 1907 in Kasr El-Doubara, an area of gardens and gracious town houses. The hotel was the brainchild of Swiss hotelier Bucher-Durrer who owned a chain of hotels in Europe including Rome Quirinale, the Palace in Milan and several prestigious hotels in Switzerland. The supervising architect of the six-story hotel was Italian engineer Tuilo Parvis. His cabinet on Madabegh (today Cherif) Street was among the most prominent in Cairo. The project contractor was the Belgian-run firm of Padova, Leon Rollin & Co., well known for their major undertakings across Egypt.
Before a decree was promulgated for the protection of the historical buildings of Cairo, a great many hotels were demolished to make way for new ones. Semiramis was one of them. This was a great loss because it was landmark of the city, a meeting place of the intelligentsia, a place where afternoon tea on the broad open terrace overlooking the Nile was a tradition. There are no gardens in Garden City today, and its winding circular roads are so congested with traffic that it is difficult to visualise a time in which it deserved its name.
A Social Apogee
During the last years of the 19th and those of the early 20th century, Cairo attained a social apogee. To the well-heeled, affluent and well-connected, a winter in Egypt was a social adventure difficult to resist. “Cairo’s winter world was one of great receptions and intensive socialising,” the book says. “Every major hotel held a splendid ball at least once a week. Thus the Semiramis Ball was on Saturday, Shepheard’s on Wednesday and so on.
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True to their word, Padova, Rollin Co. delivered the Edwardian-styled hotel to Bucher-Durrer in time for a meticulously planned but short-lived dry run. The widely attended gathering brought together Cairo's leading officials and residents. On hand to greet the inaugural guests, were Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Bucher and Mr. Max Bucher. buffet was laid out for the occasion in the Hotel's central halls as the 2nd. Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers band played familiar tunes.
Impact of Wars and Revolution
With the outbreak of World War I, an era ended and another started as far as the history of Egypt and Egyptian tourism was concerned. The book reveals that “Cairo took no precautions and uninhibitedly carried on its way of life. But the tourists were replaced by a new kind of visitor. The city had become the main war base of the Eastern Mediterranean battle area. Gatherings in Cairo included Australian and New Zealand armed forces, as well as soldiers from the Indian Empire and troops brought back from the muddy battlefields of northern France.
The Queen of the Nile describes how tourists - a different kind of tourist - returned to Egypt after the war. They were less affluent and could no longer afford prolonged winters. The aristocrat from Europe was replaced by a breed of war profiteers. The tomb of Tutankhamun in the 1920s was a tourist bonanza. There is no doubt about that. The treasures of the Pharaonic king caught the imagination of the world and tourists flocked to gaze in wonder at the superb workmanship of Ancient Egyptian goldsmiths and the incredibly rich funerary furniture. Egypt also became a favourite destination for literary figures like Britain’s Agatha Christie, Finnish Mika Waltari who wrote his best-selling Sinouhi the Egyptian, Freya Stark, the noted traveller and explorer, and French writers like Jean Cocteau, Andre Gide, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Celebrities included Agha Khan with his wife who came regularly, and film stars Douglas Fairbanks and his wife.
With the eruption of World War II everything changed. Cairo became the home of a large expatriate British community because it was the Middle East supply centre, and the book describes how the Semiramis and other hotels of Cairo “offered solace, comfort and entertainment to the embattled crowd of resident expatriates. They served the morale of both civilian and military personnel snatching a few hours leave from the battlefields almost within sound of the guns of Alamein where men were dying”. They began to provide a new service: ballrooms. Some of its old and faithful clients like the Agha Khan drifted back. It was attended by Prince Ali Khan and his companion, the glamorous Rita Hayworth. The event coincided with the polo season. This prestigious game attracted the visit of the polo-playing Maharaja of Jaipur who came accompanied by his attractive wife. Semiramis roof became the ‘in’ place for Egyptian upper-class society.
To quote the text of Queen of the Nile, “Under a full moon, one danced in a magic world overlooking the Nile. One tangoed, waltzed, fox-trotted those intimate dances of the recent past. After the revolution of 1952, the pace and quality of life changed. The call for a new modern establishment on the bank of the Nile was heard. Old-fashioned luxury such as the Semiramis offered was considered uneconomic. Semiramis, and all that the name meant, has gone.
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Unique Features of the Original Hotel
What was new and particular to this hotel characterized by its snow white facade was its roof garden, a first in flat arid Egypt. written up in countless interwar novels and biographies. roof garden took in the Giza Pyramids and endless palm groves. they watched as heavily laden fellucas sailed down the Nile.
One of the hotel's last attention- getting event took place in February 1955 when the Aga Khan III was weighed for the last time in precious metal on the occasion of the 71th (platinum+1) year of his Imamate. In the 1970s, Cairo's first all-year round Nileside hotel was pulled down to make way for the new Semiramis Intercontinental.
The Modern Semiramis Intercontinental in Cairo
The glitzy Semiramis Intercontinental with modern facilities which has sprung up in its place is particularly popular with Arab tourists and upgrade tour groups from America. Nubian waiters have been replaced by smart suited waiters. Today, it continues its role as one of the city's grande dames. Semiramis housed and entertained such illustrious guests for nearly 50 years and served as military support through both WWI and WWII.
Semiramis Hotel Alexandria
Situated around 5 minutes' walk from the 3-star Semiramis Hotel Alexandria---- Families Only, guests can reach Caesareum of Alexandria in no time. Boasting a location right near the massive Al Qaaed Ibrahim Basha Mosque, this budget hotel features 33 rooms as well as a restaurant. The hotel is 900m from Graeco-Roman Museum, while Palais d'Antoniadis is 4.8 km away. From the accommodation it will take a mere 13 minutes to walk to El Nabi Daniel Mosque. This Alexandria hotel stands 2.6 km from the Egyptian Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, popular with pilgrims and tourists alike. For those travelling from afar, El Nouzha airport is 10 minutes' drive away. The rooms at the Semiramis Alexandria include an air conditioner, as well as media facilities like a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Guests may find the café Brazilian Coffee just around the corner from this Alexandria property. Please, select dates to see available rooms. Write a review al-Dubara.
Here is a summary of the facilities and nearby attractions of Semiramis Hotel Alexandria:
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| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Al Qaaed Ibrahim Basha Mosque |
| Rooms | 33 rooms |
| Facilities | Restaurant, air conditioning, flat-screen TV with satellite channels |
| Nearby Attractions | Caesareum of Alexandria, Graeco-Roman Museum, Palais d'Antoniadis, El Nabi Daniel Mosque, Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque |
| Airport | El Nouzha Airport (10 minutes' drive) |
Al Qaaed Ibrahim Basha Mosque in Alexandria, near Semiramis Hotel.
In 1910 Bucher-Durrer sold his controlling shares in the Société Suisse Egyptienne des Hotels en Egypte to fellow Swiss Monsieur Charles Baehler who immediately entrusted his manager Mr. Wirth. and the famed Shepheards. Luxor respectively. The Semiramis and its legendary roof garden outlived Baehler by another 40 years.
Description The hotel surrounded by lush gardens nearby Citystars, an hour away from Stars Centre Mall, City Center Mall and Basilica Church.
I Stay In A Luxury Hotel In Cairo, Egypt - I Was Shocked!
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