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Downtown Cairo, Buildings that tell stories – Credit Foncier Egyptien

Credit Foncier Egyptien - Downtown Cairo

Downtown Cairo … One of the magical spots in Egyptian capital. The historical buildings were built with artistic touch. the facades shows the care on each detail. The whole area is a witness on an important phase in history.

You can have a quick online tour for this this phase here.

The history of Downtown Cairo goes back to 1867. Ismail Pasha, the grandson of Mohamed Ali Pasha, was the Khedive (ruler) of Egypt. He had a vision to make Cairo a beautiful city and even compete with the European cities. He hired a French planner to do design the downtown area in Cairo. The result was magnificent. In 1925, Cairo won the title of the most beautiful city in the world, even though European cities like Berlin, Paris and London were also competing.

Therefore, if you are visiting Cairo, try to visit the Downtown area. Each building tells a story. Here, we are of giving some examples through a series of articles, and this is the second one.

See the previous articles:

Egyptian Diplomatic Club

Davies Bryan Building

 

Credit Foncier Egyptien

Credit Foncier Egyptien - Downtown Cairo

In Cairo, downtown, you will find this wonderful building. This building has 2 different names!
The original name is “Credit Foncier Egyptien”, one of the oldest banks in Egypt that was established by French bankers.
The building was constructed in 1903. It was designed by an Italian architect named “Carlo Prampolini” who studied in Florence and graduated in 1900. Then, he traveled to Egypt and worked for the government.
Bank was a remarkable one in the Egyptian economy until it was nationalized in the 50s of last century. If you stand there, you will find the original name & logo are engraved on the facade.
However, because it is currently owned by a modern bank, you will find the new name next to the door. But the original name is still there.