Latest news with #MazeejBalad
Condé Nast Traveler
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
In Cairo, the Gems of the Past Are Polished for the Future
It's a warm Tuesday evening in April, and Mazeej Balad's rooftop restaurant is packed with well-dressed Cairenes eager to experience the neighborhood's newest arrival. Kareem Nabil and Ahmed Ganzoury, the Egyptian duo behind the recently opened Mazeej Balad boutique hotel, welcome guests and pose for photos before we sit down for a dinner of koshary arancini and pickled lemon hummus. They are the force behind some of Egypt's most glamorous parties and events, as well as a handful of hot spots like Kiki's Beach, an oceanfront club on the country's North Coast, the Mediterranean-facing sweep west of Alexandria where the summer party scene is beginning to rival that of Mykonos. But with the bijou Mazeej Balad, Nabil and Ganzoury have turned their attention firmly to the capital. The hotel is located on a frenetic Cairo street where dented taxis vie for space with men on bicycles balancing trays of flatbreads on their head. Mazeej Balad's doorman, in a red jacket and jaunty bow tie, cuts a dashing figure at the hotel entrance. Behind him a burgundy carpet flows over a marble staircase like spilled wine, guiding guests into the 129-year-old building that once housed the Hôtel-Pension Viennoise and an embassy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Designer Omar Chakil with one of his modern canopic jars rendered in alabaster onyx Connor Langford The concept store and art gallery Cairopolitan Connor Langford The hotel's interiors have been reimagined by young Egyptian designer Malak Orfy. In the lobby a eucalyptus tree grows through the bottle-green-marble reception desk, light from a crystal chandelier reflects off the shiny checkerboard floor, and a sleek cantilevered staircase lures guests up to the rooftop. Ceiling frescoes featuring Egyptian abstract artist Kairo Lumumba's trademark squiggles lead to five individually designed suites. Artworks by other local and regional artists—figurative sculptures by Sam Shendi, abstract portraits by Sabhan Adam, among others—dot the rest of the hotel. 'From the start we wanted the interiors to feel like a dialogue between past and present,' says Nabil. 'The building already had so much to say. We just needed to listen.' I've been seduced by Cairo's intoxicating energy since I first visited on a solo trip 10 years ago: its crowded, dusty noisiness; its showstopping sights and ordinary backstreets; its heartbreakingly scruffy street cats and residents who broke into wide smiles whenever I made eye contact. On that trip I walked as much as possible—from the medieval citadel to Garden City on the banks of the Nile; from the leafy island of Zamalek to the busy bazaars of Khan el-Khalili—and I would jump into battered old taxis only when my legs got too tired or my shopping bags too heavy. A decade later it feels like everyone is talking about Cairo. Big projects are underway in and around the capital, like the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. It will join the salmon-hued neoclassical Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, which, for almost 125 years, has housed a large collection of pharaonic antiquities, including many of the treasures from Tutankhamen's tomb. When the new museum, which faces the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure, officially opens later this year, it will be the largest archaeological museum in the world and no doubt a magnet for visitors both domestic and international. Adding to the regional buzz are new satellite cities with Dubai-style residential complexes that have sprung up around Cairo in an effort to decentralize the capital and reduce congestion. But what I find more compelling is the quieter change that is spreading throughout the city's downtown. The lobby and lounge area at the newly opened hotel Mazeej Balad in downtown Cairo Connor Langford A Cairo street scene Connor Langford Here, creatives and entrepreneurs are bringing life and beauty back to the handsome buildings that have fallen into disrepair and accumulated decades of dust. New places to stay, shop, and eat are calling people to spend time in the city's central neighborhoods, proving that innovation and preservation can coexist, that a modern sensibility can be compatible with a reverence for history. 'It doesn't need to be polished to be beautiful,' Nabil says of the neighborhood. 'My hope is that we keep its grit and its charm and just give it the love and attention it deserves.'
Zawya
07-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Al Ismaelia to launch 2 new boutique hotels in Downtown Cairo in 2025
Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, which spearheads the Downtown Cairo revitalisation initiative, has announced an investment of 300 million Egyptian pounds ($6 million) in 2025 to further develop its portfolio of historic properties, serviced apartments, commercial units, and cultural venues. The company continues to focus on adaptive reuse, repurposing heritage buildings into cultural, commercial, and residential hubs. Recent projects include Mazeej Balad, a boutique hotel designed by Malak Orfy, which merges Egyptian heritage with contemporary design, and a new digital platform providing historical insights, cultural archives, and tourism guides, according to a press statement issued on Thursday. 'By integrating world-class hospitality, digital accessibility, and dynamic urban spaces, we are ensuring that Downtown, the heart of Cairo, continues to evolve as a dynamic and accessible destination while staying true to its identity,' said Chairman Karim Shafei. He added that the company is exploring capital-raising opportunities to further 'expand its vision.' Expanding on its hospitality sector strategy, Al Ismaelia plans to introduce two additional boutique hotels by the end of 2026 and redevelop 15,000 square metres (sqm) of downtown properties into a mix of hospitality, retail, and office spaces. It is also looking to attract creative industries and SMEs, as seen in Consoleya, its co-working and business hub. The company currently manages 26 historic properties spanning 85,000 sqm. (1 US Dollar = 50.69 Egyptian Pounds) (Writing by Marwa Abo Almajd; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
CairoScene
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Mazeej Balad Boutique Hotel Revives Downtown Cairo's Golden Era
From the themed suites to the rooftop overlooking vibrant everyday life—everything at Mazeej Balad is about honouring Downtown. In the beating heart of a metropolis teeming with life, a new boutique hotel revives the vibrant stories that once unfolded across the bustling streets of Cairo's historic Downtown area—Mazeej Balad, the brainchild of local hospitality group G'nK. 'We wanted to bring a new DNA, born and based in Egypt,' Karim Nabil, Co-Founder of G'nK Group, tells SceneTraveller. Located inside 'La Viennoise', a late 1800s building whose high ceilings echo with the whispers of socialites past, the new high-end boutique hotel retains the classic architectural charm of its home, elevating it with vintage collectables and contemporary artworks from Kairo Lumumba. 'We kept a lot of the original structure but we infused it with today's design aesthetics by playing with accessories, floor patterns—all the fine details,' Malak Orfy, Founder of Malak Orfy Design House, shares with SceneTraveller. Breathing life into its history-laden spaces, Mazeej Balad reimagines itself as a vintage pension, with each of its five suites spinning the tale of a vivid character—there's elegant Greek hostess 'Madame Marika', aspiring actress 'Souad', regal gentleman 'Rochdi Pasha', lawyer turned architect 'Nabil', and small-town farmer 'Abanoub', who's quite taken with 'Souad'. 'It's an immersive experience, reliving the era when Downtown was happening,' Ahmed Ganzoury, Co-Founder of G'nK Group, tells SceneTraveller. From the European-style chairs in the lobby to the rooftop restaurant overlooking historic squares and vibrant everyday folk—everything at Mazeej Balad is about honouring the spirit of Downtown.
