“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art though Romeo?” Who doesn’t know this famous quote from William Shakespeare’s, tragic love story, “Romeo and Juliet”? Recently, a friend and I attended a ballet of this infamous story about the two young “star cross’d lovers” at the Cairo Opera House.

I love going to the Cairo Opera House. It’s a wonderful facility that was built in 1988 with funds given to Egypt from Japan as a result of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s 1983 visit to Japan. Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (the youngest brother of the Japanese Emperor), aided President Mubarak in the inauguration of the Cairo Opera House in October of 1988. During the ceremony, Japan staged a Kabuki show, which is a traditional popular drama with singing and dancing. This was the first time for Japan to ever stage a Kabuki show in Africa or the Arab World. The collaboration between Egypt and Japan, as the Cairo Opera House website states, has “given rise to a unique landmark of aesthetic and cultural interest.”

The center is very aesthetically pleasing. The architecture is distinctively different from other buildings in Cairo. The best way I can describe it is, “choppy,” “clean,” and “geometrical”. There are several fountains and garden areas throughout the complex. I love fountains. They absolutely fill me with joy. So of course we took plenty of photos by the fountains at night. The cultural center contains two halls, two theaters, and two institutes in Cairo, as well as one theater and one amphitheater in Alexandria (though I’ve never been to the Alexandria complex).

The Cairo structure is located downtown, right off of a very busy square, with the Nile River not too far away. It has a prominent and glowing presence in the square, as the creamy white of the Main Hall complex is illuminated by spot lights at night. The structure also has a very large parking structure (and a metro stop). Live in Cairo (with a car) for just one day, and you will realize the importance of this. Unfortunately, the Opera House is a popular venue and parking is often still a hassle, though you always find a way to make it work.

The downside to the downtown location is that traffic is insanely chaotic and slow moving. Though we left our home more than an hour ahead of time (note that the place is only 20 minutes away without the traffic, maximum), we still missed the first two scenes of Act I. But we weren’t alone … half of the audience was just as late as we were. Also, tickets to shows must be bought in advance, as I learned this the hard way several months ago when I was psyched to see a performance of Pinocchio (the ballet) and then very disappointed to find that the show was sold out and that every kid in Cairo got a ticket to the show before I did.

There are several halls and theaters at the Cairo Opera House, but I have only attended events in the Main Hall, the Opera House’s largest structure which seats over one thousand people. For events in the Main Hall, it is compulsory for men to wear a jacket and tie. Women are also required to dress up. This is part of the reason that I love attending shows at the Opera House, aside from the show itself. I feel so fancy! And though I have attended several plays, ballets, etc. in my time, the shows at the Cairo Opera House have definitely been the classiest.

While the Main Hall seats over one thousand people, our front and center balcony seats were not only economically wise, but also gave us a great view of the stage. The structure is large but with a small and quaint vibe. We were amazed when the Russian Ballet Company performed “Cinderella and Swan Lake” on ICE in April, but we also felt pretty important watching the Egyptian Ballet Company perform “Romeo and Juliet” with a full and live orchestra leading the performers from scene to scene. It was such a sophisticated show. We looked pretty sophisticated ourselves.

The Cairo Opera House, however, doesn’t stop with ballets. They actually have a variety of shows daily, ranging from ballets, to orchestra ensembles, to soloists, to dance performances, music festivals, film festivals, and even mainstream pop artists such as Akon have put on a show or two at the Opera House.

So, if you are planning a trip to Cairo. I highly recommend a visit to the Cairo Opera House. See a show if you can (they post schedules online). However, just stepping in for a scenic tour and a quite retreat from the Cairo chaos is also worth your time.

And … if you’re here in March then go see the Russian Ballet Company perform The Nutcracker on Ice. I might see you there!

Karema Eldahan is a Middlesboro native living in Egypt. She shares her experience through this monthly column.