Beyond the Horizon

4 - 5 December 2020

"Beyond the Horizon" was the leading theme of two days of events at the MASQ cultural hub on 4-5 December 2020: an exhibition opening, a concert, a walking tour, and a crafts fair. The title inspired by Bob Dylan's song reflected the theme of exploring things close by, but not obviously visible.

Monumental Sculpture by Omar Toussoun

23 May 2020

The sculptor Omar Toussoun created a monumental stone sculpture Keyhole that was mounted in the small square between the mosque/madrassa of Sultan Qaitbey and the oratory of al-Gulshani. It uses mediaeval Islamic forms borrowed directly from the architecture of the neighbourhood.

Music in the Time of Corona

21 April 2020

As all public gatherings have been suspended in Egypt following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the oud concert by the virtuoso Mahmud al-Sawi al-Sayyid was streamed live from an empty hall. It can be viewed on MASQ Facebook page.

"Daughters of the Nile" Sculpture Exhibition

From March 2020

To mark the International Women's day in 2020, ARCHiNOS and our sister organisation the Sultan Foundation invited sculptors to exhibit their works reflecting on womanhood.  The resulting exhibition in the oratory of al-Gulshani is now presented on-line until the current pandemic ceases.

Nordic Nights

25-25 October 2019

For two consecutive days , artists from Nordic countries presented their work at Sultan Qaitbey’s maq‘ad. There was a concert by the Swedish musical group Jidder, an exhibition by the Swedish artist Fabian Edelstam and a performance by an Icelandic troupe  Marble Crowd.

Megacities: Screening of Documentaries and a Talk

1 August 2019

Two long-time collaborators of ARCHiNOS won a prestigious international prize with their short film 'Cold Dissent'. They presented it at MASQ along other films from the MegaCities-ShortDocs festival that strives to highlight citizens' initiatives for better life in megacities.

Silent Rhythms Meet Shapes of Sound art exhibition

11 - 31 July 2019

Eleven Egyptian artists responded to the call for contributions to the exhibition accompanying the Music Days at Sultan's Place event. They displayed in the Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbey works in different techniques and materials that in visual forms reflect musical sounds

Music Days at Sultan's Place

11 - 13 July 2019

The Oriental jazz group El Dor El Awal, the Sudanese singer and drummer Asia Madani and her band, and the vocal group Klaxics singing a capella performed on three consecutive days. Children from the neighbourhood presented dancing and vocal performances

Iftar followed by theatre and dance performances

15 May 2019

The Ramadan iftar meal at the Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbey was followed by performances by the  The Nahda Art School of Social Theatre and the  Ahmed Abdelnany's group of folklore art and traditional dance

Concert by Musicians from Vienna

12 April 2019

The world-renowned Austrian duo BartolomeyBittmann performed at the Maq‘ad of Sultan Qaitbey their own music – rooted in classical tradition and merging various genres. The concert was organised in cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Forum Cairo

Exhibition of the Winners of Photographic Competition

12 April 2019

The exhibition A Thin Line Between the Living and the Dead presented 44  best photographs showing the heritage and present-day life of Sultan Qaitbey area chosen from 119 entries by 44 photographers in a competition. The exhibition can be viewed on-line (click "view event").

D-CAF 19 Festival Event: Concert and Installation

29 March 2019

Estabena: the Mediterranean Sea Music Project performed music from around the Mediterranean. Two Hungarian artists who perform as Quarzbox presented a sand-and-paint animation of changing images created from sand and projected on an overhead screen.

Women's Day Celebration: Concert and Exhibition

8 March 2019

Do‘souqa, one of the trendiest independent musical groups in Cairo, performed in the Maq‘ad of Sultan Qaitbey to celebrate International Women’s day. On the same day, an exhibition by the Austrian Cultural Forum was opened, presenting remarkable Egyptian and Austrian women.

Sixth Sultan's Fair 

14 - 16 December 2018

The sixth ‘Sultan’s Fair’ was the biggest yet, with three days full of events. In addition to a crafts fair, it featured a street theatre performance, an opening of an exhibition of applied arts, a lecture, and a vocal concert in tribute to the Lebanese singer Fairuz.

Eye Care for Free at MASQ

7 December 2018

On 7 December 2018 in the MASQ (Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbey) the Maghrabi Foundation's highly professional staff offered free eye examinations to more than 150 local inhabitants, including provision of medication and eyeglasses, and referral of serious cases for free surgeries.

Fifth Sultan's Fair: Kite-flying Competition

20 October 2018

A kite-flying competition for the children of the Qaitbey area was organised by the Sultan Foundation and led by the Italian artist Raffaele Fiorella. Various Egyptian businesses and organisations generously donated prizes awarded in the competition.

Circus Dramatic Street Performance 

15 September 2018

A street theatre performance by the Nahda Art School for Social Theatre (which is affiliated to the Jesuit School in Cairo) that combined music and dance with acrobatics and circus-type attractions. Directed by Wolfgang Weiser.

Calligraphic Art Exhibition Opening

27 January 2018

Calligraphic works by Izabela Uchman exhibited in the maq‘ad of Sultan Qaitbey reflected on different aspects of coexistence as a human condition, and also on the coexistence of the meanings of words and their visual appearance in calligraphic compositions.

Modern Miracles Photographic Exhibition

28 September 2017

A photographic exhibition by the American artist David Degner, curated by Alexandra Stock. The back-lit photographs presenting various out-of-the-ordinary customs and beliefs in modern Egypt were presented in different rooms and spaces throughout the maq‘ad of Sultan Qaitbey.

Art Exhibition Opening & Arts and Crafts Fair

5 May 2017

The ‘Sultan’s Fair’ marked the opening of an art exhibition by the members of the faculty of Helwan University, Faculty of Applied Arts. Local craftspeople displayed their products in front of the maq‘ad  of Sultan Qaitbey, and a training workshop in singing was organised for children.

Theatrical and Dance Performances

31 March 2017

Five dance, dance/theatrical, and puppet theatre performances were staged in a single day in and around the Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbey by Egyptian, Dutch, British, Irish, and Hungarian artists as part of the of the 6th edition of the Cairo Downtown Contemporary Art Festival.

Lecture by Doris Behrens-Abouseif

29 January 2017

A lecture by the distinguished scholar Prof Doris Behrens-Abouseif of the Schoool of Oriental and African Studies in London marked the launch of a book dedicated to her that was published by the UK-based Ginkgo Library.

The Enduring and The Transitory

6 December 2016

Completion of the work of Polish and German artists-in-residence was celebrated with an event attended by highly distinguished guests. An art exhibition was also opened on the evening, and craftspeople from the neighbourhood and from Upper Egypt presented and sold their products

Fourth Sultan's Fair

21 October 2016

The Sultan’s Fair on 21 October 2016 marked the opening of art installations by the Italian artist Paolo Peroni in the Maq‘ad of Sultan Qaitbey. The Director of the Institute Dr Paolo Sabbatini officially opened the exhibition, while traditional craftsmen displayed and sold their products.

Third Sultan's Fair

18 March 2016

The fair brought together local traditional craftsmen , craftspeople and artists from the Suq al-Fustat Project, and artists who participated in a competition Portray the glory of the Sultan.  Photographic exhibition Mothers and Daughters celebrated the upcoming Mother's Day in Egypt.

Second Sultan's Fair

1 October 2015

Local craftspeople displayed and sold their wares in the  square in front of the mosque of Sultan Qaitbey. There were photographic displays, an art exhibition, and a documentary about the craftspeople of the area. Children could interact with the visiting Sultan and his Mamluks.

First Sultan's Fair

7 July 2015

The first Sultan’s Fair on 8 July 2015 marked the completion by ARCHiNOS of the EU-funded project in the hawd of Sultan Qaitbey in the ‘City of the Dead’ in Cairo. The Minister of Antiquities, the Governor of Cairo, and the Ambassador of the European Union attended.