Fire destroys iconic Egyptian film studio in Cairo

A major fire in Cairo destroyed Al Ahram Studio, one of the oldest and most prestigious film production houses in the Arab world, AFP reports. 

Flames destroyed everything inside the 80-year-old film studio, located in the Giza district of the city, before spreading to three surrounding buildings which were evacuated before the fire reached them.

Authorities said there were no deaths although some people suffering from smoke inhalation were treated at the scene.

Local media reported that the fire broke out 24 hours after filming finished for a Ramadan television series. The Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, which began last Monday, accounts for peak viewership in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and it took firefighters more than 6 hours to extinguish it, authorities told AFP. 

Al Ahram Studio was founded in 1944 and occupied an area of 27,000 square meters, comprising three production stages, a screening room and an editing suite. Multiple Egyptian films and television series were produced at there.

In its 1950s heyday, the Egyptian film industry was the third largest film producer in the world. 

Despite its ongoing financial crisis, Egypt still dominates the Arab world’s film production, accounting for three quarters of its output.