Azbakeya Garden

Cairo, Egypt, Egypt

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Azbakeya Garden in Cairo, Egypt is one of Cairo's oldest parks and the only major green space within the historic Khedivial Cairo plan, originally established in the mid-1870s by Khedive Ismail and designed with French and European influences by landscape architect Barillet-Deschamps in 1872.

Located between historic and modern Cairo in the Azbakeya district, the garden spans approximately 60,702 square meters (about 15 acres) and was created after transforming what was once a Mamluk flood lake into a Paris-style public garden beside the 1869 Cairo Opera House. The garden is renowned for its historic features including a historic lake, archaeological fountain, Roman theater, crown-top pergola, wooden bridge, café, restaurant, and old heritage trees with iron railings that have survived for over a century.

Azbakeya Garden was where the first Cairo Opera House was established in 1869 and has been a cultural and recreational landmark throughout Cairo's history. After lying somewhat neglected, the garden underwent a comprehensive 50 million Egyptian pound heritage-led restoration project as part of Egypt's Historic Cairo revitalization program, which restored the lake, fountain, theater, pergolas, and buildings while adding new walkways, shaded seating, book kiosks, and musical performance spaces.

The restoration project, which was approximately 93% complete by 2024 and 80% complete by September 2025, also revived the historic Azbakeya Book Market tradition with modern book kiosks named after great Egyptian writers, and the garden was set to reopen to the public as a recreational park in September 2025.