The Cairo Opera House (Al-Masrahal-Kabeer) is Egypt's main performing arts complex, built on the southern tip of Gezira Island (the Zamalek area) and opened in 1988. The complex includes the Main Hall (capacity 1,200), the Hanager Arts Centre, the Small Hall, and the open-air stage. The Egyptian National Ballet, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, and Cairo Opera Company all perform here regularly, as do visiting international companies.
The building's Islamic-influenced architecture — white marble with mashrabiya screens and geometric ornament — makes it one of the more handsome modern buildings in Cairo. The complex also houses the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, with a collection of 20th-century Egyptian painting and sculpture. Check the programme in advance; tickets for the international productions are priced in Egyptian pounds and inexpensive by European standards.