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20 Qirsh Cairo Opera House
| Issuer | Central Bank of Egypt |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
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| Value | 20 Piastres |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A detailed frontal architectural rendering of the Cairo Opera House occupies the central field, depicted with its characteristic domed roofline, tiered facade, and flanking wings rendered in fine relief. Above the building, a curved Arabic legend reading البنك المركزي المصري (Central Bank of Egypt) arcs across the upper field. Below the structure, a further Arabic inscription وزارة المالية — دار الضرب (Ministry of Finance — The Mint) appears in two lines, all contained within a denticulated border consistent with the obverse. |
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| Reverse lettering | البنك المركزي المصري / وزارة المالية دار الضرب |
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| Additional information |
The Cairo Opera House commemorated on this coin is not the original — that building, a gift from Khedive Ismail and opened in 1869 as the first opera house in Africa, burned to the ground in 1971 after a worker's torch ignited stored scenery. Egypt went without a major opera venue for nearly two decades until the new house opened on the Gezira arts complex in October 1988, funded largely through Japanese government aid and built by a Japanese contractor. This coin was issued the same year to mark that opening.