U.S. Embassy and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Celebrate Completion of Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum Restoration Project

Cairo, July 20: U.S. Embassy in Cairo Chargé d’Affaires Robert Silverman and H.E. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, celebrated the successful restoration of the Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum, a 15th-century architectural masterpiece located in Cairo's City of the Dead. The mausoleum was restored through a partnership between the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and Archinos Architecture. In 2022, the Embassy awarded a $340,000 grant to Archinos Architecture through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to preserve this significant cultural landmark. Ms. Agnieszka Dobrowolska, director of Archinos Architecture, was present for the celebration.

“These efforts are more than a record of the past – they are a bridge to the future,” said CDA Silverman during the event. “Our support for preserving cultural heritage reflects America’s commitment to honoring shared history, empowering communities, and building a future for our two countries that is safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

The United States underscores its commitment to cultural heritage preservation through the Ambassador’s Fund, a program that leverages U.S. resources to safeguard historic buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, museum collections, ethnographic objects, paintings, manuscripts, indigenous languages, and other forms of traditional cultural expression. In Egypt alone, the United States has invested over $3.5 million in 17 projects through the Ambassador’s Fund, demonstrating a longstanding dedication to protecting Egypt’s rich cultural legacy.

The restoration of the Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum not only conserved the site’s architectural and historical significance but also contributed to the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood by attracting an increasing number of visitors. The Qaitbey complex, renowned for its distinctive mausoleum dome, holds iconic status in Egypt and is featured on the Egyptian one-pound currency note.

Historically, the site served as a burial ground for rulers and dignitaries during the Mamluk period and later became a cemetery for prominent families.

The restoration of the Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum is just one example of the United States’ commitment to its partnership with Egypt on cultural heritage preservation. Two new Ambassador’s Fund-supported projects are expected to begin soon in the Al-Gamalia area of Historic Cairo, and in Luxor, at Medinet Habu temple Luxor.