US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Robert Silverman and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy celebrated the completion of the restoration of the Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum, a 15th-century architectural landmark located in Cairo’s City of the Dead.
The mausoleum was restored through a partnership between the US Embassy in Cairo, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and Archinos Architecture. In 2022, the US Embassy awarded a $340,000 grant to Archinos Architecture through the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to support the restoration of the historic monument. Agnieszka Dobrowolska, Director of Archinos Architecture, attended the celebration.
“These efforts are more than a record of the past – they are a bridge to the future,” Silverman said 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.”
For his part, Fathy praised the longstanding cooperation between Egypt and the United States in heritage conservation, archaeological missions, and the recovery of smuggled antiquities.
“We highly value the historic US-Egyptian cooperation in heritage conservation, archaeological missions, and the recovery of smuggled artifacts. I extend my gratitude to the joint work teams, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to preserving Egyptian heritage according to the highest scientific standards to maximize its economic and social benefits,” he said.
The United States said the restoration reflects its broader commitment to preserving cultural heritage through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, which supports the protection of historic buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, museum collections, manuscripts, indigenous languages, and other forms of traditional cultural expression.
In Egypt alone, the United States has invested more than $3.5m through the Ambassador’s Fund to support 17 cultural preservation projects, underscoring its longstanding commitment to safeguarding Egypt’s rich cultural heritage.
Beyond preserving the mausoleum’s architectural and historical significance, the restoration project has also contributed to revitalising the surrounding neighbourhood by attracting a growing number of visitors. The Qaitbey complex, renowned for its distinctive mausoleum dome, is one of Egypt’s most recognisable Mamluk monuments and is featured on the Egyptian one-pound banknote.
Historically, the site served as a burial ground for rulers and dignitaries during the Mamluk period before later becoming a cemetery for prominent Egyptian families.
The restoration of the Sultan Qaitbey Mausoleum is one of several cultural heritage projects supported by the United States in Egypt. Two additional projects funded through the Ambassador’s Fund are expected to begin soon in the Al-Gamalia district of Historic Cairo and at the Medinet Habu Temple in Luxor.
