“Do not ask the house about who used to live in it... The door tells that the people have left.”... With this house, the former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Mohamed Morsi, chose to bid farewell to the famous building of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located on the Nile Corniche, in light of recent rumors that it would be vacated within days, expressing his pain at the loss of “a piece of Egypt’s history.” Over the course of more than 3 decades, the ancient headquarters of the Ministry turned into one of the most prominent symbols of modern Egyptian diplomacy, before the Ministry moved in early 2024 to the government district in the Administrative Capital (east of Cairo).
The voice of Egyptian diplomacy has been emanating from the Corniche Building since 1992. It is a building that was designed in the shape of a “lotus flower,” one of the symbols of Egyptian civilization, embodying the meanings of nobility and luxury, and combining the aesthetic dimension with cultural symbolism.
The giant building occupied an area of 4,800 square meters, with a height of 143 meters, and consisted of a basement with the entire surface of the building, a base consisting of 6 floors that included the entrance, 3 meeting rooms and offices, and a tower with 30 floors, occupied by the ministry’s services and administrative offices, while the last floor was allocated a helipad for helicopters, according to data from the “Arab Contractors” Company, the project’s executor.
With the evacuation of the historic building in preparation for its handover to one of the official authorities concerned with development, according to what local media reported, a state of nostalgia and sadness erupted among a number of symbols of the Egyptian diplomatic corps, who, via social media platforms, recalled memories of long years spent within its walls, which sparked widespread interaction among the pioneers of those platforms, who in turn expressed their sadness at the transfer of the building, which formed part of the image of modern Cairo.
In interviews with Asharq Al-Awsat, diplomats recalled their memories of the building. Their words reflected a deep human feeling for his loss, after he had been a symbol of theirs and Egyptian diplomacy for years.
Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Orabi indicated that he was in a state of despair. Because his relationship with the building began since his return from Washington in 1993, and continued until his retirement in 2011, then his selection as minister in the same year.
Al-Orabi said that the periods most engraved in his memory inside the building were during his tenure as director of the office of former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa for 3 years. The minister's office was located on the second floor of the building, adding that the intensity of daily work made this floor an integral part of his professional and personal memory.
He explained that the shape inspired by the “lotus flower” came within the framework of a vision adopted by Minister Amr Moussa when establishing the headquarters, considering that this design embodies the meanings of nobility and luxury, and symbolizes the deep connection to ancient Egyptian civilization, with the message it carries that reflects the identity of the Egyptian state in front of its guests from various countries of the world.
Al-Orabi stopped at one of the most unforgettable moments inside the building, which was linked to the events of September 11, 2001. He narrated that he was participating in a lunch hosted by former Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher on the last floor, on the occasion of his move to work as Egypt’s ambassador to Berlin, before news arrived of a plane colliding with one of the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York. He added that with news of the second plane's collision, everyone realized that the matter was more than an accident, and the event ended without being completed.
Former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Rakha Ahmed Hassan, says that the direct view of the Nile River was the most prominent element of the building’s distinction, explaining that many foreign ambassadors and diplomats expressed their admiration for the unique location of the headquarters, and some of them even frankly admitted that they “envy” the Egyptian diplomacy of this building, which combines a distinguished location and integrated design.
Regarding the places most closely associated with his memory, he said that the offices he occupied on the seventeenth and twenty-ninth floors remain the closest to his heart. Because it provided panoramic views of the Nile and Cairo. He added that these views were not just an aesthetic view, but rather gave workers a permanent feeling of connection to the Egyptian capital, its history and its vitality.
He stopped at the most prominent events during which the building witnessed a state of complete alert, pointing out that the invasion of Iraq was one of the most significant events during which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned into a “beehive.” Committees were formed for follow-up and crisis management around the clock to deal with the situation of Egyptians there.
As for the former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Hussein Haridi, his memories stop at the main inner lobby of the building, saying that, in his view, it reflects the prestige of the building and the majesty of Egyptian diplomacy, with the symbolism it carries that goes beyond the walls and offices to the image of the state itself.
With feelings overflowing with nostalgia and sorrow, he recounts that during a Nile cruise a few days ago, he found himself contemplating, from the opposite bank of the Nile, the buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Radio and Television, which stand proudly side by side. From time to time, he repeatedly glanced at them, recalling decades of professional and patriotic memories, explaining that the two buildings represented, to him, “the national and national conscience of Egypt.”
While he is proud of the history of the building and its role as one of the living witnesses to pivotal milestones in the history of Egyptian diplomacy, Haridi expressed reservations about the idea of moving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its historic headquarters, considering that the headquarters of foreign ministries in major countries are usually linked to their history and status, and are not easily abandoned, stressing that the feelings of regret do not concern him alone; There is a widespread state of sadness among Egyptians over the departure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its historic headquarters.
Experts and businessmen, most notably Naguib Sawiris, called for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to be offered to investors, stressing that it would attract offers within minutes, especially since the location is distinctive and can be converted into a hotel, on the condition that the offer is awarded to the investor who offers the highest price.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aty held a press conference in the presence of Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the ministry’s headquarters in the new capital on Monday evening.
