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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The building located 2 Place du Cairo, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, dates from the 4th quarter of the 18th century. It was built in 1799, a year after the capture of Cairo by Bonaparte, on the site of the former convent of the Daughters-God, abolished in 1790. This building marks the entrance to the Cairo Passage, opened the same year, and reflects a period of fascination for ancient Egypt, inspired by Napoleonic military campaigns.

The façade of the building combines Gothic elements and neo-Egyptian motifs, a rare style for the time. There are hathoric heads, a frieze depicting scenes of tanks and warriors, as well as cartridges. These sets illustrate the influence of the Egyptian expedition on Parisian architecture, mixing medieval heritage and oriental exoticism. The façade and roofs were protected by a registration order in 1964.

Cairo Square, the street and the eponymous passage were arranged simultaneously, forming a coherent urban complex. The building, with its monumental entrance, plays a key role in this development, symbolizing both the architectural innovation of the Revolution and the taste for Egyptian antiquity. Its location corresponds to the former plot of the Daughters-Dieu convent, whose suppression allowed this urban restructuring.

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