The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

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In the heart of Downtown Cairo at Shourbagy Building, 42 Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, tucked among the grand façades and fading glamour of the city’s belle époque architecture, stands a small but extraordinary place, Stephenson’s Pharmacy. Walk past it and you might not notice anything special. Step inside, though, and you’ll find yourself transported more than 100 years into the past.

Stephenson’s Pharmacy isn’t just the oldest working pharmacy in Egypt, it’s a carefully preserved time capsule, where medicine, memory and history live side by side.

A British Beginning in the Heart of Cairo

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The story begins in 1889, when English chemist George Stephenson opened his first pharmacy in the UK. Inspired by his travels and the charm of Cairo’s newly planned Downtown district, he decided to bring his pharmacy model to Egypt.

In 1910, he opened a Cairo branch on Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, then a bustling commercial hub in the city’s European-style quarter. The entire interior was designed in England, including the polished woodwork, glass-fronted cabinets, apothecary bottles, brass scales, and delicate measuring tools, then shipped to Egypt and reassembled piece by piece. More than a century later, those same fittings still stand in their original places.

Not Just a Pharmacy, but a Piece of Living History

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To step into Stephenson’s today is to step into a working museum. Ornate wooden shelves stretch up to the ceiling. Rows of old glass bottles sit untouched, some still bearing handwritten labels like Digestive Tincture, Cough Mixture, or Heart Drops. Hanging from above are century-old chandeliers, casting warm light across polished counters and leather-bound prescription books.

Behind the counter, you might meet Zoheir Ihsan Samman, son of the Egyptian pharmacist Dr Ihsan Samman, who purchased the pharmacy in the 1940s. Its beauty and history captivated Dr Samman, who refused to change a thing, and his son has kept that promise ever since.

A Museum Hidden in Plain Sight

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“We don’t think of it as just a pharmacy,” Zoheir says. “It’s more of an open museum.”

Visitors often arrive not to fill a prescription, but to admire the craftsmanship, hear the stories, and flip through the original handwritten prescription ledgers, still intact after all these years. Many are amazed to see tools that date back to the early 20th century: antique glass syringes, early respiratory devices, balances used for precise measurements, and mixing stations once used to prepare custom medicines.

And yes, the original pharmacist’s desk is still there, wooden, worn, and filled with decades of Cairo’s quiet rhythms.

A Daily Tour Through Time

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Every evening from 6 to 9 pm, Stephenson’s Pharmacy opens its doors to curious visitors for a quiet, intimate free tour. You won’t find big signs or flashy exhibits, just warm conversation, careful storytelling, and a true sense of pride in preserving the past. It’s the sort of experience that stays with you, not because it’s loud, but because it’s real.

A Piece of History

In a city constantly evolving, where many old buildings vanish under the weight of development, Stephenson’s stands as a gentle reminder that some places are worth keeping just as they are.

It’s more than just a pharmacy; it’s a celebration of Cairo’s multicultural past, of British‑Egyptian craftsmanship, and of what happens when someone chooses to preserve rather than replace.