Roshdy Building

The Roshdy Building was founded during the 1960s as a multi-story residential structure along Abou Qir Street in Alexandria’s upscale Roshdy district. Designed to house luxury apartments in a prime coastal city location, construction was initiated by a private owner. However, structural delays, legal disputes, and immediate tenant abandonment left the building completely vacant shortly after its completion. For over fifty years, the gray concrete facade stood shuttered amidst thriving commercial shops.

During its decades of emptiness, the building became a major fixture in Alexandrian folklore. Numerous rumors emerged regarding its construction, including claims that the owner had desecrated sacred texts or built upon an unblessed site. Despite high property values in the district, no developer successfully commercialized the structure for decades, which further entrenched local beliefs that a supernatural force prevented human occupation.

In 2017, the property underwent complete structural renovation under new ownership, demolishing interior partitions and converting the site into a modern commercial center. The overhaul brought an end to the building’s long period of physical abandonment. Today, the location stands fully modern, though its historical legacy as Alexandria’s most famous haunted building remains strong in popular culture.

Local folklore surrounding the Roshdy Building contains dramatic urban tales regarding its early tenants and owners. One popular legend tells of a newlywed couple who moved into a luxury flat on the upper floors, only to flee in terror on their wedding night after finding blood dripping from the bathroom faucets and encountering a towering dark figure in the bedroom. Another tale claims a foreign worker attempted to live in the building but was hurled out of a window by invisible hands.

According to regional folklore, the root cause of the haunting was a severe curse placed upon the land or building materials. Local residents whispered that a workman died during foundation digging and was buried in the cement, while others claimed the original developer suffered a sudden tragic accident after disrespecting local religious customs. Another popular urban myth claimed that the building was constructed directly over an ancient unblessed site, causing water spirits to claim the subterranean plumbing systems.

These urban stories circulated widely throughout Alexandria for over fifty years, turning the quiet block into an legendary site for local dark tourism. Parents warned children against walking on the sidewalk beneath its balconies after dark, asserting that malevolent shadows watched passersby from the top floor.

Local oral history also recounts that prior to the 2017 overhaul, several brave paranormal investigators attempted to spend a night inside the abandoned structure equipped with cameras and audio recorders. According to neighborhood accounts, the team fled after only two hours, claiming their recording devices captured disembodied growls and high-pitched shrieks coming from the central elevator shaft.

Eyewitness accounts compiled over several decades described intense paranormal activity within the Roshdy Building. Passersby along Abou Qir Street frequently reported hearing blood-curdling screams and deep groans emanating from the upper balconies late at night. Local shopkeepers beneath the structure claimed to hear heavy furniture being dragged across empty concrete floors when the building was locked and secured.

Other reported phenomena included glowing red lights behind darkened window frames and phantom silhouettes standing motionless at night on the main roof terrace. Pedestrians occasionally reported sudden feelings of nausea, extreme chills, and oppressive anxiety when standing directly under the structure’s awning.

Furthermore, neighborhood security guards reported that street dogs refused to walk near the building's main entrance after midnight, whimpering and barking at empty doorways. Since the 2017 commercial conversion, reports of active hauntings have subsided significantly, though local shop owners still share tales of its spooky past. In addition, local taxi drivers operating along Abou Qir Street late at night reported seeing a pale woman in a white dress standing near the building entrance, vanishing as vehicles approached.

The Roshdy Building was originally constructed as a classic mid-century mid-rise apartment block. Featuring a symmetrical concrete facade, balconies overlooking Abou Qir Street, and multiple residential floors, the structural design reflected standard Alexandrian urban architecture of the 1960s. For decades, its boarded windows, peeling plaster, and unlit stairwells starkly contrasted with the vibrant commercial boulevard surrounding it.

Inside, the building consisted of spacious residential apartments centered around a central elevator shaft and concrete stairwell. Structural renovations in 2017 stripped the interior walls, reinforced the concrete framework, and replaced the old facade with contemporary glass and stone cladding. The current layout houses ground-floor retail outlets and commercial office space.

The Roshdy Building is located along Abou Qir Street in the Roshdy district of Alexandria. As a privatized commercial structure, interior access is restricted to patrons of operating businesses. Exterior viewing from the public sidewalk is completely unrestricted and easily reached via municipal taxis, streetcars, or local bus lines operating along Abou Qir Street.

Visitors interested in local folklore can view the updated facade while exploring the surrounding district. The area is bustling, safe, and lined with popular cafes, bakeries, and clothing shops. Daytime visits are recommended for dark tourism photography, as heavy street traffic and modern store lighting characterize the area after dark, making exterior viewing comfortable for all travelers.

The Roshdy Building gained its reputation due to fifty years of total vacancy in a high-value commercial corridor. The stark contrast between prime real estate and an abandoned shell fueled vivid urban legends of curses, demon occupants, and ghostly encounters. The site remains a prominent icon of Alexandrian ghost stories, representing decades of urban folklore. Its transformation into a modern commercial site has not erased its standing in Egyptian dark tourism folklore.