CAIRO (AFP)
Fire engines rushed to the scene to put out the blaze in the 1930s building but officials said it was brought under control, with no casualties as the theatre was closed for the weekend.
"The fire broke out in the theatre's main hall," Culture Minister Faruq Hosni told AFP at the scene.
"It was probably caused by an electrical short circuit. There are no casualties."
Assistant Interior Minister Sherif Gomaa said: "The fire is now under control, it was contained quickly.
"We are now trying to assess the damage," he told state television.
In August, a fire gutted Egypt's upper house of parliament, killing a firefighter. Officials said that fire too was probably caused by a short circuit, exacerbated by the building's wooden interior and a recent paint job.
Emergency services battled the fire for more than nine hours but failed to save the historic building. The government announced an inquiry into the fire after widespread criticism in the Egyptian media of the emergency services' slow arrival on the scene.
