Aidagasse (Inzersdorf), was named in 1960 after the opera of the same name by Giuseppe Verdi (first performed December 24, 1871 in Cairo, first performed at the Vienna Court Opera on April 29, 1874).

Verdi was originally asked to compose an anthem for the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the opening of the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo. Verdi refused several times and the house was opened with Verdi’s “Rigoletto”. The ruling Khedive Ismail Pascha persisted and after tough negotiations Verdi agreed to write an opera “in the Egyptian style”. His demands included 150,000 gold francs, which was probably the highest fee for a composer until that time.

Aida is one of the most successful major operas of the 19th century.