Egypt's Al-Ahram Studio, which is one of the oldest in the world, has been destroyed in a fire.

It took hours for firefighters to get the blaze under control and several buildings near the studio in Cairo's Giza district had to be evacuated.

Emergency services treated people at the scene for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The studio was founded in 1944. Several films and TV series were produced there and broadcast across the world.

The studio contains three production stages, a screening room, and an editing suite.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited the site alongside other officials to assess the damage.

According to local media reports, the fire broke out 24 hours after the production company had finished filming its Ramadan TV series.

AFP reports that residents in neighbouring buildings were still sleeping on the ground in nearby streets at dawn on Saturday.

The fire damaged the facades of seven buildings. In a statement reported by Arab News, the prime minister announced compensation for affected families.