EGYPT THIS MONTH PROMOTES MEDIEVAL CAIRO AND LAZYTOWN LIVE SHOW

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority
EGYPT THIS MONTH
May 2012 www.egypt.travel Issue 35

Live Colors Egypt

MEDIEVAL CAIRO
Get to know some of Islamic Cairo’s most
enchanting masterpieces
May . 2012 1

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter

Since its restoration, Beit El Suheimy has become one of the
most popular places for hosting cultural concerts and festivals
in the capital.

Behind Al Azhar Mosque are two prominent and popular
houses; Beit Zeinab Khatoun and Beit El Sit Wassila that are
worth visiting.

LazyTown live! – The Pirate
Adventure
16 -19 May 2012
From 9:30am until 8:30pm
MUST Opera House

Cairo Mediterranean Literary
Festival LazyTown is a children’s television program that
Tucked away behind the capital’s majestic the Citadel lies halls, rooms, corridors and courts. was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from
17-21 May
a treasure trove of medieval gems from the Islamic era. The The house is divided into two parts: A public area and a Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
enigmatic Islamic Cairo is home to an abundant number of private one. The public area, also known as the Salamlik Various locations
historical sites, monuments and mosques. Many historians and includes a takhtabush. This is a large benched area which LazyTown Live! - The Pirate Adventure is a touring
a recent United Nations study have crowned Islamic Cairo’s opens onto the courtyard like a hall, in which business Now in its third edition, the Cairo Mediterranean stage production of the TV show and will sail into
El Moez Le Din Illah Street as the place with the greatest transactions were carried out. The women of the house were Literary Festival explores the long-standing relation- Cairo this month, filled with star-jumps, power-moves,

Live Colors Egypt
Live Colors Egypt

concentration of medieval Islamic riches. not permitted in this part of the house. ship between “literature and the body.” laugh out-loud fun, sing-along songs and dancing in
the aisles.
In 1997, this one-kilometer street started undergoing a On the second floor is the maq’ad and the formal reception The event will include a theatrical reading form Favorite LazyTown friends are included in the
massive renovation process, and in 2008, the legendary street (qa’a) hall. The private or the Haramlik area includes a (qa’a) and several conferences, face-to-face or virtual show, such as Stephanie and Sportacus and Robbie
metamorphosed into an open-air museum. as well as private apartments and a bath. encounters between authors, visual support in the Rotten.
form of two major exhibitions dedicated to the body The show has been highly successful, airing in over
This historical area also features an ancient lavish house The very high ceilings of the house allow the warmer air to and films and documentaries, as well as interactive 100 countries in more than a dozen languages.
that dates back to the 17th Century and has undergone a rise and then to be swept away by the north facing maq’ad seminars and book presentations.
transformational makeover. (wind scoops) in the upper walls, which caught the breeze. Misr University of Science and Technology Opera
This architectural feature really helped in making life easier in This event will be running in different locations in House
Beit El Suheimy Cairo’s dry and hot weather at a time when air conditioners Cairo from May 17 to May 21. For more information 6th of October City
weren’t available. go to: http://www.cairomedliteraryfestival.org Tel: 01094444273/5
Built on an area of 2100m2, the house is comprised of several

2 May . 2012 May . 2012 3


A walking distance from the house is Khatoun Gallery. An
old dye house that has been transformed by four local artists New Terminal 2 to
into a shop that sells unique oriental crafts.
open mid 2013
Beit El Sit Wassila As part of the ambitious plan to upgrade Egypt’s
civil aviation facilities, which began in 2002, Terminal 2
In the heart of Al Azhar area stands a most memorable will be closed until 2013 for complete renovation. The
house, Beit El Sit Wassila, one of the country’s historical facility will open next year to host 8.5 million interna-
residences. It is located next to Beit El Harawy and behind Al tional passengers per year.
Azhar Mosque. Dating back to the 17th century, this house
was built by Sheikh Abdel Haq and his brother Loutfi Al Kenawi. Other current projects in the works include the new
Its name, Beit El Sit Wassila, has been derived from the name Seasonal Terminal for 3.5 million Passengers/year, a
of its last owner Wassila Khatoun bent Abdallah El Beida multi-story car park with capacity of 3,000 cars and
Maatouqa. the Automated People Mover for moving 2,000 pas-
sengers/hour within 10 minutes from T1 to T3. Further
Access to the building is gained through a few underground ongoing developments include a 5-star Hotel and an
stairs, that lead to the ground level. The entrance to the house Extended Metro Line linking Cairo Airport with Giza.
is designed in a way that enables the house’s residents to
easily view their visitors without being seen.
entrance to a forified city. Around twenty more frescos and
The ground level consists of an open court, in the middle murals were discovered, representing flower vases, residencies
of which is a large rectangular hall with limestone floors, in Madina El Menawara, in additon to an impressive scene
especially designed for the man of the house to entertain depicting pilgrimage in Mecca.
his guests. The first floor is the women of the house and their
female visitors’ very own private space. Most of the rooms Beit El Harrawi
are decorated with a variety of floral and geometrical wall
paintings, inscriptions and mashrabeyas, all supported by a While it’s a historic building, Beyt El Harrawi is also all about
polychrome ceiling. music. So much so that it also goes by the moniker Beyt Al-Oud
(house of the lute). In fact, the director of the house is one
The house’s rare and unique frecos can be found in the of the Arab world’s foremost Oud players, Naseer Shamma,
house’s summer reception hall, on the first floor, highlighting the known for his innovations when it comes to the instrument. The
Beit Zeinab Khatoun space has been dedicated to music and visitors can enjoy
concerts in its open-air courtyard.
Hidden in one of the nooks of Islamic Cairo’s alleys is Beit
Zeinab Khatoun; one of the most remarkable houses that Sitting in the courtyard, you will also be able to admire the
has managed to survive through the test of time. The house hand-carved mashrabiya windows, which are designed for
was named after its last owner, as was the custom for Islamic privacy, especially of the women of the house. Coming off
houses in those days, and is strategically situated at the back the courtyard is the lavish mandarah, or sitting room, with
of the famous Al Azhar Mosque. its carved wooden ceilings and a mosaic inlaid octagonal
fountain. The middle section of the mandarah is slightly raised
Dating backing to the early 15th century, Beit Zeinab allowing the master of the house to sit in an elevated position
Khatoun is a state of the art Ottoman-era house. It is not private chamber of the household’s master, with a side access of honor above his guests.
as grand as most of the houses built during that era, and is to the harem (women) quarters.
comprised of a simple stone façade with small windows that Like Beyt Zeinab El Khatoun, Beit El Harrawi is located just
lack the luxurious wooden mashrabeya windows, except for The most impressive hall in the house is the main Harem south of El Azhar Mosque. It was built in 1731 and occupied
one single mashrabeya window above the entrance that Qa’a on the first floor, an enchanting hall with exquisite until 1920. During the 90’s the house was renovated through

Live Colors Egypt
Live Colors Egypt

seems to have been added at a later date. decorations. It is composed of the customary three sections: joint French-Egyptian efforts.
Durqa’a (central section) with two unequal iwans (sitting area)
To the right of the entrance is a small room called maguaz, from each side at a higher level. In the middle of the marble
which is found in most of the houses built at that time. It is tiled flooring of the durqa’a is a state-of-the-art mosaic inlaid Amir Taz Palace
mainly constructed to keep the privacy of the household octagonal fountain.
intact from the curious eyes of passers-by. It was probably The Amir Taz Palace was built in 1352 under the reign of
used to attend to business affairs away from the hustle and The house’s spacious courtyard, also shared by its the Mamluks. Taz Al Nasiri built this extravagant palace
bustle of the house’s activities. neighboring Beit El Harrawi, is now a bustling traditional ahwa to celebrate his marriage to Sultan An Nasir Mohamed’s
(coffee shop), favored by locals and foreigners alike. daughter Khwand Zahra. Despite the palace’s splendor, Al
The ground floor is laid with clean-cut stones while the Nasiri never really got a chance to reside in it. The original
upper floors and later additions are made from brick. The Beit Zeinab Khatoun is also famous for staging numerous house owner fell victim to a series of accusations and
maq’ad (an open loggia) is reached through a few steps in cultural concerts and events by both prominent and up and conspiracies and even faced imprisonment, so he ended
the courtyard. At the back of the maq’ad is a smaller space, a coming Egyptian talents. having to flee the country, leaving his beautiful house behind.

4 May . 2012 May . 2012 5


Gayer Anderson Museum
The Gayer Anderson museum is adjacent to the Ahmed
Ibn Tulun Mosque in the heart of the Sayeda Zeinab
neighborhood. Named after its last resident Major R.G. Gayer
Anderson Pasha, this architectural gem is home to a vast
collection of Anderson’s furniture, carpets and curios.

Anderson lived in the house from 1935 to 1942, and was
a British officer in the Egyptian army, with a deep love and
passion for Egypt, its people and its culture.

As a result of the house’s cultural and historical significance,
the house was renovated and transferred into one of Old
Cairo’s most visited museums.

The museum consists of two houses built next to one another,
using the outer wall of its neighboring mosque as support.
The house on the eastern side, the larger of the two, was
built in 1632 by Mohamed Ibn Al Hajj Salem ibn Galman Al
Gazzar. Shortly after, its doors welcomed a new owner; a
wealthy woman from Crete, which garnered the house the
name Beit Al Kritliya or the House of the Cretan Woman. The
house on the western side, known as Beit Amna bint Salem,
was built in 1540 by Abdel Qader Al Haddad.

The two houses are joined by a little bridge on the third floor
and are collectively known as Beit Al Kritliya.

Each room is characterized by a different Islamic style of
furniture. For example; a traditional Arabian reception, a
Turkish dining room, Syrian bedrooms, medieval kitchen and
a typical home library.

A big fountain centers the courtyard. The summer living
room is found on the first floor and is made up of two joint
bridges supported by a column. The summer living room leads
up to the Salamlik area, which consists of two above ground
level arcades, which make up the durqa’a. Each arcade
is provided with a mashrabeya window that is intricately
Beshtak Palace designed against a silk cushion clad bench. The walls are
decorated with antique swords and classical guns.
The palace, along with its significant complex of buildings, An architectural wonder of the 14th century, Beshtak Palace
annexes and gardens, was built on a huge rectangular plot was built in the Mamluk era and is one of the remaining There is a corridor that joins the Salamlik leads to the
and lies near al-Salibba street and around the corner from domestic residences from the period. The palace, located on Haramlik. The Haramlik is set apart by scores of mashrabeya
Sabil Umm Abbas behind the Citadel. Al Mu’izz li-Din Allah Street, was built by Prince (Amir) Beshtak windows that enable the women to seewhat is happening in
Al-Nasiri between 1334 and 1339, where the Eastern Fatimid and out of the house, without being seen. The Haramlik also

Live Colors Egypt
Live Colors Egypt

During the conservation project, an unexpected discovery palace used to stand. has its own private summer living room.
of the water supply system was made. The system includes a
water wheel, aqueducts and cisterns, showing how the water You will find two stories of this palace down a small alleyway A few steps from the roof lies Anderson’s Persian room. It
distribution system was at the time. and through an arch in old Islamic Cairo. It is a popular site to consists of a wooden bed with columns inlaid with ivory and
visit due to its small yet interesting museum, showcasing the pearl.
One of the original ceilings remaining in the palace is that history of Cairo. Make sure to spend some time in the stunning
of the north-west iwan in the main qa’a; the paintings and hall of the palace. The courtyard and the stables are also Parts of the James Bond film “The spy who loved me” was
decorative elements show Bahri-Mamluk characteristics while attractive but the really impressive elements to note are the shot in the house’s reception hall and on its rooftop terrace.
the opposite iwan seems to date back to the 15th century as mashrabiya screens on the many windows to what was once
it is in relatively better condition. one of Cairo’s busiest streets and the stained glass windows of
the pointed arches on the second floor, with their gilded and
Nowadays, the palace is a thriving cultural spot that holds painted wooden paneling.
regular concerts and cultural festivals.

6 May . 2012 May . 2012 7


CalendAr
around the world in French, English and Spanish.
El Geneina Theater, Azhar Park, Salah Salem Rd.
Tel: (02) 2362 5057
Time: 8 pm
May 2012
5th
Opera Company Zapp 4 (Netherlands)
Main Hall, Cairo Opera House Zapp 4 is a band with the line-up of a string
Tel: (02) 2739 0132 quartet. It combines groove, improvization, and
Time: 8 pm fantasy with passionate solos. On stage, they
interact with high speed and have a huge musi-
22nd- 23rd cal spectrum. Another striking item about the
The Telephone by Menotti quartet is that all four members compose for the
A comic opera with Cairo Opera Company band.
Main Hall, Cairo Opera House The uniqueness of the group and its repertoire
Tel: (02) 2739 0132 makes Zapp 4 very acceptable for a large audi-
Time: 8 pm ence including all sorts of music lovers.
Prince Taz Palace, 27 Seyoufeya St., off Saleeba St.
Modern Dance Khalifa.
Tel: (02) 2514 2581
11th Time: 8 pm
Cavewomen: The Next Incarnation by Dance Bri-
gade (USA) Classic Music
A primal feast of movement, theater, martial arts,
and taiko drumming, delivered with passion and Cairo Symphony Orchestra presents Rossi-
Art that Cairo and its massiveness has dominated biting intellectual wit. The Cave Women series is ni’s “Overture to La scala di seta,” Schumann’s
her way of thinking over the last year. Her work Dance Brigade’s antidote to war and the present “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” and Men-
1st - 24th is a response to this and features many works state of affairs in the world - a stunning evocation delssohn’s “Symphony No. 3” in A minor. Soloist:
Drawings by Salah El Mur & Soad Abdel Rasoul that try to capture the essence of Cairo. West- of female power, a good dose of humor, black Magda Emara (piano).
A co-production of more than 100 small-sized wood’s recent prints capture life on Cairo’s leather and gutsy social commentary. Conductor: Andreas Spoerri
works on display of the Sudanese artist El Mur streets from colorful balconies to food stalls, Since 1975, Artistic Director Krissy Keefer has Main Hall, Cairo Opera House
and Egyptian Abdel Rasoul. The exhibition ques- mulids and cats. refined a form of political dance theater. Keefer’s Tel: (02) 2739 0132
tions the relationship between the physical World of Art Gallery, 6, Road 77c, Golf Area, Maadi. signature style combines bold political content, Time: 8 pm
nature of human beings and their psychological Tel: (02) 2359 4362 cutting-edge movement and stunning theater.
and metaphysical state of being in connection Open daily 10 am to 8 pm, except Fridays Falaki Theatre, 24 El Falaki St. Bab El Louk 6th
with a certain body or shape. Tel: (02) 2797 6373 Modern Vocal Jazz
Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, 24th - 21st June Time: 8 pm Adam Miller Group
8 Champollion St. Downtown. The Missing Pieces by Karim Bakry
Tel: (02) 2578 4494 The months following January 25th have pro- 17th& 18th & 20th - 23rd Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza
Opening Times: Daily except Friday, 11 am to 8 pm duced waves of different emotions, but the Reve Tango Tel: (02) 3346 1071
undercurrent of disillusionment has been the Ballet Tango Reve was first presented by the Time:10 pm Founded by pianist and conductor Jean-Philippe compositions or re-invents those of others.
1st - 31st most prevalent. “The Missing Pieces,” is employ- Cairo Ballet Company with choreography of Wurtz in Strasbourg in 1998. The artistic projects Prince Taz Palace, 27 Seyoufeya St., off Saleeba St.
Photographic Exhibition - ing shipping boxes and crates to transport a Joseph Russillo in 2007, where he blended clas- 11th of Linea cover quite diverse aesthetic perspec- Khalifa.
Nubia Before the Flood valuable good: an idea. In these boxes is the sol- sical dances, modern, jazz and many other forms Ajam - Iran/UK tives – from musical theatre to electronic music, Tel: (02) 2514 2581
The black and white photographs in this exhibit idarity, the will to change, a prospect to fulfill, with Tango Ajam is a London-based band that was formed from Western music to the rich Asian reper- Time: 8 pm
were taken in the early 60s by Abdel Fattah Eid waiting to be unpacked. Main Hall, Cairo Opera House formally in early 2010 as an off-shoot project toires. Playful, theatrical, specialized and explo-

Live Colors Egypt
as part of a project to document Nubian cul- The exhibition will include two sections: an Tel: (02) 2739 0132 from the ‘Simorgh’ group. In addition to the raw sive, they have always assured the Ensemble a 21st
Live Colors Egypt

ture before the valley was submerged by Lake installation and a display of photographs Time: 8 pm energy of tribal and ritual music that inspires solid reputation for dynamic staging. Conductor: Improvisation – Frances-Marie Uitti (Violoncello),
Nasser. These photographs feature the liveli- Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, their sound, elements of the dance and move- Guillaume Bourgogne Ayman Fanous (Guitar, Bouzouki)
hood, customs and other aspects of the cul- 8 Champollion St. Downtown. Music ment is incorporated into live shows. Ajam try to Small Hall, Cairo Opera House and Alexandria Opera The composer and performer Uitti pioneered a
ture of Nubian villages prior to their move to a Tel: (02) 2578 4494 bring the epic, energetic, and often aggressive House respectively revolutionary dimension to the cello by trans-
new location after the construction of the Aswan Daily 11 am to 8 pm, except Fridays 4th spirit of the regional music of Iran to this gener- Time: 8 pm forming it for the first time into a polyphonic
High Dam. Music and Singing by Dima Dima (Tunisia) ation. instrument capable of sustained chordal and
The Photographic Gallery, AUC, New Cairo Dima Dima is an alternative World Music band Jesuits Cultural Center, Alexandria 20th intricate multi-voiced writing. Fanous is the
Tel: (02) 2615 3318 Opera formed in 2004. It presents an eclectic mix of 298 Port Said St. Alexandria Piano Recital - Francesco Tristano only guitarist to bring both classical and fla-
Opening Times: Sunday - Thursday 10 am to 5 pm various musical genres from around the globe, Tel: (03) 542 3553 A personality so atypical of a pianist, an auda- menco guitar technique into contemporary free
3rd- 4th & 6th - 9th combining occidental rhythms with oriental and Time: 9.30 pm cious virtuoso with an incomparable technique, improvization.
14th - 27th Rigoletto by Verdi local melodies. Tristano has established himself as one of the
New Works & Reworks One of Verdi’s operatic masterpieces in three The band produced 12 original tracks in Arabic 9th & 20th greatest talents of the young generation. In recit- El Sawy Cultural Wheel, end 26 July St. Zamalek
Roland Prime and Lucy Westwood. Prime says acts to a libretto by Francesco Piave. Cairo and in Tunisian dialect and covers songs from Ensemble Linea als, he mixes styles and genres, plays his own Time: 8 pm

8 May . 2012 May . 2012 9

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter

Yara Nosseir - Syria. Young cultural activist,
working as project Manager at Abwab for Arts
and Culture Association.

Cairo Choral Society Makan, 1 Saad Zaghloul St. El Dawaween. Guevara Nemr (Syria) Worked as a professional
Cairo Choral Society will perform music of Tel: (02) 2792 0878 photographer at the Opera House in Damascus.
Mozart, Haydn and Rameau Time: 9 pm She joined PROACTION production house as a
The German Protestant Church, Al-Galaa Street and producer.
26 July Street next to the Al-Ahram Building 29th
Tel: Department of the Arts on ext. 1221 Mawwal and Baladi Songs - Gypsy traditions of Khaled Abdel Hamid (Egypt) Socialist activist, a
Time: 8 pm the Delta (Mawawil) member of the socialist alliance and member of
Makan, 1 Saad Zaghloul St. El Dawaween. the executive office of the revolution youth coali-
21st & 23rd Tel: (02) 2792 0878 tion
On 25 - Egyptian Contemporary Music Ensemble Time: 9 pm
The concert series “ON 25” was instigated to be Yousra Ennouri (Tunisia) An actress and gradu-
a platform for Egyptian and Arabic musical pro- Lecture ate of the Higher Institute of Dramatic and mem-
ductions, and commissioned works that have ber of L’Atelier D.
been created after the beginnings of the Egyp- 7th
tian revolution on the 25th January 2011. These The Terminology of Egyptian Colors in Context Makan, 1 Saad Zaghloul St. El Dawaween,
works cast a critical eye on Egypt’s history with and Theory by David Warburton Simpson, Pro- Downtown
its various cultural influences, and they draw fessor of Egyptology, Department of SAPE Tel: (02) 2792 0878
connections to the current developments 602 Hill House Hall, AUC Tahrir Square. Time: 9 pm
Malak Gabr Theatre, AUC New Cairo Tel: (02 2615 1837
Tel: the Department of the Arts on ext. 1221 Time: 6:30- 8pm
Time: 8 pm

Special Events
Ethnic
8th
Storytelling - Samar with the Revolution
2nd, 16th, 30th Arwa Othman (Yemen) A story teller and a
Mazaher - Famous custodians of the leg- researcher in folklore.
Live Colors Egypt

acy of musical tradition, such as Zar perform-
ers Om Sameh and Om Hassan join Sudanese Nabil Tammam (Bahrein) Surgeon and Lecturer
Singer Asia, singer Sayed Imam and Sayed Rek- at the Arabian Gulf University
abi together with many unique instrumentalists.
Gypsy Music from the Delta joins hands with Zar Nader El Sayed (Egypt) Famous Egyptian retired
songs. Goalkeeper. He was one of the leading protest-
Makan, 1 Saad Zaghloul St. El Dawaween. ers in Tahrir Square, Moustafa Mahmoud St. on
Tel: (02) 2792 0878 February 3rd 2012.
Time: 9 pm
Ibrahim Alaguri (Libya) A freelance photographer.
15th
Arab Tribes from Aswan - Jaafara music and Ragab Makry(Tunisia) Theatre performer and a
songs with singer Sayed Rekabi graduate from the Higher Institute for Drama

10 May . 2012

EGYPT THIS MONTH PROMOTES MEDIEVAL CAIRO AND LAZYTOWN LIVE SHOW

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