06 February 2006

CAIRO: With an enthralling past, Cairo, the oldest and most populous city in the Middle East, is full to the brim with historic buildings, each with their own spot in history. One of the most interesting newly restored sights is Manzel Zainab Khatoun or Zainab Khatoun's house, and the district surrounding it, Al-Darb al-Ahmar.

Al-Darb al-Ahmar, contains more than 100 major Islamic monuments and antiquities, and was built as an extension to Old Cairo to house society's elite. It is centered in an area that represents Cairo's Islamic historic identity and is next door to the Khan al-Khalili, the merchant quarter, and Al-Azhar, the worlds oldest university and perhaps the most influential center of Sunni Islam. 

Al-Darb al-Ahmar and Islamic Cairo, as a whole, were ignored in the late 19th century by the Khedives, the descendants of Mohammad Ali, who moved the seat of government to a new Italianate palace in Abdeen. This gave the public the chance to move to Al-Darb al-Ahmar, which in consequence gradually changed from a locale for the elite to a home for the poorer classes.

Islamic Cairo, however, with its narrow alleys and Islamic architecture, remained a favorite spot of inspiration for some of the masters of twentieth century Egyptian literature, for example the Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz and novelist and editor in chief of the cultural magazine Akhbar al-Adhab, Gamal al-Ghitani. 

For many years, visitors to Islamic Cairo knew only Al-Hussein, Khan al-Khalili and the Al-Azhar Mosque. This is all beginning to change, with places such as Wekalet Bazaraa, Beit al-Hawary and Manzel Zainab Khatoun now restored and open to the public.

Manzel Zainab Khatoun is situated in the midst of a wonderful collection of old Islamic buildings - the fourteenth century Shaker Ben Ghannam Hall to the east, the fifteenth century Al-Aeiny Mosque to the west and the restored eighteenth century Beit al-Harawy to the south. It is also very close to Al-Azhar University's campus. 

"The position of the house is very good, with many non-famous but still beautiful places around it, like Al-Aeiny Mosque and Al-Hawary's house, for visitors to discover," Nagwa Mohammad, the antiquities specialist who works in Manzel Zeinab Khatoun, said.

The three-storey building was erected in the fourteenth century, but it is not known exactly who built it.

"According to some historic documents, it was owned by Methkal al-Sodony, who worked for Kaietbay, the sultan of Egypt in the fifteenth century," Mohammad explains.

The house's name refers to its nineteenth century owner, who was the wife of one of the country's elite and inherited the house from him over 30 years after the French occupation of Egypt.

The house was left to the ravages of time until 1905 when the committee in charge of saving Arabic antiquities (1882-1953) undertook the task of saving it.

By 1981 - when it was being used as a girls' vocational school - the building had suffered from a significant lack of maintenance, the walls were cracking and the need for work had become urgent. 

Manzel Zainab Khatoun has since been repaired and today upon entering the house you feel as if you have been transported into a Mahfouz novel.

The first floor, containing the main halls, is the largest; the walls and ceilings of the rooms are covered in wonderful Islamic motifs. The second floor has two of the most beautiful windows in Islamic architecture, decorated with Islamic plant designs. 

As a tourist spot it has many advantages, not only as a place to discover Egyptian culture, but also for purchasing Egyptian crafts. Hussein, who sells hand made wooden boxes, is one of the local craftsmen who plies his trade outside the house.

"We suffered a lot trying to find a place in Khan al-Khalili to sell our products and we couldn't - now we have a place on the other side of Al-Azhar street, and because of these new places, there are visitors who come across us and buy boxes which enables us to continue in the profession we inherited from our forefathers" said Hussein.

Over the last year, the house has been used for some small cultural events such as lectures about Islam, concerts and poetry recitals, particularly during the month of Ramadan.

It is definately one of the sights of Islamic Cairo that should not be missed.

"Manzel Khatoun is beautiful and less than [a] five minute walk from Al-Azhar Mosque, also highly accessible. It is a must see on any visit to Al-Hussein or Al-Azhar," Mohammad said.