Visiting Beyt as-Suhaymi
I can’t believe it’s taken us six months to visit beyt as-Suhaymi (the house of Suhaymi). The opulent home, built in the late 1600s (with additions to it up until the 19th century), is a stunning example of a traditional Ottoman home (or so the guidebook tells me). The house is a maze of narrow hallways opening up to rooms with two-story high ceilings and staircases that lead to yet another wing of the home. Anyway, we thought it was really cool.
The second courtyard behind the house, showing the “mashrabiyya” (wooden lattice windows which allowed women to look outside without anyone seeing her).
Private room
Many of the rooms were two stories high with wooden “malqaf” on the ceiling to direct the wind down into the building.
A room with a very large mashrabiyya.
Looking down into Al-Muizz li-Din Allah Street, a main thoroughfare for shopping in the 15th century (man, everywhere you look there’s old stuff!).
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January 8th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Thanks for the pictures of the mashrabiyya. Now I have a visual to go with my imagined images after reading “Palace Walk”.
February 20th, 2007 at 3:42 am
I love this house! Took a group of rather afluent 7 year old Cairenes to this house, and when attempting to get back to the school bus, I became separated from the other classes w/ just 3 of my young male students. Donkey carts, cars zooming past… one of the kids commented on what a strange sight this was. I said, “Welcome to Cairo.” Another boy said, rather shocked, “We’re in Cairo?!?”
February 20th, 2007 at 3:43 am
Can I ask what sort of camera you’re using?
February 20th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Hi Cairogal,
Thanks for your comments on our blog. I love getting comments from people who have visited or lived in Cairo.
We aren’t using a very fancy camera. We have a Nikon D-50 digital SLR with a 18-55mm lens. I think our trick for getting good photos is to just take tons of photos. With a 100 photos of Beyt Al-Suhaymi we were bound to get a few good ones!
February 28th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
[…] Next to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the Gayer-Anderson museum, two 16th-century homes which were restored in the early-mid 1900s by the British major, John Gayer-Anderson. It’s a beautiful home, and since it’s next to the mosque, it shouldn’t be missed, however if you only have time to visit one traditional home in Cairo, I recommend the beautiful Beyt As-Suhaymi in Islamic Cairo. Tags: Tag Index […]
March 11th, 2007 at 7:28 am
That camera and your eye have done the city and country such justice. I don’t have lots of phots on my Flickr website (took them w/ my old SLR and you know how scanning all those puts you right off). Anyway, if you’re interested, here’s the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cairogal/sets/72157594226441652/