Islamic Museum of Cairo

The newly renovated Islamic Museum of Cairo is a great place to visit to learn about art history in Egypt and the Middle East. It seems while the museum itself has been nicely renovated, its website is consigned to ancient history, so ignore the online site and go in person yourself to witness a fabulous collection of beautifully displayed artifacts.

Source: http://www.islamicmuseum.gov.eg/museum.html

As I wandered through the museum on my last visit, I wrote down a series of vocabulary from the titles on the items on display, the following was my luxuriant list of scribbles:

- Astrolabs
- Sundials
- Arches
- Geometric patterns
- Wood assembled "tongue and groove"
- Mother-of-pearl
- Marble inlaid with colored stones
- Colored glass windows
- Carved marble
- Vegetal design
- Mortars
- Hexagonal kohl container
- Surgical instruments
- Medical instruments
- Perfume bottles and chemical liquids
- Bowls with talisman inscriptions
- Pages of manuscript "benefits of herbs"
- Balance
- Anatomical panel of circulatory system, digestive spine and rib cage
- Prescriptions for treatment
- Ottoman
- Mamluk
- Wide use of geometrical compositions more than 12 centuries
- 12 c. polygon an essential figure of elaborate geometric patterns replaced by a star
- Geometric decoration in Egypt at peak under Mamluk reign
- Star replaced by decentralized composition - creates depth
- Fascinates eye
- Riot and harmony of geometry to enhance elaborate architecture
- Fountain carved marble resembling fish scales
- Blue and white tiles
- Fragments of a frieze with arabesque scrollwork
- Marble inlaid with black paste
- Floral and animal design
- Fish decoration
- Public fountains (sabil) 19c carved and painted marble
- Ceramic lusterware
- Kufic inscription
- Fatamid Ayyubid
- Arabic script, fluid letters
- Boundless inspiration
- Calligraphy
- Rules of proportion
- Lamps from madrasa
- Mihrab
- Colored glass inset in stucco
- Turned latticework (mashrabiyya)
- Wood joined and turned
- Court carpet from Iran
- Wool silk, silver threads
- Prayer carpet
- Textiles
- Spindles
- Knot methods
- No. of knot in each square inch increases value of carpet and durability
- Brocade
- Damask tapestry
- Embroidered
- Rich glass making
- Cameo glass
- Iranian potters
- Resemble ceramic lace
- Rich painted enamels
- Shallow reliefs enhanced with gold
- Decoration with metallic oxides
- Long-necked bottles
- Poet Firdawsi (Iranian) The Book of Kings (The Shahnama)
- 13 c. Mongols promoted great artistic accomplishments in Iran
- Timurid empire / Tamerlane
- Buyids
- Samanids
- Ghaznavids
- Copper alloy jug inlaid with gold
- Candlesticks
- Mirrors with ring of lions
- Quranic inscriptions stand out in cobalt on a metallic luster background
- Turquoise ceramic
- Mongol Ilkhanid Dynasty
- Overglaze painting
- Lapis Lazuli
- Cobalt blue
- White red blue enamels
- Manuscript
- Compass
- Panels from cenotaphs
- Tubercle
- Saddle cloth cotton and silk brocade with metallic thread red and gold
- Fascination with numbers order and structure
- Candlestick with ducks
- Coins
- Salah al Din
- Glass vessels
- Gold dinars
- Panels decorated with birds
- Collection of gold jewellery
- Dishes with dance and music scenes
- Desert hare
- Gazelle
- Lion sphinx and hare

The Ramadan Cannons

Dating back to the Fatamid period in Egypt, cannons have been used to announce when it is time to break one's fast during Ramadan, as a way of sending a signal that everyone could hear and recognize. The tradition continues today, though I believe most people hear the cannon over the radio or television set than by their own ears.

Bayt el Suhaymi

Bayt el Suhaymi is a hidden gem, unbeknownst (unfortunately) to the majority of tourists who get dragged through Khan el Khalili. It is a true pity that most of Egypt's long and variegated history is overlooked by the tourists who tend to be exposed to very little other than its ancient artifacts.

Bay el Suhaymi is a restored Ottoman building dating back to 1648 AD nestled just behind Khan el Khalili amongst beautiful buildings from the Fatamid period.

This is the street that leads up to Bayt el Suhaymi

  When you enter the buildings complex, one of the first things you'll notice is how cool it is, despite the raging heat outside. The buildings were designed in a brilliant way that somehow naturally cools. It also seems to block a lot of sounds, it is very calm and peaceful inside the area, juxtaposed against the usual noise of Cairo.

Wooden window frames designed in a way to let the inhabitants
have a pleasant breeze and view the street while passerbys cannot see in