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54-705: Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1904 and was later transferred to the Egyptian Army in 1907. He was then promoted to become a Major in 1914 and during the same year, he became Assistant Adjutant-General for recruiting in the Egyptian Army . In 1919, he retired from the army to become the Senior Inspector in the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior , and he later became

108-477: A black and gold mummy case, dating back to the eighteenth century BC and a bronze Ancient Egyptian cat, with gold earrings. This is an Ottoman apartment with green and gold decorated walls. All objects and furniture present in the room are from the Rococo period. A piece of furniture worth noting would be the throne chair, which dates back to one of the earlier Khedives , maybe Ismail Pasha . Also, two portraits and

162-592: A bronze figurine depicting the goddess Bastet in the form of a cat. It dates from 600 BC and was probably made for a temple. Gayer-Anderson bought the figurine in October 1934 and donated it to the British Museum in 1939, and it is one of the most popular exhibits there. In 1924 Gayer-Anderson bought the late 14th-century medieval hall house Little Hall in Lavenham , Suffolk, England, and when his health began to fail in

216-646: A detailed account of shanshil in Baghdad: An elaborate mashrabiya could signal wealth and status. In the poem, The Shanasil of al-Chalabi’s Daughter , the Iraqi poet, Badr Shaker Alsyyab (1926–1964), describes his lover, al-Chalabi's daughter, coming into view from behind the shanashil or mashrabiya. The poem includes references to the social status of the lover's family who reside in the town's largest house complete with sophisticated mashrabiyas. The mashrabiya, with its concept of secluding women from public view, played into

270-570: A distinctive element in vernacular architecture with symbolic associations, the mashrabiya has inspired many poets, artists and writers. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Western travellers and adventurers, travelled overland from Aleppo to Basra, along the route known as the Great Desert Caravan Route, leaving behind journals of their journeys. Their accounts often include commentary on local architecture encountered, including window treatments and mashrabiya. Some of these writers include:

324-511: A mechanical singing bird in a cage are present in this room. The singing bird is a Harem toy from Istanbul, and was brought by the founder’s brother. This late seventeenth century room was built by the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Monuments in 1937 and was brought from Damascus by Gayer- Anderson Pasha. The whole room is made of wood, reflecting great beauty and charm. On three sides of

378-517: A roof garden, and is enclosed with mashrabias . These designs are of Coptic origin and they reflect Christian symbols such as the cross . This is considered to be quite rare since the only other examples of Christian mashrabias are found in the Coptic Museum , as well as in some ancient houses in Old Cairo . The objects present in this room are from the later Persian or Shah Abbas period, except for

432-580: A sailing boat he used to collect these antiques from all over Egypt, it was docked on the Nile not far from the house. In 1942, Gayer-Anderson was forced by ill health to leave Egypt, and he gave the contents of the house to the Egyptian government. King Farouk gave him the title of Pasha in return. Gayer-Anderson died in England in 1945, and is buried in Lavenham , Suffolk . The James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me

486-450: A type of balcony or oriel window in the form of a small latticed opening encasing the second or higher floors of a building and typically overlooking an internal courtyard. They are usually cantilevered to add more square footage to the upper floors, as well as providing shade to the first-floor windows. The lattice work ranges from simple geometric shapes through to ornate patterns. Architecturally, they are designed to satisfy one or more of

540-493: Is also called shanshūl ( شنشول ) or rōshān ( روشان ). Other terms also exist to describe variants of this architectural feature beyond the Arabic world. In Turkish it is called şahnişin , from Persian , adopted into Greek as sachnisi . In Malta , they are known by the cognate term muxrabija . The origins of mashrabiya are uncertain; however, the earliest evidence of the mashrabiya, in its current form, dates to

594-485: Is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the upper floors of a building, sometimes enhanced with stained glass . It was traditionally used to catch wind and for passive cooling . Jars and basins of water could be placed in it to cause evaporative cooling . It

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648-514: Is most commonly used on the street side of the building; however, it may also be used internally on the sahn (courtyard) side. The term mashrabiya is sometimes used of similar lattices elsewhere, for instance in a takhtabush . It is similar to Indian jali . It has been used since the Middle Ages , reached a peak during the Ottoman period, but fell into decline in the late 19th century and

702-683: Is most conveniently reached by taxi. The nearest station on the Cairo Metro , the Sayyida Zeinab station, is approximately 1 km to the west. As of January 2020, entrance fees were E£ 60 for foreign adults, E£30 for foreign students, and E£10 for Egyptian nationals. A camera ticket costs an additional E£50 . 30°01′42″N 31°15′03″E  /  30.0284°N 31.2507°E  / 30.0284; 31.2507 Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson (29 July 1881 – June 1945), known as John to his friends,

756-517: Is mostly used if the house is facing an open landscape such as a river, a cliff below or simply a farm, rather than other houses. One of the major purposes of the mashrabiya is privacy, an essential aspect of Arab and Muslim culture. From the mashrabiya window, occupants can obtain a good view of the street without being seen. The mashrabiya was an integral part of Arab lifestyle. Typically, people did not sleep in any assigned room, rather they would take their mattresses and move to areas that offered

810-615: The Gayer-Anderson Museum . At some point Gayer-Anderson and his twin Thomas changed their surname by deed poll from Anderson to Gayer-Anderson. Their two siblings were always known just as Anderson. Gayer-Anderson died of a heart attack in June 1945. His ashes were buried in a 2nd-century Greek urn at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Lavenham . The Little Hall Museum in Lavenham displays some of

864-633: The 12th century in Baghdad during the Abbasid period. In Iraq during the 1920s and 1930s, the designs of the latticework were influenced by the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements of the time. Mashrabiyas, along with other distinct features of historic Islamic architecture, were being demolished as part of a modernisation program across the Arab world from the first decades of the 20th century. In Baghdad, members of

918-715: The Arab world). They are very prevalent in Iraq, Iran, the Levant , Hejaz and Egypt . In Basra , where they are very prevalent, they are known as shanasheel (or shanashil ) to the extent that Basra is often called "the city of Shanashil." Some 400 traditional buildings are still standing in Basra. In Malta , mashrabiyas (known as muxrabija ) are quite common, especially in dense urban areas. They are usually made from wood and include glass windows, but there are also variations made from stone or aluminium. They could possibly originate from around

972-613: The British Army, receiving his commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1904. In 1907 Gayer-Anderson was seconded into the Egyptian Army as a major (Egypt had been under British colonial rule since 1882 ). He practised as a surgeon in Abbassia . Gayer-Anderson was entranced by Egypt, learning Arabic and collecting objects from antique dealers. After two years of service, Gayer-Anderson returned to England on leave, but realised he

1026-492: The Egyptian government began to clear the homes, many of which were in very poor condition, away from the mosque as part of a plan to make important Islamic monuments more accessible. The Committee for the Conservation of Arab Monuments objected to the demolition of Bayt al-Kritliyya, however, on the grounds that the home was well preserved. The home was kept intact, and repairs were made to the side walls to strengthen them after

1080-494: The Gayer-Anderson brothers' collection. Mashrabiya Features Types Types Features Clothing Genres Art music Folk Prose Islamic Poetry Genres Forms Arabic prosody National literatures of Arab States Concepts Texts Fictional Arab people South Arabian deities A mashrabiya or mashrabiyya ( Arabic : مشربية )

1134-656: The House of the Cretan Woman (see sources). Among the legends are: He is said to have blinded three men who attempted to rob the house, who stumbled around the house for three days and nights until they were finally caught; The museum is run by the Supreme Council of Antiquities . The Gayer-Anderson Museum is located adjacent to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun off of 'Abd al-Magid al-Labban (Al-Salbiyya) Street in Sayyida Zeinab, Cairo. It

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1188-574: The Ministry of Interior, and then Oriental Secretary to the High Commissioner. Following Egyptian independence in 1922 , Gayer-Anderson accompanied King Fuad on a tour of the provinces. He retired from the Egyptian government in 1923, at the age of 42. He intended to study antiquities, and write articles and poetry. One of the most famous objects associated with him is the Gayer-Anderson cat ,

1242-764: The Oriental Secretary to the British Residency in Cairo. He retired in 1924 but continued to live in Egypt, expanding his interests in Egyptology and Oriental Studies. Bayt al-Kritliyya is considered to be one of the remarkable examples of Muslim domestic architecture in Cairo. It dates back to the Mamluk Period (1040 AH/1631 AD) and it was built by Hagg Mohamed Salem Galmam el- Gazzar. The museum consists of two houses built using

1296-637: The Portuguese explorer, Pedro Teixeira (who travelled in the 1580s), the Danish explorer and cartographer, Carsten Niebuhr (1733–1815), the English traveller, John Jackson (d. 1807), the German architectural historian, Oskar Reuther (1880–1954) and the English artist, Tristram Ellis (1844–1922). The absence of ground floor windows at street level was a theme taken up in many travellers' accounts. William Beawes who travelled

1350-440: The air in the sahn, which is open to the sun making it more likely that air would flow towards the sahn through the rooms of the house; the mashrabiya also provides protection and shade for the ground floor windows that are flat and usually unprotected. One of the major architectural benefits is correcting the footprint shape of the land. Due to winding and irregular streets, plots of land are also commonly irregular in shape, while

1404-418: The area contained is part of the upper floor rooms hence enlarging the floor plan. Some mashrabiyas are open and not lined with glass; the mashrabiya functions as a balcony and the space enclosed is independent of the upper floor rooms and accessed through those rooms with windows opening towards it. Sometimes the woodwork is reduced making the mashrabiya resemble a regular roofed balcony; this type of mashrabiya

1458-541: The arts community feared that vernacular architecture would be lost permanently and took steps to preserve them. The architect, Rifat Chadirji and his father, Kamil, photographed structures and monuments across Iraq and the Saudi region, and published a book of photographs. Such initiatives have contributed to a renewed interest in traditional practices as a means of building sustainable residences in harsh climatic conditions. Mashrabiya are vernacular architectural elements ;

1512-536: The bed, which originates from Egypt, and a replica of an Egyptian couch with bulls feet. This is a bridge which links the Haramlik to the Salamlik. However, it is nowadays used to portray the few Christian objects present in the house. Originally, this was Gayer Anderson Pasha’s study room and it still contains some Ancient Egyptian objects. Some of the objects worth noticing include Egypt’s map, engraved on an ostrich egg,

1566-980: The erotic fantasies of European male audiences. John Frederick Lewis painted both interiors and exterior views of the mashrabiya in works such as: The Courtyard of the Coptic Patriarch's House in Cairo (1864); The Reception (1873), The Midday Meal (1875), and The Siesta , (1876). Other paintings that feature mashrabiya include Walter Charles Horsley's Women and an Old Man in the Harem (1883), Arthur von Ferraris ’ The Coffee House (1888) and Jean-Léon Gérôme 's The Horse Market , (1867). Certain 20th century artists and photographers, such as Lorna Selim and Rifat Chadirji were prompted to document mashrabiyas for very different reasons. They feared that traditional architectural elements were in danger of being lost to "modernity" and sought to document them for posterity. The British artist, Lorna Selim, who married an Iraqi sculptor,

1620-659: The first half of the 20th century. However, interest in sustainable architecture has contributed to a revival of the mashrabiya and other elements of vernacular architecture . The term mashrabiya is derived from the triliteral root Š - R - B , which generally denotes drinking or absorbing. There are two theories for its name: The mashrabiya is known by different labels across the Arab world; takhrima in Yemen; barmaqli or gannariya in Tunis, shanashil or rowshin in Iraq and Jeddah . It

1674-451: The following functions: Latticework designs differ from region to region, however the commonly used patterns include: Effective ventilation and passive cooling could be enhanced by adding a water jar, also known as a qullah, inside the mashrabiya. Most mashrabiyas are closed where the latticework is lined with stained glass and part of the mashrabiya is designed to be opened like a window, often sliding windows to save space; in this case

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1728-483: The fourteenth and seventeenth century. Another common feature in Mamluk houses was the “Durkah”, a pathway from a door to another. It is where guests would put their shoes before reaching a divan . This is the main apartment in the Haramlik. Marble tables are present. Fruits, flowers and drinks were also part of the tradition of this room. Also, there is a part of the “holy carpet”, also known as Kiswa , in green silk, and it

1782-412: The greatest comfort according to the seasons: to the mashrabiya (or shanashil) in winter, to the courtyard in spring or to vaulted basements in summer. The wooden screen with openable windows gives shade and protection from the hot summer sun, while allowing the cool air from the street to flow through. The designs of the latticework usually have smaller openings in the bottom part and larger openings in

1836-399: The higher parts, hence causing the draft to be fast above the head and slow in lower parts. This provides a significant amount of air moving in the room without causing it to be uncomfortable. The air-conditioning properties of the window is typically enhanced by placing jars of water in the area, allowing air to be cooled by evaporative cooling as it passes over the jars. The projection of

1890-439: The house designs are regular squares and rectangles. This would result in irregular shapes of some rooms and create dead corners. The projection allows the shapes of the rooms on the upper floors to be corrected, and thus the entire plot of land to be utilised. It also increases the usable space without increasing the plot size. On the street side, in addition to their ornamental advantage, mashrabiyas served to provide enclosure to

1944-490: The house. Also, close friends were allowed. The courtyard's floor is made of marble and the windows of the Haramlik open onto it. A stairway leading to the Haramlik is also present in the courtyard. Other remarkable objects include the Bats’ Well, also known as Bier el- watawit and is about fifteen meters deep. The Maq’ad is a reception room, which in this case, is open air. There are brass bowls dating back to some time between

1998-403: The mashrabiya achieves several purposes: it allows air from three sides to enter, even if the wind outside is blowing parallel to the house façade; it serves the street, and in turn the neighborhood, as a row of projected mashrabiyas provides shelter for those in the streets from rain or sun. The shade in normally narrow streets will cool the air in the street and increase the pressure as opposed to

2052-457: The mid-1930s, he considered moving there, and so sent many of his possessions on to Suffolk. His brother Thomas was already living at the Hall, having moved there in 1929. In February 1935 he visited the 16th-century Mamluk Beit al-Kretilya ("the House of the Cretan Woman"), two domestic buildings in Cairo that were undergoing restoration, and managed to secure a lifetime lease for them. He continued

2106-463: The neighboring houses were torn down. In 1935, Major Gayer-Anderson, a retired collector and self-described Orientalist, was granted permission to reside in the house, which had just been restored. Gayer-Anderson oversaw the installation of electricity and plumbing, and the restoration of fountains, pavements, and other parts of the interior of the home. He populated the building with his personal collection of art, furnishings, and carpets, and he built

2160-412: The outer wall of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun as support. The larger house, located to the east (the outermost side in relation to the mosque) was built in 1632 AD (1041 AH) by Hajj Mohammad ibn al-Hajj Salem ibn Galman al-Gazzar. It later came into the possession of a wealthy Muslim woman from Crete , and the home became popularly known as Beit al-Kritliyya, or "House of the Cretan Woman." The second house, to

2214-475: The restoration work, and furnished the rooms with his antiquities. In 1942 he returned to Lavenham to live there permanently, and gifted his lifetime lease of the house and its contents to the Egyptian nation. The house was then known as the Gayer-Anderson Pasha Museum of Oriental Arts and Crafts, following Gayer-Anderson's elevation to the title of Pasha by King Farouk in 1943. It is now known as

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2268-588: The room are three windows (edit), while on the fourth, is the cupboard doors. The ceiling is also worthy of notice as it is inscribed with a poem, which is praising the Prophet . Other remarkable objects in this room include a collection of different colored and designed candlesticks, spread around the room. A number of legends are associated with the Bayt al-Kritliyya, and the sailing Boat(dahabeya)named La Marée, which were collected by Gayer-Anderson and, published as Legends of

2322-533: The room. There are some Persian cupboards from a palace in Teheran and each cupboard holds a different collection. It is placed above the magic well and was used as a hiding place for people or objects, if they were breaking the law or trying to escape. Stairways were not a familiar feature in Islamic architecture. In fact, they were only used in houses. On the main stair walls, a series of Persian Kashan, also known as velvet prayer-hangings, are hung. The Reading room

2376-467: The route in 1745 considered the absence of street facing windows to be "very disagreeable to Europeans", while John Jackson, who travelled the same territory thirty years later remarked that homes resembled "prisons". Carsten Neibihr, the Danish cartographer, who travelled the route in the 1760s, noted that, in hot countries, glazed windows were a rarity; instead latticed window openings provided ventilation and light. Tristam Ellis, writing in 1881, provided

2430-527: The street and a stronger human scale . Mashrabiyas were mostly used in houses and palaces although sometimes in public buildings such as hospitals, inns, schools and government buildings. They tend to be associated with houses of the urban elite classes. They are found mostly in the Mashriq – i.e. the eastern part of the Arab world, but some types of similar windows are also found in the Maghreb (the western part of

2484-571: The tenth century during the Arab occupation of the islands. The modern word for it in the Maltese language is "gallarija", which is of Italic origin. Recognised as being the predecessors of the iconic closed balcony, or "gallarija", in 2016 Maltese authorities scheduled a total of 36 ancient mashrabiyas as Grade 2 protected properties. The facade of Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris by Architecture-Studio and Jean Nouvel are inspired by Mashrabiya. As

2538-425: The west (the innermost side in relation to the mosque) was built in 1540 AD (947 AH ) by Abdel-Qader al-Haddad. It later became known as "Beit Amna bint Salim," after its last owner. The two houses were joined by a bridge at the third floor level at an unknown point, and are both collectively known as Bayt al-Kritliyya. The construction of private homes against the outer wall of a mosque was common practice. In 1928

2592-446: Was a gift given by Lewa Yehia Pasha. This room is well known for its dresses and cupboards; which were designed by Anderson Pasha and were modeled after Turkish examples. The Khazna was placed between the men's and women's apartments and it was where coffee was being made. Nowadays, it is used to display miniature Persian paintings. This is a very large room and is supported by four columns. Also, there are windows on all four sides of

2646-554: Was an Irish surgeon, soldier, colonial administrator and collector , perhaps best known for his connection with Egypt and Egyptian antiquities. The Gayer-Anderson Museum in Cairo, and the Gayer-Anderson cat , an Ancient Egyptian bronze figurine of the goddess Bastet in the form of a cat, now in the collections of the British Museum , are both named after him. Gayer-Anderson was born, an identical twin with his brother Thomas, on 29 July 1881 at Listowel , County Kerry, Ireland, to Mary ( née  Gayer ) and Henry Anderson. Mary

2700-482: Was fascinated by vernacular architecture, especially that along the Tigris. Not long after her arrival in Baghdad , the city underwent a period of "modernisation," during which many traditional houses were being demolished. The architect, Rifat Chadirji and his father, Kamil Chadirji , used the camera to document traditional architecture across Iraq and Syria in the mid-1950s. Use of the mashrabiya became widespread during

2754-481: Was no longer interested in either England or medicine. He returned to Egypt in 1909 as an inspector for recruiting for the Egyptian Army. This allowed him to travel widely across the country, and he collected antiquities on his travels, becoming more and more knowledgeable on the subject. Gayer-Anderson served in Egypt and the Gallipoli campaign during World War I (1914–1918). He was later appointed Senior Inspector in

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2808-554: Was of Welsh descent and Henry was of Scottish descent. Gayer-Anderson began studying medicine at Guy's Hospital in London in 1898, when he was 17. After five years' study, he qualified as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1903. He was then appointed assistant house surgeon to William Arbuthnot Lane , but desiring a more adventurous life, he followed his twin brother into

2862-440: Was partially shot in the museum, in the ceremonial reception hall and the rooftop terrace. The house is divided into two halves, the Haramlik, or the family residence, and the Salamlik, also known as the guest-house. The house has five main entrances; one for ladies, a sebil , an entrance through the garden and two doors of honour. Only the master and other family members such as the wives and children had access to this side of

2916-531: Was quite small and had a window-seat. It has shelves, inspired by Islamic designs. The walls are decorated with Chinese Flower paintings on rice paper. The Writing Room now serves as an office for the museum’s curator but it also serves as a study room. It could be used by people looking for travel books specifically. For that reason, the room is furnished with long tables and benches. Also, the walls have pictures and ancient examples of Egyptian drawings and writings. Bayt al-Kritliyya’s flat roof has been turned into

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