Although she died in 1975, Umm Kulthoum and her voice are still part of Egypt’s cultural identity.
With her deep voice, she captivated the Arab world for decades. Until now, you can still hear her in the streets, cafes, taxis or while you flip the television channels.
In 1995, it was decided years ago to open the Umm Kulthoum Museum.
The museum showcases some of her iconic concert costumes, her famous eyeglasses and many memorabilia.
The museum is indeed a must-see if you want to know more about this geat Egyptian classic singer.
The museum, housed in a building attached to the Manesterly Palace, is on the bank of the Nile in el-Rawda, Cairo.
On entering the museum, you will see a statue of the songstress clasping her signature handkerchief.
The sculture is by one of Egypt’s most prominent artists, Adam Hanin.
Um Kulthoum’s personal belongings such as clothes, accessories, bags and shoes are on display in addition to sheet music, sound recordings and films.
The museum comprises four halls, of which the main one contains that her collections and awards. There are also five montages of rare pictures of the singer.
You can also see the music and lyrics in the handwriting of poets of her day.
There is also a cinema showing a 26-minute documentary about the singer. The commentary is in English and French.
The film features scenes from her six films and concerts in Egypt and the Arab world. The film closes with footage of Umm Kulthoum’s funeral.
As for the audiovisual library hall, five computers store all her songs, pictures of her concerts, photos of her local trips and travel abroad, and stills from her films, plus a complete record of everything the Arab press wrote about this ‘uncrowned queen of Egypt’ from 1924 until 2000.
