When the late president, Anwar Sadat, read about the planned sale of Ahmed Shawqi’s house in Al-Ahram newspaper by his inheritors, he immediately folded the newspaper, called the minister of culture and ordered him to stop the sale and turn the house into a public property.
The late president also asked the minister to compensate Shawqi’s inheritors.
Dubbed the “Prince of Poets”, Shawqi (1870-1932) was a pioneer. He introduced poetic epics to modern Arabic literature.
He used to work as the head of the Translation Section at the court of Khedive Abbas II (ruled between 1892 and 1914).
His works include the narrative poem, Majnun Laila, which is based on a semi-historical Arabic story about the 7th century Bedouin poet, Qays ibn Al-Mulawwah. He also penned the “Death of Cleopatra”, in addition to a tribute to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, called Nahj al-Burda (The Way of The Mantle), which was sung by Egyptian diva, Umm Kulthum, in 1955.
In 1914 and during the British occupation of Egypt, Shawqi was exiled to Spain for six years. Before the exile, he lived in Matariya district in northern Cairo, close to the Palace of Abbas Helmi II, the last Khedive of Egypt.
Shawqi built a new house when he returned to Egypt. He wanted to build the house in a place where he could see the Nile and the Giza Pyramids. This was why he picked Giza district. The street where the house was built is now named after Shawqi.
The iconic poet lived in this house from 1920 to October 14, 1932, the date of his death.
After Shawqi’s death, the house was turned into a museum that was opened in 1977.
There is a life-sized statue of Shawqi in the garden of the house. It shows him sitting and holding a rose. Shawqi had never seen this work which was made by Egyptian sculptor, Gamal el-Sagini, on Shawqi’s 50th death anniversary.
The ground floor of the house is in the magnificent Arabic-Islamic style. The frieze below its decorated wooden ceiling on which verses from the Quran, the holy book of Islam, are inscribed in gold on a green background never fails to invite visitors’ attention.
“The reception hall of the house was the scene of many important events,” Museum Manager, Aya Taha, told the Egyptian Mail. “It served as a salon where poets and famous singers like Umm Kulthum and Abdel Wahab performed.”
Of these events was the wedding of Shawqi’s son in 1926, an occasion attended by Egyptian revolutionary and statesman, Saad Zaghloul.
In the same year, Shawqi held a reception for famed Indian poet Tagore (1861-1941).
On the right hand side of the reception hall, there is a modern library that contains dozens of poetry and literature books from the pre-Islamic era to the modern era.
On the left hand side, there is a suite where musician Abdel Wahab (1901-1991) lived for seven years.
Shawqi was Abdel Wahab’s patron and mentor. He believed in Abdel Wahab’s talent early on and supported him financially and educationally.
Abdel Wahab left over 1,800 songs and pieces of classical Arabic music behind.
The suite contains a few pieces of furniture, including a sofa and a cupboard, in addition to some photos of Abdel Wahab and Shawqi together.
Shawqi used the area beneath the stairs in the upper floor as a theatre for rehearsals for his plays.
The upper floor is in the same Islamic design as the ground floor. Photos of many young girls with long hair adorn the walls of the hall on the right hand side. Shaqwi had one daughter only and two sons.
Taha said Shawqi believed in the destructive effects evil eyes could cause.
“This was why he used to ask his sons to let their hair grow long like girls, believing this would protect them against evil eyes,” she said.
Shawqi’s bedroom has a big balcony that once overlooked the pyramids. His brass four-poster bed is on the left hand side of the room. The armchair where he died is still on display. There is also a chaise longue and library in the room.
Shawqi’s wife, Khadija Hanem Shaheen, had her own bedroom. It has little furniture, but her brass four-poster bed is the most interesting item in the room.
On the back of the bed the phrase “Sweet dreams” is written in Arabic.
Khadija Hanem’s bedroom has a door that leads up to Shawqi’s office. However, something appears to be wrong with the office’s decor. The desk being placed in the middle of the room and facing the balcony is the most striking thing in it.
“Shawqi always wanted to see the Nile,” Taha said. “This was why he put the desk in front of the balcony.”
The desk is made of wood inlaid with gilded copper. It rests on lion-shaped brass feet. The chair has a semi-circular base, and a harp-shaped design ornamenting its back.
Rumors keep swirling around the house and its owner. One of these rumors is connected with Umm Kulthum.
It has it that Shawqi had invited Umm Kulthum one day to sing in the presence of a host of poets and dignitaries, an invitation the diva could not turn down.
When she finished singing, the rumour goes, Umm Kulthum was shocked when Shawqi got his wallet out of his pocket and offered her money in return for singing in his house.
Umm Kulthum went angry and politely told Shawqi that she did not come for money. Then she left the house never to return to it.
The Ahmed Shawqi Museum is located on 6 Ahmed Shawqi Street, off Nile Street in Giza. It opens daily from 10am to 3pm, except on Mondays and Fridays. Tickets sell for 10 Egyptian pounds.