Bayt Al Suhaymi, Al-Darb al-Asfar Lane in al-Gamaliyya on al-Muizz Street in Cairo is where the House of al-Suhaymi is situated. It is among the most exquisite representations of Cairo’s native architectural style. In 1058 AH / 1648 AD, Shaykh Abd al-Wahhab al-Tablawi founded the first portion of this home. Haji Ismail Chelebi established the second and later section in 1211 AH / 1796 AD, and he later combined the two sections into a single residence.

The residence bears the name of Shaykh Muhammad Amin al-Suhaymi, the final occupant and a renowned scholar of the Turkish riwaq of the Al-Azhar Mosque during the Ottoman Era. The al-Suhaymi heirs paid six thousand pounds to the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities for this house in 1349 AH / 1931 AD. It is made up of multiple structures that look out over a large, lovely courtyard. Wonderful wooden mashrabiyyas, or wooden grilled windows, are planned into the façade. The residence also has a fitted reception hall and a sizable Maq’ad (seated balcony).

The birthing chair, the bathroom, and the wells that supplied the house with water are some of the house’s distinctive features. The garden was irrigated by a waterwheel, whose wooden gear still functions. Bulls have activated a mill there. Grains were kept nearby in stone jars and ceramics.

Bayt Al Suhaymi. Egypt Tours Goup.

Mohammed Al Suhaymi: who is he?

Muhammad Al Suhaimi was the last person to live in this house and a well-known sheikh of Al-Azhar during the Ottoman Empire. The sheikh’s name is clearly similar to this one because the house was named after him, Bayt Al Suhaymi (the Arabic word bayt meaning “house”). 

All the information you need about Bayt Al Suhaymi

Bayt Al Suhaymi. Egypt Tours Goup.

The House of al-Suhaymi is made up of multiple interconnected buildings that look out onto a sizable, aesthetically beautiful courtyard. These buildings have many windows on their facades, and the building itself has a reception hall, which is a standard feature of all houses and buildings constructed after that period.

One of the practices of Ottoman architecture when constructing homes is to divide the living space into sections for the residents and guests, dividing them with features like windows so that individuals within can carry out their activities without the guests seated in the other section seeing them. Typically, homes from this era were two stories high, but this one controls the water left over from the irrigation system for the plants in its courtyard.

This is what happened to Bayt Al Suhaymi, which indicates continued consideration for every step, no matter how small, before and after building anything in ancient Egypt and centuries later in Old Cairo. As has been customary since the homes of the ancient Egyptians, a courtyard with small areas of planting was built in front of the house to redirect the winds on hot days.

Bayt Al Suhaymi. Egypt Tours Goup.

Al Suhaymi House was either sold or annexed to the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities after its descendants decided not to restore or maintain this magnificent Ottoman Islamic structure. In my opinion, this marks the transition of this structure from a residence for its occupants to a public museum.

The house was a relatively unknown monument in comparison to the monuments of Old Cairo, but it has undergone a tangible transformation into a museum or a center for viewing and admiring civilization and engineering of its various types. Today, the house enjoys the necessary and deserved fame—not just for the house as a monument in and of itself but also for the story that it tells.

The first event in its second history as a museum was when it reopened as a museum rather than a living house in 1994 AD following repair. It is said that during restoration, the workers discovered an odd fact: the house was built on the ruins of a Fatimid-era building. As is well known, many Fatimid antiquities were destroyed or had buildings built over them. One example of this is the Sultan Mansour Qalawun collection, which was constructed on top of one of the two destroyed palaces of the Fatimid state.

Bayt Al Suhaymi. Egypt Tours Goup.

A Brief History of the Ottoman Empire

A new era began in Egypt after the Mamluk era, but it was still Islamic like the eras that came before and after. This new era is known as the Ottoman era, and it was led by Osman Ghazi, who is credited with founding the Ottoman dynasty in 1299 AD. This stage lasted until 1922, and it is said that after their defeat in the First World War, his state lasted for six centuries, demonstrating the extent of their power at that time.

The Ottoman Empire stood out for both the size of its army and the extent of its territorial expansion. Muhammad VI was the final Ottoman emperor, and with his death came the end of the Ottoman Empire, the start of English colonization of the nation, and the start of a new period of injustice and misery for the Egyptian people.

In Conclusion
Bayt Al Suhaymi, on Al-Muizz Street in Cairo, is a beautiful example of Ottoman-era architecture. Built in 1648 and expanded in 1796, it has transformed from a private home to a public museum, showcasing intricate designs and a rich history.
Today, it offers visitors a great tour of Cairo’s past and its architectural beauty.