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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Take some steps back in time
By Nevine El-Aref
After nearly four years of restoration and refurbishment, the luxurious palace of Prince Amr Ibrahim is open to the public. But its glorious grounds and beautiful architecture are not the main reasons for all the fuss surrounding its opening. Rather, it is the display of a fine collection of art -- unique in the Middle East -- which is expected to attract most of the attention. Hundreds of pieces -- including an unparalleled collection of ceramics -- have been brought together from throughout the Islamic world. The works span a number of Islamic eras and focus on the talents of some of the Middle East's most prominent artists.
Art-lovers can bear witness to 316 ceramic items and learn about their history, makers, influences and styles.
This varied collection has found the perfect home, as the palace, too, has a colourful past. Built in the Gezira area of Zamalek in 1924, Prince Ibrahim's palace has not just served as a private residence for a member of the royal family. It has also been a private club and a museum for Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil's collection of paintings. Now it has been converted into the El-Gezira Art Centre, which is expected to attract larger numbers of visitors.
Its basement offers five temporary displays of paintings and ceramics from Egyptian and European artists.
On the first floor are various chambers surrounding the central court, containing ceramics from the early Islamic era to modern times. Each chamber is devoted to a different period, one to Mameluke, Ottoman, Umayyad and Ayyubid, another to modern Turkish ceramics and a third to Fatamid.
Thousands of years worth of artistic history have been collected together in the superb ElÐGezira Art Centre. These pictures give a taste of the beauty on display, such as the palace brazier and ornate ceramics from throughout the Middle East
photos: Khaled El-Fiqi
The house's great reception area contains the original furniture of Prince Amr Ibrahim, including a sofa, four armchairs and a table in red aubusson.
The site is beautifully located with its front yard overlooking the Gezira Sporting Club, while to the east it takes in the Marriott Hotel. The two-floor palace itself displays an impressive array of Islamic architecture. Its domed roofs look down on the wooden mashrabiya which enrich its windows.
A marble fountain decorated with blue ceramics is a focal point in its entrance hall, and to its rear is an Ottoman-style chimney donated by the Islamic Museum which is covered with blue, white and brown ceramics. On the upper level of the interior walls are adorned Islamic frescoes while the lower has typical white Islamic ceramics decorated with floral designs in blue.
Visitors to the Art Centre will pass through a well laid-out garden containing different species of trees and plants. In the rear garden there is an open-air theatre built of woodwork where folkloric dancing and other cultural performances, including poetry-reading, will be staged.
"This museum is the first of its kind in the Middle East," said Farouk Hosni, the Minister of Culture. He said the pieces in the collection came from the Gezira and Islamic museums and represented various techniques used throughout the Islamic world. The range of influences that can be found is breath-taking. More than 100 of the pieces are of Egyptian style, with a further 18 Turkish, 49 Iranian and 25 Syrian items. There are also smaller collections of work from Spain, Iraq, Tunisia and Morocco. The exhibit includes coloured and painted jars, plates, mugs, jugs, vases, bowls, cups and chandeliers.
"The oldest item on display dates to the second century AH while the newest one is from the 12th century AH (between the 8th and 18th centuries AD)," said Ahmed Nawar, head of the museum department in the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Five grand halls are found in the palace's basement, displaying five temporary exhibitions of modern-day artists. These will be changed monthly. The current exhibits are those of Ahmed Sabri, Kamal Khalifa, Ragheb Ayaad, Hussein Fawzi and Said El-Sadri, as well as 99 oil paintings of famous 19th century European artists.
The new art complex has a communications network hall, cinema and video tape library where cultural documents are available for researchers and visitors. The library has a touch-computer network to link its users with other art complexes in Egypt. In the garden there is an open air theatre, where recitals and folkloric dances will be performed.
Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the SCA, described the painstaking work which the palace has undergone. It has been architecturally restored, its halls renovated, foundations strengthened, frescoes cleaned and exhibits organised according to the latest views of museology. New lighting, security, ventilation and air-conditioning have also been installed.
The refurbished palace, regarded as one of the most beautiful constructed by Prince Ibrahim during his time, was officially inaugurated last week by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak and is now open to the public.
