'Home of the nation' open to the public
A historic house belonging to legendary nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul has been restored and opened as a touristic venue. Nevine El-Aref attended the inauguration
Mrs Suzanne Mubarak inaugurated a state-of-the- art project this week commemorating the life and work of legendary Wafd Party leader Saad Zaghloul (1859-1927). Located in downtown's Al- Munira district, Zaghloul's longtime home -- called Beit Al-Umma, or home of the nation -- features the late national leader's rare furniture and belongings, as well as displays that depict different stages of the life of Zaghloul and his wife Safiya, who the people gave the affectionate appelation Umm Al-Masriyeen, or mother of the Egyptians (1878-1946). The museum also houses a rare collection of Zaghloul's official letters, documents from the famous 1920 Milner committee, and papers pertaining to the 1919 revolution.
Accompanied by Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni, Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Maher, Wafd Party chairman No'man Gomaa and fine arts sector head Ahmed Nawar, Mrs Mubarak toured the new museum and its basement cultural centre where regular cultural and political seminars are set to take place.
Mrs Mubarak watched a 10-minute documentary touching on Zaghloul's life, the 1919 revolution, and the restoration work that was conducted in order to revive the house.
Culture Minister Hosni described the project as part of an initiative "commemorating Egyptian leaders who devoted their lives to their homeland", adding that Zaghloul's museum is the latest to be restored within the framework of this initiative which has included the establishment of museums dedicated to poet Ahmed Shawqi, singers Umm Kulthoum and Mohamed Abdel- Wahab, and leading literary figure Taha Hussein.
Hosni explained that the LE4.5 million restoration project took five years of hard work.
Beit Al-Umma's luxurious entrance leads into a grand hall decorated with velvet-lined chairs and a bust of Saad Zaghloul. Zaghloul's study is next door, and features a large desk covered with green velvet, as well as Zaghloul's portfolio, quill pen and two pairs of glasses.
Entrance to the museum will be free of charge for the next three months in order to provide Egyptians with the opportunity to learn more about an important era of their history.
