The House of Ibrahim Al-Senari,
as a matter of fact, has unique site near the Canal
of Old Al-Nasr Gulf, making it a piece of art which
was designed and erected by one of the rich Mamelukes
in the late 18th century, is located near a southern
suburb of the old Fatimid city.
Due to the urban expansion and the buildings of
modern districts, this place was the aspired site
of all Mamelukes, and it underwent radical changes.
The time that was the owners of these houses used
to reside in them till November in order to enjoy
water clearness and fragrance of the flowers and
At the very outset, small houses were scattered
along the Canal, surrounded by those gardens harbouring
an array of orange and lemon trees, dates, grapes
and banana.
Nowadays, the canal has been filled to be replaced
by main road which is now Port Said street. Before
that Sultan Al-Naser Mohamed Ibn Qalawon, is the
man who gave instructions to dig such canal which
streamed along Cairo.
An exceptional and unique house among the houses
of Egypt is the Al-Senari House , as it is the only
house which avoided such a destiny. This, however,
was thanks to its history
during the French Expedition to Egypt, as this house
together with another two adjacent houses were selected
to be headquarters of scientists and scholars who
accompanied the French Expedition and established
the first French institute in Cairo.
As
it was occupied by Ibrahim Al-Senari followed
by scientists of the French institute, according
to napoleon's scientists and their data, it does
not seem there are any significant changes on
that gorgeous house which was erected in the 16th
century.
In wide
damage to the house's foundations, pillars and
walls was due to Great amount of subterranean
water leaked under the infrastructure. A committee
on maintaining Arab Art which restored that house
in 1922, kept its genuine style.
