Gayer Anderson Museum

A Brief History of the House
The Bayt al-Kritliyya Museum is one of the most perfect examples of Islamic domestic architecture in Cairo. The museum consists, in fact, of two houses. The one to the east was built in 1041 a.h./1632 a.d. by a rich man called Hajj Mohammad Ibn al-Hajj Salem Ibn Galman al-Gazzar ('the Butcher'), whose name can be seen on the frieze of the old ceiling of the maq'ad, or loggia. This house at a later date came into the possession of a Muslim lady that had come from the island of Crete, and was called in Arabic 'al-Kritliyya', after the island from which she sprang. The second house, to the west, was built by a man called Abdel-Qader al-Haddad, ('the Blacksmith') in 947 am./ 1540 a.d. At a later date, it was called the house of Amna bint Salim after the last owner. At some point in history, the two houses were connected by a bridge at a high level, and they now share the common name of Bayt al-Kritliyya.

Some Legends about the House
The house is built on raised ground called Gable Yashkur, 'The Hill of Thanksgiving'. It was believed that on this rock the Ark of Noah settled after the Flood, and that the last remnant of the floodwater was drained through a well, which much later came to be included within the courtyard of the house. Moses was also believed to have been spoken to God on the same spot. A house built on such a holy site should" be protected by the heavenly Hosts: a protection clearly proved by the secret powers accorded the sheikh, Haroun al-Husseini, a saintly man who is buried under a dome outside at a corner of the house. Some thieves, it is said, once broke into the house by night. The Guardian of the house, Sheikh Haroun, using his secret powers, robbed the thieves of their sight. For three days and nights they were led astray in the house until they were caught. The well, which is called Bir al-Watawit, 'The Well of the Bats', is also said to possess miracu­lous qualities. A lover, for example, on looking into the well, would see a reflection of the face of his or her absent sweetheart in the water.

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The Harem Conspiracy

There was once a conspiracy occured in the reign of King Ramesses III, as we known from the Harem Conspiracy papyrus, about an assassination attempt upon the king in which queen Tiy was a part of the plot. Her name is provided in the text, but the other conspirators are called by names that indicate the great evil of their crime, such as Mesedsure, meaning “Ra hates him”. Tiy apparently wished for her son, called in this papyrus, Pentewere, to ascend to the throne of Egypt.
At some point during the later part of Ramesses III’s reign, there were economic problems that became most visible when the Deir el-Medina workmen failed to be paid, leading to a general strike, the first in recorded history, in the 29th year of the king’s reign.
This was not a simple conspiracy, considering that at least 40 people were implicated and tried as a group. Amongst their numbers were harem officials many of whom were close to the king. Not only had they intended to kill the king, but also to organize a revolt outside of the palace in order to facilitate their revolution.
The plot was seemingly hatched in Piramesses where one of the conspirators had a house. The plan called for the murder of the king during the annual Opet Festival at Thebes. This conspiracy is thought to have failed, and the guilty were charged and brought before a court consisting of a panel of 14 officials. Ramesses III himself most likely commissioned the prosecution, but according to the language of the papyrus, probably died during the trial, thought not necessarily from the effects of the plot.
Curiously, this court was given authority to deliver & carry out whatever penalty they deemed fair, including the death penalty, whish normally only the king could inflict. It should be noted, however, that scholars are in disagreement over the conspiracy.
All of those involved in the plot were apparently condemned to the death, as was certainly the fate of Queen Tiy herself. Though the record of the actual trial is lost, there were apparently three different prosecutions. The first consisted of 28 people, who were found guilty and put to death. In the next prosecution 6 people were condemned &forced to commit suicide within the court itself. In the final trial 4 additional individuals, including the son of Queen Tiy, were likewise condemned to suicide, though they were presumably allowed to carry out the suicide in their prison.
Interestingly, there was also a 4th trial, but this one did not involve the actual conspirators, but instead three of the judges and two officers. It would seem that the curious affairs resulted from accusations that, after their appointment to the conspiracy commission, they knowingly entertained several of the women involved in the plot, as well as consorted with a general referred to as Peyes. Though one of the judges was found innocent, the remainder of the group was condemned to have their ears &noses amputated. One of the judges called Pebes committed suicide before the sentence could be carried out.

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The story of building the great Pyramid

The pharaoh Khufu, like the pharaohs before him, began planning his 'house of eternity' as soon as he took the throne. A spot was chosen for building on the west bank of the Nile. Cemetries were usually built on the west bank because the sun 'died' on the western horizon every night. Khufu's architects were wise & experienced men.

They knew the importance of building the pharaoh's final resting place so that its sides faced directly north, south, east and west. They planned a large pyramid- the largest one ever built in ancient Egypt. The outlines of the pyramid were measured and marked in the desert sand. Then the building began. Large blocks of stone were cut from quarries nearby. They were dragged by groups of men across the desert to the site of the pyramid and set in place.

Most of the workers were farmers who worked on building the pyramid during the flood season when their fields were under water. After the first level of blocks was in place, the workers built ramps of mudbrick, limestone chips and clay. The workers dragged the large stones up the ramps to build the next level of the pyramid. For about 20 years, hundreds of men worked on building the pyramid. As they built each level, they also built up the ramps around the pyramid. When the pyramid was almost finished, a special block covered in shining metal (either gold or electrum) was placed on the top of the pyramid.
Then, blocks of white limestone from quarries across the Nile were used to cover the pyramid. The blocks were trimmed to make the outside of the pyramid smooth.
Finally, the pyramid was finished. Khufu's pyramid was only part of the complex built for him at Giza.
This complex had many different parts:
Three pyramids for Khufu's queens.
Several deep pits containing boats that had been buried.
A mortuary temple where Khufu would be worshipped after he died.
A causeway leading from the pyramid complex down to the valley temple.
A valley temple where the pharaoh's funeral would begin.
A small 'satelite' pyramid.
The mastaba tombs of nobles.

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The Tomb of Tut Ankh Amun

In its structuerand decoration,the tomb is one of the most impressive. Due to the immense treasuers of art and archaeology it yields, which have made it the most famous, the tomb, discovered in the earlypart of the 1900's, was hasitly prepared for a pharaoh of secondary importance, who died very young .Tutankhamun lived in that troubled period of political-religious sturggles that followed the death of the great pharaoh Akhnaton, disorders that were put down a few years later by the powerful Horemheb. A short corridor leads to an antechamber which gave onto the burial chamber and the treasury on the right,while opposite is another room for the offerings and the furnishings.

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About Egypt

Egypt is the cradel of ancient civilization, the beacon of religion, the gateway of Africa a& above all, Egypt is "The gift of the Nile."

Egypt, For over fifity centuries, engendered the development of culture & civilization, Pharonic, Christian and Islamic.
Egypt, the country where the past and present meet, invites you to come and enjoy its beautifull all year round weather and visit its immortal monuments and relics.
To understand the secret of Egypt's magnetism and to appriciate the spirit of this living entity, one must travel back in time some fifty centuries ago to imagine the birth of this radiant country which binds the splendours of the Egyptian Pharaoh, the earlist acheivments of Christianty and the glories of Islam all together.

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