Beit Zeinab Khatoun: Running between the south-wall of Al-Azhar Mosque and a long, low, medieval wikala, a narrow alley leads to a small garden square.
Projecting into the square on its northern side is Beit Zeinab Khatoun, an Ottoman-era house ( beit ) originally built in i486 and restored in the 1990s. On the southern side of the square is Beit al-Harawi, built in 1731 as the home of a rich Cairo merchant and also recently restored.
Both houses are beautiful examples of the sophisticated domestic architecture that once filled the city. Beit al-Harawi, in particular, contains some fine mashrabiyya (carved wooden screens) and elegant painted ceilings. Built around central courtyards, both houses are designed to stay as cool as possible with their airy rooms, shaded stone floors, and interior fountains.
The houses are open to visitors during the day and, since being restored, also operate as cultural centres, where regular performances of music and theatre are staged.
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