Beit al-Harawi, in the area to the south of the mosque of Al-Azhar, was built in 1731 and occupied until 1920. A joint French-Egyptian restoration project in the 90s has saved whatever could be saved of it with brilliant results. It is now home of the Arab House of Oud run by the famous oud player Naseer Shamma (see bio at http://cairoliveeventsguide.blogspot.com/2008/09/naseer-shamma.html) and hosts concerts in its courtyard; it is a very evocative surrounding.
It is easy to reach there if you know where the main entrance of the Al-Azhar mosque is. Imagine you come out from the mosque, turn left and then again left, bordering the mosque’s southern walls. You are in Mohammed Abdou St. Continue along this alley (flanked on its right side by the Caravanserai of Qaytbay with the shop of the famous bookbinder Abd El-Zaher) until you find Beit Zeinab Khatun literally blocking your way. Follow the street bending on the right and you’ll find in front of you a small square closed to the traffic. To the far end of the square are two old houses. The one on the left is Beit al-Harawi (the one on the right is Beit Al-Sitt Wassila, also renovated). There you are! If you’re in for some shopping there is a lovely handicraft shop on the square itself.
The whole walk should not be more than 300 meters … but beware, I am terrible calculating distances. To me, walking in these alley is always so charming and effortless, and I stop so often to get into a building or to take a picture that I … “loose track”.
Address: Mohamed Abdou St., Tel. 25104174
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