Oum Kalthoum Museum!!

[nouraki]

One of the main reasons that contributed to my unlimited love for Egypt...was Oum Kalthoum. In my first and hope not last visit to Egypt, I couldn't have the chance to visit the places that I always dreamed of and I love, like Oum Kalthoum's museum. But a good friend of mine provided me all the necessary information in order to have an idea how it looks like. By reading it, my desire to to visit Egypt again increased. A country that even in this very moment is suffering, her people, her buildings, her history........ We all hope and pray the situation to be stabilized and a solution to be given. Of course first for the egyptians and second for those we love her and we want to visit again and again.

It is of no doubt that Oum Kalthoum was the greatest singer of her time and till this day her allure and fame have never died away.
Exactly 36 years ago (3rd of February 1975), the Star of the East,
silenced......My contribution to her memory is a small article that a friend of mine wrote for me, and i'm presenting a beautiful place to visit for those who know her or even the curious that have only heard of her, "The Oum Kalthoum Museum"


OUM KALTHOUM MUSEUM

"The Museum of Oum Kalthoum is located on Manial El-Roda Island on the river Nile, just next to the Nilemeter.
Even though I have visited it, 3 times, the excitement every time is the same!
Of course the first time I spend a whole package of tissues
The first tears came at the entrance where it is mentioned “Oum Kalthoum Museum”.

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The garden until the museum and the view were just perfect for relaxation and thoughts.

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The big wooden door was open and as I was approaching I could see her glasses and her scarf.

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Oh my God……..!!!! Really I cannot describe the feeling…… But I could not imagine that this was nothing for what would follow next.
When I found the carriage to enter and off course to stop crying. we bought our tickets at the price of 2 pounds. On the right hand it was a big window with some dresses that she was wearing at her performances.

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The only thing I remember up to now, is that in Fakarouni her dress was purple!

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In every wall they had pictures from the youth until her last days.


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On the left hand it is a room with all the articles about her life, the scores of several of her songs and 4 or 5 screens that you could search whatever you want! Videos, interviews, biography, songs, everything!

 

[nouraki]

On the left hand it is a room with all the articles about her life, the scores of several of her songs and 4 or 5 screens that you could search whatever you want! Videos, interviews, biography, songs, everything!

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After that is it a corridor with all the medals that she was given from the Arab countries, as well as her personal things like glasses, passports, personal notes and diaries.

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[nouraki]

Next it is a small auditorium where you can watch a movie regarding her life.
Despite the fact that it is in Arabic, there is no way, not to understand!!!

Another room is full of her records, some instruments like oud, old radios and recording machines, letters from all the leaders of Egypt and other countries,

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and some handwriting songs like “Enta Omri” I could not believe that I was in front of this piece of paper that wrote …..its own history

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At the end there is a big screen in the shape of wave showing moments of her life.

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For Oum Kalthoum’s personality, the museum is small but it includes all the major things that someone could see and must see!!!

As you may notice I didn’t write anything about her life because all the information you can find at the internet. But there are two things that maybe it is not so well-known.
Before she died, two things disappointed her.
As you may know, Oum Kalthoum was the “First Lady” of the country. When Sadat was the president, he declared his wife as the “First Lady” so you can imagine how that felt.
And the second and last that they demolished her theater in order to build a parking……….."

 

[Safran]

Hi Nouraki! Thanks for posting the little photo-report. I'd love to go to OK's museum one day too!

 

[seona]

Thanks for sharing nouraki! And very poignant that it's the anniversary of her silence (I like the way you phrased that)! So sad that her theatre was demolished , nice to see a museum dedicated to her,( not that she'd be forgotten anyway!)
have you seen the footage on youyube of her funeral? That's something else! I'm sure I've read before that it's the largest gathering of people to have ever attended a funeral ( I think)...super stuff, share the Om love!

 

[AndreaSTL]

I tried to go there on my last trip. We picked up a taxi at Manial Palace, and with my limited Arabic and his limited English it was comical. He started heading in the right direction and I was so excited (it was the second cab we got in and about the fifth one that stopped). When he headed over the bridge I knew he was taking us to the OK hotel in Zamalek. There was a lovely statue, but my friend and I were too exhausted to try again. We just laughed about it, got a cup of coffee, and went back to the hotel. Seeing your friend's write up makes me want to go even more!

 

[Safran]

I just found out that the Estonian Embassy in Cairo is located in a house that was built in the place of Oum Kalthoum's villa!

 

[Jeanne]

Oh my. Yet another reason why I looooonnnnnggggg to go to Egypt.

 

[Monica]

I tried to go there on my last trip. We picked up a taxi at Manial Palace, and with my limited Arabic and his limited English it was comical. He started heading in the right direction and I was so excited (it was the second cab we got in and about the fifth one that stopped). When he headed over the bridge I knew he was taking us to the OK hotel in Zamalek. There was a lovely statue, but my friend and I were too exhausted to try again. We just laughed about it, got a cup of coffee, and went back to the hotel. Seeing your friend's write up makes me want to go even more!

Oh no! For future reference you can take the metro to the museum, it is only a short walk from the Mar Girgis metro station. I agree it is worth a visit (and I just can't talk about Cairo here without saying mabrouk ya Misr, congratulations Egypt on this amazing day!!).

 

[AndreaSTL]

Thank you, Monica, that's good to know. I take the Metro whenever I can. I think it's the only thing that runs on time in Cairo. We tried to visit Manial Palace, but it was closed for restoration. The museum was an afterthought since we were already close.