Cairo
It is considered a remarkable example of the residential architecture of the Ottoman period. In 1074 AH/ 1664 AD, the brothers Abd al-Haqq and Lutfi, sons of Muhammad al-Kinani, established the house, typical of Ottoman domestic architecture. It was eventually owned by Lady Wasila Khatun, daughter of abd Allah al-Bayda. She was the last of its residents and thus the house was named after her.
The house consists of a courtyard and three levels. The ground floor contains the Salamlek hall where the men sat, guests were received, and celebrations were held. It includes several storage rooms, a stable for horses, a mill, a well, and animals watering trough.
The first floor contains a maq’ad (loggia) which wooden ceiling is ornamented with gilded and colorful floral and geometric decorations. A wooden frame running beneath the ceiling bears inscriptions of Ayat al-Kursi (chair verse) and the foundation text "Abd al-Haqq and his brother Lutfi, sons of the deceased Muhammad al-Kinani in year 1074". A small hall has been annexed to the maq’ad, its walls are decorated with floral ornamentation and scenic drawings of holy places in the Hijaz, such as the holy precincts of Mecca and Medina.
The second floor housed the haramlek and several other rooms used by women annexed with hammam (bath). The wooden windows of these chambers overlook the courtyard preserving the privacy and allowing luminosity and ventilation.
In 2005, the house was subjected to a conservation project by the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Now, it is the headquarters of the “House of Arab Poetry” and hosts many cultural activities sponsored by the Ministry of Culture’s Development Fund.
