Gayer-Anderson Museum

The Gayer-Anderson Museum is an art museum located in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. Situated adjacent to the Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, the institution is significant both as a preserved example of 17th-century domestic architecture and for its extensive collection of furniture, carpets, curiosities, and other objects. The museum takes its name from Major Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson Pasha, a British officer and collector who resided in the historic house between 1935 and 1942 with special permission from the Egyptian government. He filled the building with his personal collection of art and antiquities, ultimately bequeathing the contents to the Egyptian state. The museum was formally established in 1945 and is recognized for its unique synthesis of historic residential architecture and curated decorative arts.

The museum structure, historically known as Bayt al-Kritliyya, consists of two adjoining houses built against the outer wall of the Ibn Tulun Mosque. The larger eastern house was constructed in 1632 by Hajj Mohammad ibn al-Hajj Salem ibn Galman al-Gazzar, later acquiring the name Bayt al-Kritliyya (House of the Cretan Woman) after a wealthy Muslim woman from Crete purchased it. The smaller western house, known as Bayt Amna bint Salim, was built in 1540 by Abdel-Qader al-Haddad. A bridge at the third floor level joined the two residences at an unknown date. In 1928, the Egyptian government began demolishing surrounding houses to make Islamic monuments more accessible. The Committee for the Conservation of Arab Monuments intervened to save Bayt al-Kritliyya due to its excellent state of preservation, and its side walls were reinforced after neighboring structures were torn down. In 1935, the retired Major Gayer-Anderson obtained permission to live in the newly restored house. He installed electricity and plumbing, restored fountains and pavements, and decorated the interiors with his collections, using a sailing boat on the Nile to gather antiquities across Egypt. Ill health forced him to leave Egypt in 1942, at which point he gave the house and its contents to the Egyptian government. King Farouk bestowed the title of Pasha upon him in return, and Gayer-Anderson died in England in 1945.

The museum's holdings reflect the personal tastes and collecting activities of Robert Gayer-Anderson, encompassing traditional Islamic residential culture, art, archaeology, and curiosities. The collection includes furniture, carpets, and various artifacts that Gayer-Anderson assembled from across Egypt. Beyond the Cairo residence, Gayer-Anderson and his twin brother Colonel Thomas Gayer-Anderson amassed a large collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, donating around 7,500 pieces to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in 1943. A room in the Fitzwilliam's Egyptian Galleries is named after the brothers. Additionally, in 1939, Robert Gayer-Anderson gifted a famous ancient Egyptian bronze cat statue to the British Museum, which arrived there in 1947 and is known as the Gayer-Anderson Cat. A copy of this renowned statue is currently displayed in the Cairo museum.

Within the museum, the collection is integrated directly into the historic domestic spaces. The Qaa, or main reception room in the Haramlik, contains marble tables and a section of a green silk holy carpet, or Kiswa, gifted by Lewa Yehia Pasha. The open-air Maqad, or loggia, features brass bowls dating from the 14th to the 17th century. The service room displays dresses and cupboards designed by Gayer-Anderson Pasha and modeled after Turkish examples. The Khazna, or safe room, positioned between the men's and women's apartments, is used to exhibit miniature Persian paintings. The Harem room, a large space supported by four columns with windows on all sides, houses Persian cupboards sourced from a palace in Tehran, each holding a distinct collection. The museum also features a copy of the Gayer-Anderson Cat, a celebrated ancient Egyptian bronze feline.

The building is a remarkable example of Muslim domestic architecture in Cairo, constructed using the outer wall of the 9th-century Ibn Tulun Mosque as structural support. The complex is divided into the Haramlik, the family residence, and the Salamlik, the guest house, and features five main entrances, including a ladies entrance, a sebil, a garden entrance, and two doors of honor. The central courtyard has a marble floor, windows opening onto the Haramlik, and a stairway leading to the family quarters. A notable feature in the courtyard is the Bats Well, or Bier el-watawit, which is approximately fifteen meters deep. The site is associated with several legends, including the belief that the house sits on the remains of Gebel Yashkur, the Hill of Thanksgiving, where Noah's Ark rested after the flood and where the floodwaters drained through the courtyard well. Another legend claims the well possesses magical properties, allowing a lovestruck person to see their beloved instead of their own reflection. A secret chamber, or Makhba, located above the well, was historically used as a hiding place.

The Gayer-Anderson Museum is located in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood of Cairo, adjacent to the Ibn Tulun Mosque. The museum entrance is situated between the outer and inner enclosure walls near the main entrance of the mosque. It operates as a tourist-accessible site requiring an entrance fee and is administered by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Egyptian authority for antiquities preservation. In addition to its historical and artistic significance, the building has served as a film location, notably for the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, which shot scenes in the ceremonial reception hall and on the rooftop terrace.