Feynfou - 2-28-2008 at 08:39 AM
Dear all,
I am planning to go to Cairo for a few weeks in order to focus on my Oud learning. I wish to go to Beit-El-Oud, the school that Nasseer shamma created
a few years ago.
Did any one of you Oud lovers go to this school? Can any one give some feed-back concerning the teaching and the working atmosphere? Can one take
lessons every day?
I would be also very thankful, if someone could inform me about the web site or phone number of Beit-El-Oud. I remember a post in this forum about it
but I don't find it anymore!
Of course, any advice, would be welcome.
Thank you in advance,
Best regards to all,
John Erlich - 2-28-2008 at 09:23 AM
You can contact Naseer Shamma through his web page: http://www.naseershamma.com . I recall that Mike "The Superadministrator" Malek visited Naseer at the school a few years ago and that is was at
the Cairo Opera House - http://www.cairoopera.org/
Hope that helps...
Best,
John
stringmanca - 2-28-2008 at 11:35 AM
When we were there in Nov. 2006, we went looking for Beit-El-Oud - and found it after much wandering!
It is located near the El-Azhar mosque (across -south- from Khan-El-Khalili). Follow the street (Shari Atfa el-Azhari) which starts at the mosque and
runs to the east (left, facing the mosque), parallel to El-Azhar street. After several blocks(?!?), there's a jog to the right and then east again
for a few blocks until you come to a large square. Beit-El-Oud is on your right at the end of the square. Make sure you have a good map that shows
all of the side streets! (This is from memory, so it may not be exactly correct)
There was no one around when we went, but there is a bronze plaque with an oud on it at the entrance.
Beit El Oud:
The door:
The square:
Good hunting!
Nathan
John Erlich - 2-28-2008 at 01:18 PM
Nathan,
Thanks: I stand corrected!
I tried but have been unable so far to find a good street map on-line of the Khan El-Khalili/El-Azhar area of Cairo. I remember a pretty good one of
that area in the Lonely Planet Cairo guide, which was pretty helpful to me on my last trip in 2000.
I remember very fondly the young men who would gather in the outdoor cafes in Midan Hussein--the square between the Khan Khalili Bazaar and the
Al-Azhar Mosque--to play oud and percussion and sing old Egyptian songs...not to be missed...
Peace,
John
stringmanca - 2-28-2008 at 02:16 PM
This might be helpful:
Khan Al-Khalili and Al-Azhar Mosque (70):
http://touregypt.net/cairo/cairoislamic.htm
Beit El-Oud is actually in Beit Al-Harrawi (or was in 2006 anyway):
http://touregypt.net/featurestories/harrawi.htm
(the map on this page doesn't quite look right to me, but it's been awhile!)
fyenix - 2-29-2008 at 02:57 AM
i study at bayt el oud back in 2005 
Feynfou - 2-29-2008 at 06:30 AM
Dear all,
Thank you so much for your help! I very much appreciate it :-)
As to the place, I will go near Al-Azhar mosque and start asking from there -I speak arabic so it shouldn't be too complicated...-.
Stringmanca, thanks for the links. I'll take them too as they show some detailed maps.
However I still need help concerning the school:
- Does any one have a phone number of the school? Maybe it would be easier to call them before arriving?
- Fyenix: As you took courses in Beit-El-Oud, could you please inform us about how the teaching goes? Is it one-one teaching or is it group teaching?
Are there many levels? Can one take lessons every day, morning or after noon?
I would be very thankful if you could post some more details. In turn, I will keep you posted if I find anything new 
Thank you again for you help,
Best regards,