Kafr Ibrash Farm, and Inshass, Egypt
The reference to Alzabra Stud in connection with the Egyptian stallion Sharkasi got me interested in learning more about these small local Egyptian farms which, from time to time, appear in historical documents on Arabian horse breeding in Egypt as the suppliers of breeding stock to the Royal Agricultural Society’s studfarms and/or Inshass, the private stud of Kings Farouk and Fouad.
One of these farms is that of Kafr Ibrash, which is where the mare Bint Kareema (Lady Anne Blunt’s Rasheed x Kareema) and others came from. All I succeeded doing for now is locating Kafr Ibrash (also spelled Kafr Abrash or Abraash) on the map of Egypt. It is in Egyptian delta fertile agricultural region, in the Sharkiyah province, where the Tahawi Arab tribe is settled (see Google Map below, where Kafr Ibrash is market as point B on the map, you may need to zoom out to see it).
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Next step is to ask some friends from Egypt to go there and see what they can learn about this place, and its owners. I suspect they were closely associated with the Egyptian Royal family in some way or another.
Note in particular the close proximity of the town (then a village) of Inshass (also spelled Anshas), near which the royal stud was located. Scroll to the right of the map and you will see it, it is some five to six miles away from Kafr Ibrah, to the east. It is marked as point A.
Since you’re already looking at maps of Egypt, can I ask you – where was Sheykh Obeyd garden? I haven’t been able to figure out where in Cairo it was. And is anything left there?
It’s not a garden anymore.. it’s now part of Cairo (biggest city in Africa 15 million people at least) near Ain Shams.
I tried to find it on Google Earth for an article in the Khamsat several years ago, and failed. So if anyone has a location for it, I would love the coordinates!
Perhaps Judi Forbis might have a general idea where Sheykh OBeyd used to be. In the 1960s she found its location and photographed the entrance gate I believe. She may have a slide or two of it in her collection. I will ask at the next opportunity when she can be located.
Thanks, Joe!