"Tara", Cairo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Tara" |
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Gezira Island from the north. Sharia Abou el Feda runs along the shore from the tip of the island (bottom left) to the bridge (mid right).
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| General information | |
| Type | Villa |
| Address | Sharia Abou el Feda Zamalek District Gezira Island |
| Town or city | Cairo |
| Country | Egypt |
| Coordinates | 30°4′15″N 31°13′11″E / 30.07083°N 31.21972°E |
Tara was the temporary name of a large house, or villa, on Gezira Island in Cairo, Egypt. It became well-known because of the people who lived there during World War II. These residents included agents from the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a secret British organization, and Countess Zofia (Sophie) Tarnowska. They turned the villa into a lively place for social gatherings.
Contents
What Was Tara?
Tara was a big villa located on Gezira Island in Cairo. It had plenty of space, including a large ballroom with wooden floors. This made it suitable for several people to live there comfortably.
How Tara Was Found
In 1943, Captain W. Stanley Moss, a British officer from the Special Operations Executive, found the villa. He was looking for a place to live. He moved in by himself at first and later got a puppy named Pixie.
Who Lived at Tara?
Soon, other SOE agents joined Captain Moss. These included Xan Fielding, who had worked in Crete, and Arnold Breene from SOE headquarters. The last to join the household was Patrick Leigh Fermor, another SOE officer who had spent time in Crete.
Countess Zofia (Sophie) Tarnowska, a refugee from Poland, also moved into the villa. She was asked to share the house with the agents, and she agreed. She brought her few belongings, including a bathing suit, an evening gown, a uniform, and two pet mongooses. To protect her reputation in a house full of men, they pretended she had a chaperone named "Madame Khayatt," who was always "too unwell" to meet visitors.
Later, more SOE agents joined the group. These were "Billy" McLean, David Smiley (who returned from Albania), and Rowland Winn, who was also active in Albania.
Life at Tara
The villa's new residents named it Tara after the famous Hill of Tara in Ireland. This name gave the house a special, almost legendary, feel.
Nicknames and Parties
Tara quickly became a very exciting place in Cairo. It was a hub for entertaining many different people, including diplomats, military officers, writers, and journalists. The residents gave themselves fun nicknames:
- "Princess Dneiper-Petrovsk" (Sophie Tarnowska)
- "Sir Eustace Rapier" (Billy McLean)
- "the Marquis of Whipstock" (David Smiley)
- "the Hon. Rupert Sabretache" (Rowland Winn)
- "Lord Hughe Devildrive" (Xan Fielding)
- "Lord Pintpot" (Arnold Breene)
- "Lord Rakehell" (Patrick Leigh Fermor)
- "Mr Jack Jargon" (W. Stanley Moss)
Sophie Tarnowska used her memories of making liqueurs from her father's estates to create drinks for the parties. She would add fruits like plums, apricots, and peaches to alcohol in the bathtub.
Memorable Moments
The parties at Tara were quite lively. At the end of their first big ball, Patrick Leigh Fermor fell asleep on a sofa, which accidentally caught fire. The burning sofa then had to be thrown into the garden! Over the winter of 1943, they borrowed a piano from the Egyptian Officers' Club, and sometimes light bulbs were shot out. On one occasion, King Farouk himself visited the villa, bringing a crate of champagne.
The End of Tara
In the winter of 1944, the true owner of the villa wanted their property back. The owner found out that the house was not being rented by a "Princess Dneiper-Petrovsk" and others, as stated on the villa's nameplate. Because of this, the Tara household had to leave the villa, which was a bit worn out from all the activity. They moved into a flat instead.
