Gomhouriyet Al-Qabou (The Republic of the Basement)

Gomhouriyet Al-Qabou (The Republic of the Basement) is an Arabic novel by Hisham Al-Jatheel, following the life of Mansour Al-Hawari, whose life changes after he arrives at Villa No. 9 in Cairo’s Zamalek district in 1950.

Mansour, a simple farmer who comes to the villa looking for work as a servant, discovers a world completely different from the one he knows: the world of pashas, kings, and influential figures. At the villa, he meets its residents, including Fahmi Pasha Azmi, his wife Nazly Hanem, and their daughter Norhan, a pianist whose music captivates everyone living in the villa.

But the calm surrounding the mansion is only a sign of the storm to come. News of the Cairo Fire begins to spread, marking the beginning of the decline of the era of the pashas. Because Mansour never forgets a kindness, Judge Azmi entrusts him with a box containing his secrets. Inside, Mansour discovers not only the secret of the pasha, but a secret belonging to an entire country—and he now holds the key to something that could change the fate of the entire Azmi family.

As the events unfold, it becomes clear that Mansour did not live in the villa by chance. The villa is the only entrance to a secret passage leading to a funerary treasure that the antiquities authorities have never discovered. An international organisation is seeking to seize the treasure, while Mansour discovers that he has become a means of accessing it.

Using his intelligence and resourcefulness, Mansour manages to build his own fortune and even creates his own republic, “The Republic of the Basement,” where those seeking to divide their country’s history must face the consequences.