Summary
- Mohamed Ali Manial Palace in Cairo is a cultural gem representing the luxury of the Egyptian royal family and features traditional Islamic architecture.
- The palace was built between 1899 and 1929 by Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik and was later converted into a museum.
- Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik, a highly educated and artistic figure, played a significant role in the palace’s construction.
- The palace is a grand example of 19th and 20th-century lifestyle, with an extensive area, multiple halls, and a blend of architectural styles, including Rococo and Art Nouveau.
- Manial Palace highlights include a Royal Museum, the Reception Pavilion, the Saray of the Throne, the Palace Mosque, the Clock Tower, and magnificent gardens.
- The palace offers a unique opportunity to explore Egypt’s history and beauty, making it a must-visit destination for travelers.
Mohamed Ali Manial Palace is a cultural gem that reflects the luxury of the Egyptian royal family. Cairo is blessed with a number of incredible monuments found all over the city offering the perfect examples of royal excellence and traditional Islamic architecture.
The palace and museum of Muhammad Ali in Manial is a historical wonder of modern times built to reflect the ultimate level of luxury and nobility. This Marvel Palace museum will shed some light on a rare moment in time that left some of the most extravagant artifacts and magnificent monuments ever created.
Location and How to Get Mohamed Ali Manial Palace
Manial Palace Palace & Museum is found in the incredible Manial district which is on the eastern bank of the Nile River where everyone can have easy access from anywhere in Cairo through taxis, public buses, or even the Cairo Metro.
History of Mohamed Ali Manial Palace
The Manial Palace was built by Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik between 1899 and 1929 AD. The price held many meetings and parties where some of the most accomplished ministers, dignitaries, journalists, and writers were. After the Egyptian revolution in 1952, the palace was turned into a museum where the whole public could witness the grandeur and allure of the royal family.
The palace was able to reach its 120th anniversary in 2023 as a magical art exhibition that possesses a number of oil paintings in the main hall of the palace which tells how the palace was constructed over 40 years.
Who is Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik?
The king who was never, Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik (1875 – 1955 AD) was the uncle of King Farouk who was the last king of Egypt. He was born as the son of Khedive Tewfik, the brother of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II, and the grandson of Khedive Ismail. He had a great love for science he went to the Abdeen secondary school then he traveled to Switzerland followed by Terzianum School in Austria to obtain a higher degree.
He returned to Egypt in 1892 to become the prince of Egypt. He was a very highly wise man who admired the beauty behind arts, science, and literature plus possessed a deep thirst to consume knowledge. His journey has a deep effect on the construction process of this extraordinary palace.
Design of Mohamed Ali Manial Palace
The entire design of the palace tells the lifestyle of the late 19th and 20th centuries which is built on an area of 61711 m2. The palace is made of two floors. The entire palace consists of an outer wall that looks like a medieval fort that surrounds the decorated entrance of the palace. Within the walls are the reception area, residence palaces, and throne palaces.
The palace has the clock tower, the Sabil, the mosque, living quarters, the hunting museum, the private museum, the royal throne hall, and the heavenly golden hall, in addition to the wonderful garden surrounding the palace. The residence palace was added in 1903 and the hunting museum was added in 1903.
The palace was designed in a perfectly designed style of Rococo and Art Nouveau merged with enchanting traditional Islamic architecture that includes Ottoman, Mamluk, Persian, Syrian, Moroccan, Andalusian, and Moorish which creates a fantastic combination of the interior & architectural decorations, spatial design, and the sumptuous materials.
Within the temple are a number of highly extensive and incredible items of clothing, art, silver, furniture, medieval manuscripts, and objects d’art collections date all the way to medieval times. The residential palace is by far the most decorated construction made of two floors containing the Haramlik, the fountain foyer, the blue salon room, the fireplace room, the seashell salon room, the mirror room, the dining room, the Shekma, the Prince’s office, and library plus the golden throne hall.
Across the palace and all of its halls and rooms are amazing walls covered with amazing wood filled with colorful geometric and marvelous floral motifs with poetry verses and quranic writings plus some of the walls and ceilings were covered in gold.
Manial Palace Highlights
The Manial Palace is made of the entrance area, the striking clock tower, the Sabil (a public water fountain), a mosque, a hunting museum, living quarters, a throne hall, a private museum, and the opulent golden hall. The palace is surrounded by a magnificent garden that adds to its overall splendor. Some of the most magnificent highlights include:
The Palace Museum
The beautiful Manial Palace was transformed into a majestic museum in 1955 filled with some of the most captivating collections of art, furniture, silver, oil paintings of the family members, medieval manuscripts, landscape paintings, crystals, and candlesticks.
It is found in the southern part of the palace, consisting of about 15 halls in the heart of the courtyard with a small garden. King Farouk Hunting Museum was added in 1963 to display 1180 objects of birds, animals, camel & horse skeletons, and mummified butterflies.
The Reception Pavilion
The Reception Pavilion is a marvelous architectural structure that looks like an Asalamlik a traditional men’s reception spot that is typically located in all the grand palaces and houses. It is made of two stories each of which has its own special purpose. Found on the ground floor is the first room which acts as a remarkable reception spot for welcoming official guests, senior statesmen, and others who came to congratulate Prince Muhammad Ali during the formal ceremonies.
The second room played a vital role in receiving honorable guests just before the Friday prayer in the majestic palace mosque. When you ascend the staircase, you will connect to the two floors where you will find a majestic model of Qaitbey mosque that dates back to 877-9 AH / 1472-4 AD. This intract crafted model is made of epic wood with is adorned with marvelous mother of pearl that was made in the school which was created by Muhammad Ali’s mother, Emina Ilhamy.
When you move to the upper floor, you will shed light on two grand halls. On the left side of the staircase is a magnificent Moroccan hall which is renowned for its moroccon decorative style. On the righteous side of the staircase is a marvelous small vestibule leading to the Syrian hall which is marked by its masterful woodwork inspired by Syrian architectural designs during the Ottoman Period.
There will be a doorway in the vestibule that leads to a small room for women that contains incredible windows that are decorated with beautiful Mashrabiyyas, and latticework screens made of intricately turned wood. The Reception Pavilion contains a number of smaller rooms and the supple which is able to offer a rich and diverse experience within its elegant confines.
The Saray of the Throne
The Saray of the Throne is a magnificent two-story building that is able to project incredible grandeur and historical significance. On the ground floor, there is an epic long hall that stretches all the way out leading to the marvelous throne at the end. The ceiling is leading all the way adorned with marvelous golden sunburst that is able to display the great opulence of the space. Displayed on the wall found behind the throne is a massive painting of the great monarch Muhammad Ali. Found on the hall’s sides is gilded furniture that contains red upholstery that aligns with a great path leading to the throne.
On the left side of the hall are a number of oil portraits by Hidayat depicting the ruling members of the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty. on the right side are a number of great landscape paintings and exquisite gold-framed mirrors. The marble staircase which leads to the upper floor is a wooden model of the great mosque of Muhammad Ali which is a magical piece that can shed light on a magnificent architectural legacy. All the staircases are adorned with incredible panels that showcase Islamic geometric and floral patterns displayed on colorful tiles which build up its visual appeal. There are three chambers which can be seen while ascending to the upper floor. The Aubusson Room is decorated with magnificent tapestries from Aubusson, France that cover its walls.
The charming salon is highly decorated with enchanting ornate Islamic ceramic tiles which are completely harmonious with the valuable blue and white ceramics which are displayed within it. The last hall contained four poster beds that belonged to the mother of Prince Muhammad Ali. This hall features a magnificent gilded wood fireplace which provides a magical touch of elegance and history to the space.
The Palace Mosque
The palace’s mosque is able to exhibit a magnificent exterior which is decorated with amazing intricate decorative patterns and beautifully executed Arabic calligraphy which are skillfully carved in relief. The entrance portal is incredibly decorated with marvelous reliefs which displays a marvelous pointed arch. Across the entrance are two panels that feature exquisite calligraphy that showcases the names of the artists and craftsmen who contributed to the mosque’s creation on the left and the mosque’s foundation plaque on the right. on the left is also the date of the mosque’s foundation which is 1352 AH (1933 AD).
The mosque’s interior takes the shape of rectangular which is split into two spots. The western district contains the mihrab and the minbar (pulpit) which are found on the right. the seat of the Quran reciter is found in the western side which is crafted from wood and adorned with incredibly prosperous Quranic verses. The whole interior is adorned with captivating ceramic tiles and the beautiful ceiling here is truly a marvel to watch.
The Clock Tower
The clock tower has a rectangular shape and is a magical sight to behold, and it also acts as the minarets of the mosque which is deprived of the architectural style of the late 12th-century minaret of the Hassan Mosque in Rabat in Morocco that was made during the Almohad Caliphate. The tower holds a clock that is similar to the one made by Prince Muhammad Ali’s brother, Khedive Abbas Helmi II, at the Cairo Grand Railway Station.
The relief that decorates the clock tower contains floral motifs and found on the entrance is a frieze bearing holy Arabic calligraphy of the Basmala, the phrase “Bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim” which means “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful“. Every side of the tower holds a balcony which is supported by stone corbels found near the top, and all 4 sides are entirely adorned with an epic rectangular bar adorned with marvelous star patterns.
The Gardens
The majestic gardens around the palace cover 34000 m filled with rare trees and marvelous plants from all over the world like Indian fig trees, Mexican cacti, bamboo trees, and royal palm.
All the travelers will get to explore all the tropical plants and rare flowers that the prince traveled all across the world to create the most hypnotic garden ever cultivated.
