Abdeen Palace ( ar, قصر عابدين) is a historic
Cairo palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
built as one of the official residences for the former ruling monarchy and
royal family of Egypt. It is now one of the
official residences and the principal workplace of the
President of Egypt, located above
Qasr el-Nil Street in eastern
Downtown Cairo,
Egypt.
Overview
Built on the site of a small mansion owned by
Abdeen Bey, Abdeen Palace, which is named after him, has adornments, paintings, and a large number of clocks scattered in the parlors and wings, most of which are decorated with pure gold. Built under the rule of
Ismail Pasha, to become Egypt's official government headquarters instead of the
Citadel of Cairo (which had been the center of Egyptian government since the
Middle Ages), this palace was used as well for official events and ceremonies.
The construction started in 1863 and continued for 10 years and the palace was officially inaugurated in 1874. Erected on an area of 24
feddans, the palace was designed by the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
architect Léon Rousseau along with a large number of Egyptian, Italian, French and European decorators. A new wing was added by
Joseph Urban in 1891. However, the palace's garden was added in 1921 by
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
Fuad I on an area of 20 feddans. The cost of building the palace reached
£E700,000 in addition to £E2 million for its furnishing. Between four palaces, King Fuad spent more than 18 million French francs with just one
Parisian furniture manufacturer ''
Linke & Cie''.
[Christopher Payne, ‘François Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Époque of French Furniture’, Antique Collector’s Club 2003, p.269] More money was also spent on the palace's alteration, preservation and maintenance by consecutive rulers. The palace has 500 rooms.
Museum
The palace today is a museum, located in the
Old Cairo
Old Cairo (Arabic: مصر القديمة , Miṣr al-Qadīma, Egyptian pronunciation: Maṣr El-ʾAdīma) is a historic area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress and of Islamic-era settlements pre-dating the founding of ...
district of
Abdin. The upper floors (the former living quarters of the royal family) are reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries. The lower floors contain the Silver Museum, the Arms Museum, the Royal Family Museum, and the Presidential Gifts Museum.
A new museum, the Historical Documents Museum, was opened in January 2005. Among other documents, it contains the Imperial Ottoman ''
firman
A firman ( fa, , translit=farmân; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods they were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The word firman com ...
'', or decree, which established the rule of
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
and his family, and a certificate for the Order of the Iron Crown, from the short-lived South American
Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.
See also
*
Abdeen Palace Incident of 1942
References
External links
Egypt's Royal Archives: 1922-52 historical Abdeen Palace: Archives housed in the palace
{{Authority control
Museums in Cairo
Palaces in Cairo
Art museums and galleries in Egypt
History museums in Egypt
Presidential palaces in Egypt
Royal residences in Egypt
Muhammad Ali dynasty
Tourist attractions in Cairo
Tourist attractions in Egypt
Houses completed in 1874
Neoclassical architecture in Egypt
Downtown Cairo
1874 establishments in Egypt