Extravagant Royal Abdeen Palace Opening its Museum for Egyptians

After being closed down in 2011 due to the poised security threat of the revolution, Abdeen Palace is re-opening the doors of Egyptian history with The Royal Museum Tour in collaboration with #Etmat7af and a few Rotaract clubs.. Before the revolution, the palace had been restricted to presidential visits for important meetings.

The royal tour will tell a story of supremacy and greatness while showcasing historic collections consisting of war weaponry from around the world, previous presidential gifts, rare silver ornaments, and detailed imperial documents. We will be able see and feel the lavish surroundings of the previous royal families with gold-coated clocks and paintings that enliven the historic experience.

The palace itself has never been opened for visitors to tour; but this time we will be able to enter its museum and get a feel of what the palace was like.We have often passed by Medan Abdeen and pondered at the mostly symmetrical and grandiose off-white superstructure, which was built by Khedive Ismail (1830-1895) and designed with both French and Turkish influences. With its picturesque gardens decorated in antique temples and carefully landscaped palms, Abdeen Palace was built between 1863 and 1874 to symbolise the strength and wealth that Egypt possessed at the time. It would be the location of the Suez Canal inauguration once the construction was finished. The construction of the Canal concluded before the completion of the palace, and so it would become the residence of the effective royal family until 1952 when King Farouk was overthrown.

The historical significance of the palace is extended to the year 1881, when the Orabi revolution, which sought to end French and British influence in Egypt, broke out in the gardens of the palace.

The Royal Museum Tour tickets will cost 30 LE, and the profits will be donated to those in poverty who are struggling to keep warm. For details on the tour, see the Facebook event.

What: Abdeen Palace Museum Royal Tour (#Etmat7af in collaboration with several Rotaract clubs)
Date: Saturday 17^th December
Time: 9 AM – 12 PM
Location: Abdeen Palace

Photos courtesy of Tarek Baradie 
Main photo by Mohamed Eissa