Museum of Islamic Art

Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is considered one of the greatest in the world with its exceptional collection of rare woodwork and plaster, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from all over the Islamic world. It houses more than 102,000 objects. The Museum carries out archaeological excavations in the Fustat Area and has organized a number of National and International Exhibitions. It has been closed for renovations since 2003, but is set to re-open on September 1st, 2010.

Although recognition of Pharonic art was signaled in Cairo by the establishment in 1858 of the Department of Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum, the appreciation of Arab and Islamic Art lagged behind. The Khedive Ismail approved a proposal to establish a Museum of Arab Art in the Courtyard of the Mosque of Baibars, but this was not carried out until 1880 when Khedive Tawfiq ordered the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) to set it up.

Julius Franz, an Austrian Scholar of Hungarian Descent, the Head of the Technical department at the Awqaf, proposed in 1881 that the ruined Mosque of the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, adjacent to the Bab Al-Futuh, to be a provesional seat for the Museum. A Gallery was accordingly furnished there in the eastern arcade, consisting initially of 111 architectural pieces taken from other Monuments.

Matters improved the same year when Khedive Tawfiq approved the "Committee of Arab Antiquities", whose duties included running the Arab Museum, and providing it with objects as well as preserving the monuments. As a result, the arcades of the mosque were filled to overflowing. in 1884 a two story structure was built in the courtyard to house the collection of 900 objects, although its staff consisted of only one curator and a door keeper.

in 1887 Max Hertz, also Austro-Hungarian, replaced Julius Franz, and began making many changes, he suggested the name of the Museum back then as the gallery of Arab Antiquities (Dar Al-Athar Al-Arabiya), by 1895 the collection numbered to 1,641, and the new building became too crowded, he requested the Awqaf to build a larger Museum, and so in 1899 the Foundations of the present larger Building in Bab Al-Khalq.

The new and current Building was designed by Alfonso Manescalo, and was completed in 1902 in neo-Mamluk style, with its upper story housing the National Library. The old Museum in al Hakim was demolished in the 1970s during refurbishment of the Mosque.

The Museum entirely faces Historic Cairo. It has two entrances; one on the north-eastern side and the other the south-eastern side. A beautiful garden with a fountain once led to the first entrance but was later removed. The entrance on Port Said Street features a very luxurious facade, rich with decorations and recesses inspired by Islamic architecture in Egypt from various periods. The Museum is a two-story building; the first floor comprises the exhibition halls and the second floor comprises the general stores. The basement contains a store connected with the Restoration Section.

Al Manyal Palace Museum

Al Manyal Palace Museum

The museum was set up by Prince " Mohammad Ali Tawfiq " in 1899 in the middle of a thirty - feddan garden. The garden has a group of rare trees which the Prince had brought from various parts of the world. The palace's architecture, interior decorations and furniture are all modeled on the Arabesque style. The museum's collection is the most complete representative set of the " Ottoman " art. In addition, the museum contains early Islamic manuscripts and rare collections of embroidered textiles, carpets, crystal vessels and candelabra.

The Palace was built to commemorate and eternalize Islamic Art. It is considered amongst the most important and historic museums since it represents a crucial period in modern Egyptian history and portrays in detail the life of the Royal Family.

The architectural designs distinguish it from other museums because of its Modern Islamic art carrying the essence of Moroccan, Persian and Syrian styles.



The Palace is situated in the east of the River Nile along the island of Manial El-Roda. It covers an area of 61711 square meters, as buildings occupy 5000 square meters, 34,000 square meters for gardens and 22711 square meters for inner roads and garden constructions.



The Saa (clock) Tower

 The Palace is divided into 11 sections; the gate which was built in the style of middle age castles gates, has terraces for guards.

The palace facade resembles that of Iranian Mosques and Schools of the 14th C. The reception palace was designed for receiving official guests and is of two stories. The first story has two rooms, the ceremony room and the reception one for those who offer Friday prayers with the Prince, the second story has two halls; the Moroccan and Syrian halls.

The Saa (clock) Tower lies between the Reception Palace and the Mosque, which Prince Mohamed Ali built after the Andalosian and Moroccan fashions.

The fountain lies between the tower and the great Mosque, the Mosque despite its small size is considered an unmatchable architectural and ornamental antique.

The Hunting Museum is a long hall annexed to the east gate overlooking the garden. It displays possessions of King Farouk and Prince Youssef Kamal who loved hunting. This Museum was finished long after the death of the Prince and was opened to the public in 1962. 

The two-story residence is the oldest building in the palace and has a tower overlooking sights of Cairo and Giza. The first story consists of al-Shakma, the mirror lobby, harem room, blue saloon, dining room, arabesque saloon and the fireplace room. The second story consists of the jewelry room, arabesque room, Princes bedroom, maid’s room and a balcony overlooking the mirror hall. The Throne palace was designed after the Ottoman style in the form of a "Kosha".

El Alamein town

El Alamein town

El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast in Matruh Governorate. It is 106 kilometres (66 mi) west of Alexandria and 240 kilometres (149 mi) northwest of Cairo. The population was about 7,397 in 2007.

With typical Mediterranean climate, El Alamein is blessed with pleasant weather all year long, with cold winters and warm-to-hot summers. Alamein is also known for its outstanding unpolluted environment, air, and beaches.

El Alamein has a war museum with collectibles from "the civil war" and other North African battles. Visitors can also go to the Italian and German Military Cemetery on Tel el-Eisa Hill just outside the town. The German cemetery is an ossuary with the remains of 4,200 German soldiers, built in the style of a medieval fortress. The Italian cemetery is a mausoleum containing many galleries of tombs. Many tombs bear the soldier's name. 

Battle of El Alamein

Battle of El Alamein

There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery with graves of soldiers from various countries who fought on the British side. This has monuments commemorating Greek, New Zealand, Australia, South African and Indian forces. Note that the remains of United States soldiers were not buried here. The Commonwealth cemetery, as is common at many such cemeteries in the world, consists of parallel rows of gravestones, each one bearing an engraving of the deceased soldier's unit emblem, his name and an epitaph from his family.

Two important World War II battles were fought in the area. At the First Battle of El Alamein (July 1 – July 27, 1942) the advance of Axis troops on Alexandria was blunted by the Allies, when the German Panzers tried to outflank the allied position. At the Second Battle of El Alamein (October 23 – November 4, 1942) Allied forces broke the Axis line and forced them all the way back to Tunisia. Winston Churchill said of this victory: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." After the war, he wrote: "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat."