Manial Palace and Museum

The Manial Palace and Museum is a former Alawiyya dynasty era palace and grounds on Rhoda Island on the Nile. It is of Ottoman architecture and located in the Sharia Al-Saray area in the El-Manial district of southern Cairo, Egypt. The palace and estate has been preserved as an Antiquities Council directed historic house museum and estate, reflecting the settings and lifestyle of the late 19th- and early 20th-century Egyptian royal prince and heir apparent. The residence compound, composed of five separate and distinctively styled buildings, is surrounded by Persian gardens within an extensive English Landscape garden estate park, along a small branch of the Nile.

The palace featuring a blend of various Islamic art styles, including Fatimid, Mamluk, Ottoman, Andalusian, Persian, and Levantine influences. It comprises three main structures: the Residence Palace, the Reception Palace, and the Throne Palace. Additionally, the complex includes a mosque, a private museum, a hunting museum, and a clock tower, all enclosed by a wall resembling the fortified walls of medieval castles. Inside, the palaces are surrounded by gardens that host a rare collection of trees and plants. Today, the palace serves as a museum.

The palace originally belonged to Prince Mohamed Ali, the second son of Tewfik Pasha and the brother of Khedive Abbas II . Prince Mohamed Ali held the position of crown prince three times and was one of the three regents during the period between the death of King Fuad I and the ascension of King Farouk to the throne upon reaching the legal age.

Prince Mohamed Ali personally selected the location of the palace, beginning with the construction of the Residence Palace, followed by the other structures. He oversaw the design and decoration processes, while the construction work was carried out by Mohamed Afifi, a master builder. The prince left instructions for the palace to be converted into a museum after his death.