Ras Al-Teen Palace
Encyclopedia
Ras el–Tin Palace, is located at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
, in Alexandria
, Egypt
. It was a royal a palace
, and is one of the official residence
s for a serving President of Egypt
. Ras el–Tin Palace is the oldest royal Egyptian palace still in use.
(r. 1805-1848) of the long Muhammad Ali Dynasty
. It is also where the last royal, King Farouk
, signed his 1953 abdication and departed from Egypt in exile.
A number of foreign architects and engineers were commissioned by Muhammad Ali for the design and construction of the palace. Building activities began in 1834, taking eleven years to complete the original design in 1845. Complementary work and construction of additional wings continued two more years until 1847, when it was officially inaugurated.
s (13 acres). Fig
trees (Arabic - teen) were already on the palace site, inspiring its name Ras Al-Teen. Through the reign of successive kings the complex was used as their residence and the government headquarters during the summer season.
Various rulers made changes to the palace. It was totally reconstructed by King Fuad I
in the 1920s, with modern services and redecoration making it similar to the opulent Abdeen Palace
(built 1863), the larger royal complex in central Cairo
. The redesign and construction was overseen by the Italian engineer Veroci. The palace included a swimming pool with a large attached glass pavilion hall.
After World War II
King Farouk had a marine pool built on the Mediterranean breakwater. The pool was linked to Ras Al-Teen with a narrow and long paved lane atop the breakwater, with a jeep used to pass through waves breaking over it. The adjacent pool house included a sitting room, bed chamber, fully equipped small kitchen, and rooms for staff and storing recreation and fishing gear.
royal gardens and museum, also in Alexandria.
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It was a royal a palace
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 itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
, and is one of the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
s for a serving President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
. Ras el–Tin Palace is the oldest royal Egyptian palace still in use.
History
The palace has a long historical breadth across Egyptian royalty. It is one of few palaces in Egypt that witnessed the early 19th century initiation by Muhammad Ali PashaMuhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
(r. 1805-1848) of the long Muhammad Ali Dynasty
Muhammad Ali Dynasty
The Muhammad Ali Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan, from the 19th to the mid-20th Century. It is named after its progenitor, Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. It was also more formally known as the Alawiyya Dynasty...
. It is also where the last royal, King Farouk
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
, signed his 1953 abdication and departed from Egypt in exile.
A number of foreign architects and engineers were commissioned by Muhammad Ali for the design and construction of the palace. Building activities began in 1834, taking eleven years to complete the original design in 1845. Complementary work and construction of additional wings continued two more years until 1847, when it was officially inaugurated.
Features
Ras el–Tin Palace has the shape of a large Italian Renaissance castle, with architectural elements and ornamentation inspired by that era. It was erected on a foundation size of 17000 square metres (4.2 acre), surrounded by elaborate gardens of 12 feddanFeddan
A feddan is a unit of area. It is used in Egypt, Sudan, and Syria. The feddan is not an SI unit and in Arabic, the word means 'a yoke of oxen': implying the area of ground that could be tilled by them in a certain time. In Egypt the feddan is the only non-metric unit which remained in use...
s (13 acres). Fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
trees (Arabic - teen) were already on the palace site, inspiring its name Ras Al-Teen. Through the reign of successive kings the complex was used as their residence and the government headquarters during the summer season.
Various rulers made changes to the palace. It was totally reconstructed by King Fuad I
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
in the 1920s, with modern services and redecoration making it similar to the opulent Abdeen Palace
Abdeen Palace
Abdeen Palace is a historic Cairo palace, and 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 1863), the larger royal complex in central Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. The redesign and construction was overseen by the Italian engineer Veroci. The palace included a swimming pool with a large attached glass pavilion hall.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
King Farouk had a marine pool built on the Mediterranean breakwater. The pool was linked to Ras Al-Teen with a narrow and long paved lane atop the breakwater, with a jeep used to pass through waves breaking over it. The adjacent pool house included a sitting room, bed chamber, fully equipped small kitchen, and rooms for staff and storing recreation and fishing gear.
Present day
Ras Al-Teen is used as a naval base and for hosting state guests and events in recent years. There is no public museum or grounds access, unlike the Montaza PalaceMontaza Palace
Montaza Palace is a palace and extensive gardens in the Montaza district of Alexandria, Egypt. It was built on a low plateau east of central Alexandria overlooking a beach on the Mediterranean Sea.-History:Palaces and gardens...
royal gardens and museum, also in Alexandria.
See also
- Royal Jewelry MuseumRoyal Jewelry MuseumThe Royal Jewelry Museum is an art and history museum in the Zizenia neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt. It is located in the former palace of Princess Fatma Al-Zahra'. Its halls contain an inestimable collection of jewels and jewelry of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty...
- Fatma Al-Zahra Palace (Alexandria) - Palaces in Alexandria