Royal Jewelry Museum
Encyclopedia
The Royal Jewelry Museum (Arabic:متحف المجوهرات ) 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 jewel
s and jewelry of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty
. 19th century paintings, statue
s, and decorative arts are also exhibited in the rooms and lobbies. The museum was first inaugurated on 24 October 1986. After several years of renovations and expansion it was reopened in April 2010.
and his descendants, who ruled Egypt for nearly 150 years from 1805 until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Following the Revolution, the jewelry left by the Royal Family was kept secure and unseen until a 1986 decree by President Mubarak was issued to assign Princess Fatima Al-Zahra' Palace in Alexandria as a special museum to house those pieces.
style, The walls and ceilings are adorned with oil paintings depicting various historical scenes and natural scenery. The palace windows are decorated with lead-inlaid glass artwork also depicting European-style historical scenes. It has 4185 square metre of interior space, and is surrounded by garden
s.
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 is located in the former palace of Princess Fatma Al-Zahra'
Fatma Al-Zahra'
Daughter of Zeinab Fahmy and Prince Ali Heidar Shannassi, who was a great-great-great grandchild of Muhammad Ali Pasha through his son Ibrahim Pasha. Noble Fatma Al-Zahra' was known as Fatma Heidar, and that is proven by the initials "FH" in many places of the Royal Jewelry Museum including the...
. Its halls contain an inestimable collection of jewel
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s and jewelry of the 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...
. 19th century paintings, statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s, and decorative arts are also exhibited in the rooms and lobbies. The museum was first inaugurated on 24 October 1986. After several years of renovations and expansion it was reopened in April 2010.
Museum
The museum houses major jewelry pieces and art acquisitions of the dynasty of Muhammad AliMuhammad 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...
and his descendants, who ruled Egypt for nearly 150 years from 1805 until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Following the Revolution, the jewelry left by the Royal Family was kept secure and unseen until a 1986 decree by President Mubarak was issued to assign Princess Fatima Al-Zahra' Palace in Alexandria as a special museum to house those pieces.
Palace design
The palace is in itself an elegant masterpiece of fine architecture and applied arts. It was built in 1919 in the European Neoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, The walls and ceilings are adorned with oil paintings depicting various historical scenes and natural scenery. The palace windows are decorated with lead-inlaid glass artwork also depicting European-style historical scenes. It has 4185 square metre of interior space, and is surrounded by garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s.
See also
- Museums in Alexandria
- List of museums in Egypt
- King of EgyptKing of EgyptKing of Egypt was the title used by the ruler of Egypt between 1922 and 1951. When the United Kingdom ended its protectorate over Egypt on 28 February 1922, Egypt's Sultan Fouad I issued a decree on 15 March 1922 whereby he adopted the title of King of Egypt...