Mohamed Ali Palace to Be Re-opened in June 2020: Waziri

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri on Thursday toured Prince Mohamed Ali Pasha Palace in Shubra al-Kheima district in Qalioubiya governorate to follow up the ongoing restoration works ahead of its reopening scheduled for June 2020.

Waziri added the total costs of the project hit EGP 194 million, pointing out that the Palace witnessed significant events in Egypt's modern history.

In itself it is a rare archaeological masterpiece dating back to 200 ago years and combining both the Western and Islamic styles of art.

One of the interesting things that characterized Mohamed Ali Shubra Palace was that it witnessed the first modern lighting system.

England came to know that system in 1820 by engineer M. Galaway who was soon called by Mohammed Ali to fix necessary preparations in his palace. That was considered a great qualitative change.

The palace was unique in combining the European style in decorations and the spirit of Islamic architecture planning. There are four ceilings enclosed with a large fountain standing as if it were the yard of a mosque.

The palace has been recently set for three restoration projects:

- Constructive and architectural restoration.

- Decorative restoration.

- Harmonization of the landscape.

The restoration project was started five years ago and faced many different problems. For example, the "Fountain Palace" was likely to collapse and the marble of the fountain itself has been separated in the attempt of restoration at the beginning of the eighteenths.

Mohamed Ali Pasha’s Shubra Palace was closed in 2012 for security reasons as well as the archaeological building’s deteriorated situation.

A car bomb exploded adjacent to the palace in 2015, targeting the National Security Agency’s headquarters, further affecting the palace.

The palace was previously restored as part of the Historic Cairo Restoration Project, a project that aimed to renovate historic Medieval Islamic Cairo, which began in the mid-nineties.

Contributed by Hassanain Tayea.