RAS AL-TIN PALACE, 1834 One of the oldest-running presidential palaces, Alexandria’s Ras Al-Tin was treasured by Egypt’s royal family. Planned and commissioned by Mohamed Ali in 1834, the Roman-inspired palace was meant to serve as a second fort to Cairo’s Salah Al-Din Citadel. However, successors of Mohamed Ali, such as kings Fouad and Farouk, renovated it into a vacation stay for the royal family, even constructing a private railway line from the palace to Cairo. Besides being a favorite of the Mohamed Ali dynasty, Ras Al-Tin was Egypt’s most pivotal palace during its transition from a monarchy to a republic. During the July 1952 revolution King Farouk escaped to Ras Al-Tin to avoid his rebelling army, and it was in Ras Al-Tin where he abdicated the throne. Today, the palace serves as a presidential residence for hosting official guests. ABDEEN PALACE, 1863 The pièce de resistance of Cairo’s modernization in the late nineteenth century, Abdeen Palace was the bedrock of Downtown Cairo’s construction – a city famed for its Hausmann architecture, statue-adorned squares, and Nile-side views. Abdeen’s 500 rooms and gilded furniture added to the grandeur of Cairo’s Downtown. While…
