Cairo
The Palace of Muhammad Ali Pasha (1220-1264 AH \ AD 1805-1848), founder of modern Egypt, is a rare masterpiece that brings together elements of nature, architecture and art. The palace combines elements of European aesthetics with Islamic architecture. Its construction began in 1223 AH / AD 1808, when Muhammad Ali decided to build Shubra Suburb, which was the northern promenade of Cairo. The palace was completed in 1237 AH / AD 1821, spanning a vast area of fifty acres across a suburb on the east bank of the Nile in Cairo. Today, this suburb is called Shubra al-Kheima and the Muhammad Ali Palace has become known as Paradise Palace or Shubra Palace.
The architectural plan of the palace was centred within a massive garden that included clusters of buildings surrounded by a wall. Initially, the palace consisted of the Saraya al-Ekama (Residential Palace), Saray al-fasqiyya (Fountain Palace) and saray al-gabalaya. It also included a bird tower, boat harbour, Hydraulic wheel (Saqqyia) that provided the palace and its garden with water, and stables known as the Shubra Stables.
The style employed in the palaces took on the character of 19th century Italian and French aesthetics. This was also the first building in Egypt to incorporate a modern lighting system, when Muhammad Ali Pasha commissioned the English engineer Galloway to install lighting fixtures in the palace.
The palace underwent extensive restoration and was reopened in 2005, after which it witnessed several important events, providing a wonderful location for receiving official delegations. After 2011 it remained closed, but given its historical and artistic value, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority resumed restoration and development plans in 2018. The restoration work included floors and walls, raising the efficiency of the picturesque lake, restoring and maintaining inscriptions and decorations, in addition to linking the palace to the Nile pier for ease of movement for visitors
