The Royal Carriages Museum

The Royal carriages Museum in Boulaq is one of the earliest of its kind worldwide, both from the prospect of the authenticity of its building and the originality of its displays. The building was particularly adapted to preserve the cultural heritage of the royal carriages and all related material dating back to the era of Mohammed Ali Dynasty.

The idea of establishing the museum building dates back to the reign of khedive Ismail (r. 1863- 1879), who thought of founding a special structure for housing the horses and the khedivial carriages. Initially, the establishment was called the “Khedivial Carriages Service”, then its name was changed in 1922 to “Royal Stables Department (Royal Mews)” under the reign of king Fouad  (r. 1917- 1936).

Being the focus of royal attention, this establishment was provided with all specialized experts and skilled workers. The building was converted into a museum after the revolution of 1952.

The Museum houses a unique collection, of which the most notable are various sizes and types of royal carriages, one of the most distinguished objects in the Museum is the grand Alay Carriage, which is characterized by its finest workmanship and elaborate decoration. It was the gift of Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugenie to Khedive Ismail on the occasion of the Suez Canal inauguration in 1869. King Faruk ordered its restoration and used it on the inauguration of the Parliament in 1942, also its contain horse riding equipments, uniforms of the Carriages Service employees, as well as oil paintings dating to the same era.

Worthy of note is that few museums all over the world are specialized in exhibiting this kind of displays, for examples museums in Austria, France, Russia, and England.

to download the museum brochure click here!