THE newly renovated Royal Jewellery Museum is a 19th century, Europeanstyle architectural masterpiece. The museum, which was once a royal palace owned by Princess Fatma el-Zahraa of the Mohamed Ali dynasty, is located in Zizinia, an old, upper-class neighbourhood in the coastal city of Alexandria. Three years of restoration, costing LE50 million, have breathed new life into the palace-turned-museum by introducing an updated display system, refurbishing the exhibit halls and highlighting the architectural elements of the building itself. The palace was officially turned into a museum in 1986, to house the jewellery left when the royal family had to leave the country at the drop of a hat, having reigned for almost 150 years, from 1805 to 1952. The royal jewellery had been kept at the Central Bank ever since the 1952 Revolution, until President Mubarak decreed that the palace should be turned into a museum. The two-wing palace was designed and built by a team of Italian, French and Belgian architects and artisans between 1919 and 1923. Its owner, Fatma el-Zahraa, was the granddaughter of Prince Moustafa Fadel, brother of Khedive Ismail. The east wing of the palace comprises three halls, while the west wing consists of two floors with four halls each. The two wings are connected by an ornate lobby that boasts stained glass depicting historical scenes and stories like that of Romeo and Juliet. The household staff lived in the basement. As for the wooden floors, they perfectly complement the elaborately decorated walls and ceiling. As part of the restoration, 32 showcases made of fine wood, suitable for the precious exhibits, have been designed to match the floors. They are all protected by a German, state-of-the-art anti-fire and anti theft alarm system, according to Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. However, some of Egypt's culture delite doubt the authenticity of some of the items on display, claiming that, after the 1952 Revolution, some valuable pieces found their way into the homes of senior officers and officials. There are 11,500 items of jewellery, rare antiques and paintings in the museum. One of the most interesting pieces is a crown-shaped, platinum rattle inlaid with diamonds, emerald and carnelian with small gold balls inside that was used by King Farouq, the last Egyptian monarch, when he was a boy, to summon his servant. There is also a silver coffee set weighing 25kg kilograms that was presented by the International Canal Company to the Khedive Said at the time of digging the Suez Canal. As you walk through the gates of the palace, you feel like you're stepping into a fairytale world. The well-kept garden decorated with bronze statues of winged angels is the first thing you notice. As you ascend the marble stairs, you cannot but help admire the beautiful windows with inlaid glass. At the inauguration of the museum earlier this month, Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni proudly told the press that the architecture of the palace is unique. It certainly reflects the exquisite taste of the Mohamed Ali dynasty, who loved fine architecture and antiques.
