| The Royal Jewelry Museum | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1986 |
| Location | Alexandria, Egypt |
The Royal Jewelry Museum (Arabic:متحف المجوهرات ) is an art and history museum in the Zizenia neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt. It is located in the former palace of Princess Fatma Al-Zahra'. Its halls contain an inestimable collection of jewels and jewelry of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty. 19th century paintings, statues, and decorative arts are also exhibited in the rooms and lobbies. The museum was first inaugurated on 24 October 1986. After several years of renovations and expansion it was reopened in April 2010.[1]
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The museum houses major jewelry pieces and art acquisitions of the dynasty of Muhammad Ali and his descendants, who ruled Egypt for nearly 150 years from 1805 until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Following the Revolution, the jewelry left by the Royal Family was kept secure and unseen until a 1986 decree by President Mubarak was issued to assign Princess Fatima Al-Zahra' Palace in Alexandria as a special museum to house those pieces.
The palace is in itself an elegant masterpiece of fine architecture and applied arts. It was built in 1919 in the European Neoclassical architecture style, The walls and ceilings are adorned with oil paintings depicting various historical scenes and natural scenery. The palace windows are decorated with lead-inlaid glass artwork also depicting European-style historical scenes. It has 4,185 square metres (45,050 sq ft) of interior space, and is surrounded by gardens.