Koubbeh Palace
Encyclopedia
Koubbeh Palace, is one of the various Egyptian palaces which currently serve as the country's official guest house for visiting dignitaries.
The palace was most likely originally built in the mid-19th century and sold to Khedive Ismail in 1866 by his brother Mustafa Fazl Pasha. It is situated several kilometers north of downtown Cairo
, Koubbeh Palace was originally surrounded by agricultural fields and rural villages.
, Koubbeh Palace was a venue for One Thousand And One Night celebrations, royal weddings, and a place where visiting dignitaries admired magnificent gardens. During his son's rule (Khedive Abbas Hilmi II
; r. 1892-1914) the garden palace gradually came to be regarded as complementary to Cairo's Abdin Palace in terms of officialdom.
When King Fouad I
ascended Egypt's throne in 1917, Koubbeh became the official royal residence.
During his reign, King Fouad ordered numerous enhancements and extensions to Koubbeh, including a six-meter wall around the 75 acres (303,514.5 m²), a new gate and an external garden. In addition, a royal train station was added to the palace complex where visiting dignitaries arrived by special carriage directly from Alexandria or from Cairo's main railway station.
It was at this palace that King Fouad died, and his then 16 year-old son King Farouk greeted his subjects during a momentous inaugural radio broadcast on 8 May 1936. King Farouk kept his personal collections at Koubbeh. These priceless treasures included a precious stamp collection, an 8,500-piece coin and medals collection, studded clocks and watches, in addition to many other beautiful antiquities including a pure gold coffee set and a 1906 Faberge egg that belonged to the last Russian Tzar. Much of these were auctioned off in 1954.
in downtown Cairo and Ras Al-Teen Palace
in Alexandria. Nevertheless, it was at Koubbeh that Gamal Abdel Nasser
preferred to host his official guests. It was also there that his body lay awaiting his funeral in September 1970. The Shah of Iran also lived in this palace when in exile in Egypt.
To this day Koubbeh remains Egypt's principal guesthouse. U.S. President Barack Obama
was received in it during his visit to Cairo in June 2009
The palace was most likely originally built in the mid-19th century and sold to Khedive Ismail in 1866 by his brother Mustafa Fazl Pasha. It is situated several kilometers north of downtown Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Koubbeh Palace was originally surrounded by agricultural fields and rural villages.
Under the Monarch
Under Khedive TewfikTewfik Pasha
HH Muhammed Tewfik Pasha ' was Khedive of Egypt and Sudan between 1879 and 1892, and the sixth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.-Early life:...
, Koubbeh Palace was a venue for One Thousand And One Night celebrations, royal weddings, and a place where visiting dignitaries admired magnificent gardens. During his son's rule (Khedive Abbas Hilmi II
Abbas II of Egypt
HH Abbas II Hilmi Bey was the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan .-Early life:...
; r. 1892-1914) the garden palace gradually came to be regarded as complementary to Cairo's Abdin Palace in terms of officialdom.
When King Fouad I
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
ascended Egypt's throne in 1917, Koubbeh became the official royal residence.
During his reign, King Fouad ordered numerous enhancements and extensions to Koubbeh, including a six-meter wall around the 75 acres (303,514.5 m²), a new gate and an external garden. In addition, a royal train station was added to the palace complex where visiting dignitaries arrived by special carriage directly from Alexandria or from Cairo's main railway station.
It was at this palace that King Fouad died, and his then 16 year-old son King Farouk greeted his subjects during a momentous inaugural radio broadcast on 8 May 1936. King Farouk kept his personal collections at Koubbeh. These priceless treasures included a precious stamp collection, an 8,500-piece coin and medals collection, studded clocks and watches, in addition to many other beautiful antiquities including a pure gold coffee set and a 1906 Faberge egg that belonged to the last Russian Tzar. Much of these were auctioned off in 1954.
The Republic
After the 1952 revolution that led to the declaration of the republic, Koubbeh Palace was declared as one of three official presidential palaces, the other two being Abdeen PalaceAbdeen Palace
Abdeen Palace is a historic Cairo palace, and one of the official residences and the principal workplace of the President of Egypt, located above Qasr el-Nil Street in eastern Downtown Cairo, Egypt.- Overview :...
in downtown Cairo and Ras Al-Teen Palace
Ras Al-Teen Palace
Ras el–Tin Palace, is located at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in Alexandria, Egypt. It was a royal a palace, and is one of the official residences for a serving President of Egypt. Ras el–Tin Palace is the oldest royal Egyptian palace still in use....
in Alexandria. Nevertheless, it was at Koubbeh that Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
preferred to host his official guests. It was also there that his body lay awaiting his funeral in September 1970. The Shah of Iran also lived in this palace when in exile in Egypt.
To this day Koubbeh remains Egypt's principal guesthouse. U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
was received in it during his visit to Cairo in June 2009