Planned-to-display items will be showcased only at one-quarter of the museum’s space, as the rest of museum’s area was taken by Cairo governorate to turn it into a garage
The glory of Mohammed Ali Pasha’s ruling era is not limited to the fascinating architecture in Cairo Downtown or cultural institutions of which he was the god father like the Opera, it expands to one of Egypt’s fascinating museums that only a few people are aware of.
Unlike the common displayed antiquities in the museums, the Royal Carriages Museum is to open its door for visitors to more of just statues, vessels, or belongings of the royal family. It presents the carriages they used to take in commuting.
The museum is three months away from being reopened after its restoration that has been going for two years. The museum has been closed since 2001 for renovation. Yet, the work stopped for years, before resuming in 2017.
The museum puts on display some of the 20th century’s most luxurious, fascinating carriages made by veteran designers who spent their lifetime making unique carriages only dedicated to the royal family.
About 80% of the restoration works were completed, according to state-owned Al-Ahram Online.
“The museum would put on show a collection of royal carriages along with accessories and clothes of the horse guards. The items will be distributed across five halls. The first will exhibit the chariot that French Empress Eugenie gifted to Khedive Ismail on the occasion of the official opening of the Suez Canal, while the second hall will display rare types of chariots known as Alay and Half-Alay,” Nevine Nizar, assistant to the minister of antiquities for museum affairs, told Al-Ahram Online.
She added, “the third hall is the core of the museum and will display ceremonial chariots that were used by royal family members in wedding and funerary occasions, and for promenades. Painted portraits depicting members of the royal family will be also exhibited. The fourth hall will be dedicated to the uniforms of chevaliers and horse riders, while the fifth and last hall will show accessories used to decorate the chariots and horses, such as the horseshoes, bridles and saddles.”
The planned-to-display items will be showcased only at one-quarter of the museum’s original space, as the rest of the fascinating museum’s area was taken by Cairo governorate in order to turn it into a garage in Boulaq El-Dakrour district in 1961.
The museum was established at Khedive Ismail’s era. It was dedicated to displaying the royal carriages and horses belonging to the royal family. Under the name of the Department of the Khedive Carriages, it was firstly opened, before turning into the name of Management of the Royal Stables.
