Aisha Fahmy Palace

Aisha Fahmy Palace is considered one of the most prominent historical, cultural and archaeological landmarks in Egypt. It is a unique blend of architectural art and cultural heritage. Aisha Fahmy the daughter of one of the richest men in Egypt lived in it. 

It is distinguished by its unique architectural design as it combined Arab and European heritage and reflected the taste of the high-class families of that era from the interior decorations and picturesque gardens that were in the palace and reflected the social and cultural life of the Egyptians at that time. 

Today we will learn in detail about Aisha Fahmy Palace which is one of the famous tourist destinations visited by many tourists from all over the world.

History of the Palace

Aisha Fahmy Palace was built in 1907 by an Italian engineer and designer after Kamal Bey Fahmy, Aisha Fahmy’s brother assigned him to build it. Its ownership was then transferred to Aisha Fahmy. After her death the ownership of the palace was transferred in 1958 to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. 

In 1975 the palace was annexed to the Arts and Literature Authority. In 1976 it was converted into an arts complex to display the best international paintings in this palace.

Location of Aisha Fahmy Palace

Aisha Fahmy is considered one of the most important wealthy people in Egypt at that time. She was the daughter of Ali Pasha Fahmy who was considered one of the most prominent statesmen during the reign of King Fuad I.

 She then bought the palace from the rest of the heirs so that this palace became her property. She lived in this palace for a long time including six years during which she married the late artist Youssef Fahmy.

Aisha Fahmy Palace is located in the Zamalek district in Cairo and was built in the classical style by one of the most famous Italian designers and engineers.

Palace Design

Aisha Fahmy Palace is famous for its unique design that combines the classical style and European heritage as it contains some European decorations on the sides of the walls, and there are a number of paintings made of linen and silk. 

This palace consists of two floors The first floor contains six rooms and a large courtyard in the middle of the palace, which contains a statue called the Thinker Statue as well as a large number of paintings.

The six rooms are divided into three rooms on the right that overlook the Nile directly, and there are some paintings by foreign artists and three rooms on the left that are used in the winter and have an antique character. There are some traditional fireplaces and engravings on the ceiling and floor made of worked parquet There is also a billiard room.

As for the upper floor there are some distinctive rooms that are dominated by an antique character. There is a room designed in the Japanese style, and some Japanese pictures and Japanese paintings are engraved on the walls. There are two statues made in gold. 

There is also a dressing room and bathrooms on the second floor. One of the most striking things in this palace is the presence of heaters that operate on gas which were rare at that time.

Palace area

The area of ​​Aisha Fahmy Palace is about 2700 square meters and some development work was done to restore some of the decorations wooden panels furnishings, fabrics and mural oil paintings inside the palace and it was provided with some types of strict security systems to protect it from theft and fires. 

Then the General Authority for Arts made the palace a hall in which some plastic arts are displayed and these arts are displayed in the basement of the palace on an area of ​​about 1000 meters.

The palace joined the Arts Authority

After the death of the owner of Aisha Fahmy Palace, Youssef El Sebaei the former Minister of Culture joined this palace to the Fine Arts Authority to become one of the most important archaeological sites that many tourists go to and it was allocated to the jewelry owned by the family of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Then the jewelry moved to the Jewelry Palace in Alexandria and the Ministry of Culture made this palace an arts complex.

 

The story of Aisha Fahmy

After the death of Kamal Bey Fahmy Aisha Fahmy’s brother after his wife shot him in London, the palace was owned by Aisha Fahmy and her sisters. Then Aisha Hanem bought the palace from her sisters Fatima Hanem Fahmy, Aziza Hanem Fahmy, and Zeinab Hanem Fahmy so it became Aisha Fahmy’s palace.

After that Aisha Fahmy married three times and did not give birth in any of these times. She married for the first time to the Egyptian doctor Ahmed Saeed who specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. Then she married the artist Youssef Bey Wahbi after him. This marriage lasted for about six years. This marriage inspired the story of his film “Awlad Al-Zawaj” which was inspired by the story of her brother’s death. This film achieved tremendous success at the time. 

Then she married Ahmed Fathy who was a member of the People’s Assembly for the Fayoum district at that time. He had a wide impact on social work and was a member of the Red Crescent Society.

Death of Aisha Fahmy

Aisha Fahmy died in 1962 and the ownership of her palace was transferred to her sister Fatima Fahmy and the other Aziza Fahmy. Then a crisis began between them and the Egyptian government regarding the expropriation of the palace and its conversion into one of the hotels affiliated with the Egyptian General Authority for Hotels. 

Then all the contents of the palace were emptied and given to her sister Aziza Hanem Fahmy and converted into a museum displaying the jewelry of the Muhammad Ali family, as this family owned many precious gills and jewelry and some medals. The heirs were compensated with a sum of money by the Egyptian government.

FAQS

Is Aisha Fahmy Palace open?

Yes, Aisha Fahmy Palace is now considered one of the most important tourist places that many visitors from all over the world visit, but it is permissible to visit this palace throughout the week from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm except Friday. It is visited to enjoy the amazing paintings in it and enjoy the natural scenery in its picturesque garden.

Who is Princess Aisha Fahmy?

She is the daughter of Ali Pasha Fahmy who was the chief aide-de-camp to King Fouad I. This lady was famous for her wealth and bought the palace from her sisters to become hers alone.

Then she got married in it and lived in it for a long time with her husband The three until she passed away in 1962 and then this palace was transformed into one of the historical palaces after the Egyptian government took it due to its historical importance.

What is the history of the construction of Aisha Fahmy Palace?

The history of the construction of Aisha Fahmy Palace dates back to 1907, where it was home to Kamal Bey Fahmy Aisha Fahmy’s brother, and it was built by an Italian engineer so it combined European and Arab heritage.

After his death at the hands of his wife in Europe its ownership was transferred to his sisters, and Aisha bought this palace from the rest of the heirs to become her property to live in.

At the end of this article, we have learned about Aisha Fahmy Palace one of the most important palaces that are considered one of the most important tourist and archaeological landmarks in Egypt where you can enjoy the attractive appearance in the palace garden, and you can also enjoy the amazing artistic paintings, We hope that you like this article.