Ras El Tin Palace

Muhammad Ali ordered Ras El Tin Palace to be built in the form of a fortress, to serve as the main seat of his rule alongside the Citadel of Salah al-Din in Cairo. The design was prepared by the French engineer Sir Yezy Beck between 1834 and 1847 — thirteen years of construction — and only the gate remains of the old Muhammad Ali palace, carrying his name, together with some granite columns.

During the reign of Khedive Ismail, Ras El Tin became the summer residence of the rulers of the Muhammad Ali family. King Fouad later reconstructed it as three floors, with more modern construction and furniture, and a mosque of distinct architectural character was built on part of the palace grounds.

The princesses' building was added by King Farouk, and in summer the queen and princesses joined the king at Ras El Tin. Khedive Ismail established a railway station inside the palace to move his family from Alexandria to Cairo, renovated by King Fouad in 1920.