WATANI International
26 July 2009
On the Nile bank to the south of Cairo the last king of Egypt, Farouq, built himself a rest-house so he could hold private parties. The land on which it was built was acquired by the royal endowment for EGP2,000 in 1939, the year World War II broke out. The building was completed two years later and became known as Rukn Farouq or Farouq’s Corner.
Eleven years later came the 1952 Revolution, and a decree was issued to sequestrate the properties of the royal family, and the rest-house was handed to the Cairo governorate which has owned it ever since.
Rest-house to museum
The decision to turn the rest-house into a museum came after decades of indecision. Development started after Zahi Hawwas, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), issued a statement in June last year to the effect that he would open a museum there even if he had to do it himself. Dr Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, head of the museums sector at the SCA, said the museum was important in that it represented a remarkable period of history, and that items belonging to the former royal family should be on display for the nation.
Various project sectors combined to redecorate the main building, erect greenhouses and pave the stone pathways overlooking the Nile.
The museum has closed circuit TV, an up-to-date lighting system both inside and in the garden, and improved and external fencing.
Boat-shaped
The rest house, six kilometres north of the once fashionable resort of Helwan, comprises three floors. The first was intended for the staff of servants, the second included the royal and reception rooms, while the third was the roof terrace overlooking the river. The rest-house is boat-shaped and looks on to a large garden enriched with a number of trees that the king imported.
Dr Abdel-Fattah told Watani that the contents of the rest-house had been augmented by acquisitions from King Farouq’s rest-house at the Pyramids, which were restored before being transferred for display in Helwan. These items are mostly in pharaonic style. Altogether 429 items were chosen for display from the Pyramids rest-house, while 208 come from the original Helwan rest-house.
Gifts to the king
On the main floor is a bronze statue of a girl with a harp sculpted by Charles Henri Joseph Cordier (1827 – 1905) who also created the equestrian statue of Viceroy Ibrahim Pasha which now stands in the Opera Square in Cairo. On each side of the entrance is a console, as well as showcases, antiques, and gifts presented to King Farouq, and other gifts he made to the royal family. Among these gifts is a gold watch inlaid with 12 emeralds given to the King Farouq to celebrate the anniversary of his coronation. A dedication in French is written on the watch.
There is also a collection of rare French Gallé vases, which were among 500 pieces in Abdin Palace.
The museum contains some interesting artwork, including a Christmas scene in bronze relief, a portrait of Queen Nariman in peasant costume, a genealogical chart given to Khedive Ismail, and a painting depicting a pharaonic wedding.
Some eight months since the EGP600 million renovation began, the Culture Ministry opened the museum to the public two weeks ago.