Bassem Magdy-Cairo

A big controversy sparked by the recognition of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to build many new presidential palaces, stressing that it is building for the benefit of the new Egyptian state, does Egypt - old or new - need more presidential palaces?

Surprisingly, none of Egypt's former presidents was fond of constructing presidential palaces.Mohammed Naguib and Sadat merely took Abdin's palace as official, while Gamal Abdel Nasser ruled from the dome's palace.Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi were taken from the federation or al-Orouba palace.

Sisi receives senior guests at the Federal Palace, and considered it a seat of government and official receptions, also turned the dome palace to the headquarters of the hosting of senior guests and their residences, while the official concerts are held in Abdin Palace.

Dozens of palaces

The Egyptian government has about thirty palaces and restrooms belonging to the presidency, the most famous of which are Abdeen, El Orouba, the Dome and Tahira Gardens in Cairo alone, Ras El Tin and El Montazah in Alexandria, in addition to three palaces and rest houses in Ismailia, and other restrooms in Al Qanater Al Khayreyah and Aswan.

According to press reports after the January 25, 2011 revolution, the vast number of priceless palaces "is a blatant waste of public money," noting that Mubarak lived in one palace, the Orouba Palace, leaving the rest "inhabited by bats and mice."

Local media estimated Abdeen Palace in the 1980s at LE 120 million, worth more than billions, and politicians and rights advocates demanded that the presidential palaces be held accountable, as they are not subject to oversight by parliament or the CAA.

According to SIS website, Egypt has eight presidential palaces, most of which were built during the reign of Khedive Ismail bin Muhammad Ali Pasha.

The most famous of these palaces is the Dome Palace, built by Khedive Ismail, covering an area of ​​about 80 acres, surrounded by a garden of about 125 acres, and turned into one of the presidential palaces after the revolution of July 1952.

The Federal Palace (Orouba) was the official palace of President Mubarak, and later Morsi and Sisi, and was established by a French company as a hotel under the name Grand Hotel in 1910.The rooms of the building were furnished with luxurious furniture, similar to the furniture of the French royal Louis 14 and Louis 15.

The grand central hall of the palace has huge crystal chandeliers. The dome is 55 meters high, while the main hall is about 590 meters high.

Abdeen Palace

Abdeen Palace, located in the center of Cairo, is one of the smallest and most important presidential palaces in history.

Abdeen Palace was established by Khedive Ismail, where he bought the house of the Turkish officer Abdeen Bey, and included hundreds of acres to be the seat of the rule of the family of Muhammad Ali Pasha, and the cost then more than 565 thousand pounds, while furniture cost two million pounds, the palace includes five hundred rooms, the most important room King Farouk, Throne Hall and Billiard Room.

The museum also houses three museums, namely the Abdin Palace War Museum, the Museum of Presidents Hosni Mubarak's Gifts Museum, and the Silver Museum, and the gifts of the family of Muhammad Ali Pasha.

Immaculate Palace

The palace of Tahira, near the Federal Palace, includes most of the departments of the Presidential Foundation, and was bought by King Farouk in the name of Queen Farida in 1941, for a sum of forty thousand pounds, and annexed the villa and neighboring land, and was taken by President Sadat headquarters of the October 1973 war.

Farouk's daughters filed a lawsuit in 1996 to recover the palace, claiming it was the property of their mother, Queen Farida, but the court ruled against them.

Ras Al Teen and Park

The oldest of these palaces is the Palace of Ras al-Teen in Alexandria, which overlooks the Mediterranean coast, and was built by Mohamed Ali Pasha, and remained the summer residence of his royal family, until he saw the removal of King Farouk, and left him aboard his royal yacht Mahrousa after the events of July 23, 1952.

The Montazah Palace was built by Khedive Abbas Helmi II in Alexandria in 1892, and is surrounded by the famous Montazah Gardens. It consists of two buildings: the first is the Haramlek, and the second is the salamlik dedicated to receive guests and meetings.

The actor and contractor Mohamed Ali accused Sisi of corruption and of wasting public money on building new palaces.He revealed that his wife, Intisar, had wasted millions of pounds on amendments she had asked for in person, which angered the Egyptians and prompted Sisi to respond that he was building those palaces for the new state he is building.