After a disappointing dive, I wanted my Alexandria trip to bounce back. I had researched some options before I arrived and when I saw a jewelry museum, I made it a priority stop.
Visiting
Two hours is plenty of time to explore the museum. It is open 0900-1600, with shorter hours during Ramadan. Like many museums in Egypt there are different prices for locals vs foreigners. But at 220EGP (~$4.32) it’s well worth your time and money. Even better if you have a student ID at 110EGP (~$2.16).
Day Plan TIP: No guide or formal excursion necessary, taxis are cheap and plentiful. After breakfast or coffee at your hotel, start your day at the Library, have a leisurely lunch, then taxi to the Jewelry Museum.
The Palace
In 1919 Zainab Fahmi began construction of the building as a palace for her daughter, Princess Fatima al-Zahra. It’s definitely a European influenced design with Baroque and Roccoco elements of stained glass, inlaid wooden floors, and beautiful painted tiles.
The Collonaded Stained Glass Corridor
Princess Fatima added an East Wing and connecting corridor to the palace. The stained glass windows exist throughout the palace but the corridor connecting the West and East wings is definitely the most intricate.
Small Bathroom
Small is a relative term. Access is restricted so my video is just from the doorway and doesn’t capture the whole room.
The Main Bathroom
If you hired an Italian artist to design a bathroom for you, you might get this too!
From the description from Jet Set Times Article. Emphasis mine.
The Italian artist decorated the ceiling with charming paintings which relocated us to the world of roman legends. He painted Venus goddess of beauty in roman legends sits on a cloud prettify as usual, in front of her sitting a woman, Around Venus there are five Cupid gods of love. a dove and two peacocks (the favorite birds of Venus). The walls relocated us to the world of forest nymphs followers of Venus. We see 22 nymphs playing and swimming. We see also don temple for Venus worship in Italy. All paintings are handmade imported for the palace from Italy. The artist didn’t forget the passion of the royal family for European civilization so that he painted scene of European beach. The floor decorated with roman mosaic. It’s decorated with frame of flowers inside it gold plated of lotus motives, each corners decorated with initials of Fatima Heider (F.H) crowned by the Egyptian royal crown. The bathroom consists of : small bath tub for baby, bath tub for noble Fatima like sauna in our days, main bath tub, toilet and bidet, tub a sink for pedicure and manicure: one for legs and the other for hands. The glass bridge is modern it was added in order to protect the gold plating on the floor.
The Collection
This is what I came for! The palace is great but the collection is so sparkly.
Coming soon Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
