Two permanent exhibition halls open in Royal Chariots Museum

CAIRO – 1 November 2022: To celebrate the second anniversary of the Royal Chariots Museum's opening, which falls annually on October 31, Head of the Museums Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities Moamen Othman opened two permanent exhibition halls that house many distinguished artifacts.

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Othman said that the first hall exhibits a group of antiquities and jewelry belonging to the Alawite family, some of which are displayed for the first time. He noted that the collection includes the wedding chair of King Farouk which was kept in Al-Gawhara Palace, Queen Farida's jewelry, a diamond-set gold tray of Empress Eugenie, and oil paintings.

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

For his part, Director General of the Royal Chariots Museum Ahmed el-Sabbagh said that the second hall houses a group of distinguished pieces, including a salon dating back to the era of Louis XV; a group of oil portraits of Mohammad Ali Pasha, Ibrahim Pasha, and Khedive Ismail; a bust of Khedive Ismail; and another of the King Fouad, among others.

During the event, an art exhibition that display a collection of Queen Farida's oil paintings will be inaugurated, a documentary film about the museum and its holdings will be screened, and a series of educational and artistic workshops, as well as a concert will be organized.

It is worth noting that the Royal Chariots Museum is one of the rarest qualitative museums, ranking fifth in the world after the museums of Russia, England, France and Austria. It was built during the reign of Khedive Ismail in 1863 AD as a stable for horses and for keeping royal chariots.

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the newly displayed items - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

The museum includes about 470 artifacts of great beauty, the most prominent of which are 40 royal chariots of different sizes and types, and a group of horse sets and their supplies.

That is in addition to the clothes of the workers in the passenger service, whose jobs were linked to the carts. Employees used to wear special uniforms characterized by their bright and colorful decorations.