A tiny home that previously belonged to Abidin Bey, a commander and politician in Egypt during the time of Muhammad Ali, was demolished to make way for Abdeen Palace. It is located near the Qasr el-Nil Street on the eastern side.

Later in history, a decision was made to replace the Cairo Citadel, which had functioned as the government seat since the Middle Ages, with a vast palace, which would stand where Abidin Bey’s home once stood. Khedive Ismail gave the construction of the palace the go-ahead. Before that, he travelled to Paris, where the surrounding beauty prompted him to design a stylish palace that would rival many European ones and adorn the heart of Cairo. Today, the palace serves as a museum that effectively consists of several museums, such as the Silver Museum, the Arms Museum, the Royal Family Museum, the Presidential Gifts Museum, and a recent addition, the Historical Documents Museum. In addition to serving as a museum, Abdeen Palace serves as the president of Egypt’s official house and workplace. The building’s upper floor has also been set aside for VIP visitors and foreign dignitaries. The enormous collection of clocks, many of which are embellished with pure gold, and the sheer amount of paintings that cover the walls of nearly every room in the palace are two things that particularly jump out when you visit.

A museum is housed in various halls on the lower floors of Abdeen Palace. There, you may view exhibits of weapons, presidential presents, silver, historical papers, artefacts belonging to the royal family, and more. In other halls, you can also witness ancient pharaohs’ crowns, priceless jewellery, and upscale cutlery. Additionally, there is a sizable collection of daggers from nations including Indonesia, China, Italy, Yemen, India, and France, as well as a collection of brilliant samurai swords that were imported from Japan. Visitors to the museum leave the strongest impression of the things used for the executions. For instance, you may see the Russian Tsar’s sword displayed here, protected by a gilded sheath with a priceless stone-encrusted grip.