Gezirah Palace Hotel

A PALACE FOR AN EMPRESS

Gezirah Palace Hotel was one of the finest hotels in Cairo. It was built for Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. She was the cousin of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man behind the Suez Canal. When the canal was inaugurated in November 1869, Eugénie was invited as guest of honour. The ruling Khedive at the time, Ismail, thought that she should be accommodated in accordance with her station during her visit and had the palace built, despite the fact that there were already around 30 royal palaces, six of which were in Cairo. After the Empress' four day long stay, the palace became a summer residence for the Khedive's court.

When Ismail was forced to abdicate in 1879, the palace fell into the hands of the government and for a short time it was open to the public, but it was returned to him after a few years. At this time, he resided in Istanbul and could not get much use out of his splendid palace. In 1890 the palace was purchased by an entrepreneur and in 1894 the Gezirah Palace Hotel (the spelling varies) was opened.

The hotel had 250 rooms, electric lights, a ballroom, a theatre and large gardens, and catered to the most affluent customers. As early as 1896 the hotel was upgraded yet again, with lifts, a couple of telephones, hair salons, a pharmacy and tennis courts, as well as horses and bicycles for rent. By opening up the old harem, the hotel now had between 350 and 400 rooms.

The Gezirah Palace blossomed over the next 15 years. Parts of it remain to this day, as the Cairo Marriott.

Judging by Ida Uhse's travel diary, the von Hallwyls stayed here for a few nights while in Cairo, but it is hard to determine exactly when. They mostly stayed at the Savoy, but they were invited to dinners and parties at the Gezirah Palace several times.