Setting the Table for an Egyptian Princess
A tour of the former palace of Princess Nimetallah Kamal al-Din
Palace of Princess Nimetallah Kemal al- Din, Currently part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of EgyptRAWI Publishing
The palace of Princess Nimetallah Kamal al-Din is a sumptuous 52-room building located at the very heart of Cairo’s city centre just off the iconic Tahrir Square.
Designed by the Italian-Slovenian court architect Antonio Lasciac, it was completed ca. 1900 for Princess Nimetallah, youngest daughter of Khedive Tewfik (r. 1879–1892), and her first husband, Prince Gamil Toussoun.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din PortraitRAWI Publishing
The marriage of Princess Nimetallah (1881-1966) to Toussoun did not last but ended amicably. The princess kept the palace and eventually remarried. Her second husband, Prince Kamal al-Din Hussein (1874–1932), was the son of Egypt’s first modern-day sultan, Hussein Kamel (r. 1914–1917).
The sultan’s 1914 inaugural procession started at the palace and should have been a joyous event had it not been for the tense political climate brought on by the machinations of the British occupation. Prince Kamal al-Din Hussein had no interest in succeeding his father and soon chose to renounce his rights to the throne and devote his life to his twin passions of desert exploration and Sufism.
The couple eventually decided they no longer needed such a large residence, and as early as 1927, the princess began negotiations to sell it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs bought the building from her just a few years later and soon moved its headquarters there from the much smaller Bustan Palace.
By John PhillipsLIFE Photo Collection
Since the acquisition by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the palace walls have borne witness to major international events and political summits for the better part of the 20th c.
This is an image of a formal luncheon held in 1948 for members of the Arab League. In this picture we see (in the foreground) Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Palestinian Mufti, Lebanon’s Riad Bey Solh, Egypt’s Mahmoud Fahmy al-Nokrashi, and Syria’s Jamil Mardam Bey.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din Palace StaircaseRAWI Publishing
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ main headquarters moved to a much larger modern building in the 1990s, but the ground floor of the palace is still used for special events, meetings, and press conferences.
The top floor houses the small Museum of Egyptian Diplomacy, which along with many interesting objects, features collections of luxury tableware used over the past century at Egyptian embassies and consulates worldwide.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din Palace Grand Dining RoomRAWI Publishing
This ground floor room with its ornately decorated ceiling would likely have been the original formal dining room for Princess Nimetallah and her family.
Today, with the unobtrusively designed modern translation booths in the corner, it functions as a meeting room.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din Palace Sitting RoomRAWI Publishing
Formal entertaining as an important element of diplomacy is celebrated throughout the upper floor.
On display is the palace’s own collection along with formal tableware from various former royal residences and Egyptian embassies around the world.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din Palace Family Dining RoomRAWI Publishing
One of the smaller upper floor dining rooms featuring its original crystal chandelier. Facing north, this room would have been used for more intimate family meals.
Bohemian Cut Crystal Goblets from the Palace of Princess Nimetallah Kemal al-Din, MoFARAWI Publishing
The formal tableware collection includes exquisitely made glass and crystal stemware. These Bohemian cut crystal goblets are adorned with the emblem of the Egyptian royal family and were most likely commissioned for official use in embassies around the world.
Gilded Crystal Stemware, from the Palace of Princess Nimetallah Kemal al-Din, MoFARAWI Publishing
A set of gilded crystal stemware decorated with the emblem of the Egyptian royal family.
Bohemian Cut Crystal Decanters, Tumblers, and StemwareRAWI Publishing
A set of Bohemian cut-crystal decanters, tumblers, and stemware decorated with the royal emblem. These sets would have been found in most royal family residences such as Abdin Palace.
Satsuma Ware Tea SetRAWI Publishing
This set of Japanes Satsuma ware would have been a special commission for the Egyptian diplomatic service and bears the royal emblem.
Made of local clay in the Kyushu region of southern Japan, Satsuma ware has a distinctive yellowish colour with a fine crackle finish. The pieces were usually decorated with Japanese figures or detailed oriental landscapes created using the Moriage technique of raised enamel finishing.
Bohemia Ceramics Works - Green and Gilded Plate from the Palace of Princess Nimetallah Kemal al-Din, MoFARAWI Publishing
From the Bohemia Ceramic Works in Neurohlau, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, this green and gilded plate with the royal crown emblem was made for the Egyptian court.
The green stamp on the underside indicates that it would have been made between the years of 1922 and 1945 during the reign of Farouk, Egypt’s last ruling monarch.
Gilded perforated plate from the Collection of the Palace of Princess Nimetallah Kemal al-Din, MoFARAWI Publishing
Made of hard-paste porcelain, this perforated plate is gilded with Egyptianized lotus flowers and the Egyptian royal emblem. It was produced by the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM) (Pr.797 106).
The red imperial orb stamp indicates that this plate is decorated with floral painting as well as figurative scenes and landscapes.
On the underside of the plate are the two KPM stamps, a series number, and a gilded stamp in French stating that the piece was made for the legation of His Majesty the King of Egypt.
Nimetallah Kemal al-Din Palace GroundsRAWI Publishing
As we leave Princess Nimetallah’s stately palace, we can reflect on the wealth of what remains of Egypt’s culinary history both ancient and modern. Glimpses of the grounds can be seen by those passing in the street leading up to Kasr al-Nil Bridge, the Belle Époque façade a promise of the beauty within.
For more on Egypt's culinary history, check out these stories on what's on the menu for breakfast and lunch in Egypt.
Images:
Photography of palace exterior and interior by Yehia El Alaily
Portrait of Princess Nimetallah Kamal al-Din by Yasmine El Dorghamy
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.