The Montazah Gardens, with its famous palace and its rare trees and plants, represents a special place for tourism and hiking in Egypt in general and p in particular. Its historical and distinctive features attract millions to visit it annually, whether from inside or outside Egypt.
Despite the passage of more than a hundred years since Khedive Abbas Helmy II established it and his famous palace, Ahmed Shafiq Pasha, head of the Khedive’s Court at that time, tells us the story of the reconstruction of that area through his memoirs in which he chronicled Egypt’s time. Khedive Abbas Helmy.” We find him mentioning it in detail when he chronicled the events of the year 1892 AD. He mentions how the Khedive, while he was in Alexandria, used to go out to the picnic on many days with some courtiers, where he was always accompanied by “Ahmed Shafiq Pasha,” and he often meant “Saray.” Raml” at the end of the railway line in the sand (in the area of ​​​​Sidi Bishr and the Saraya tram station, and its location is now the Mahrousa Hotel for Navy officers)
And from it, he rides and accompanied the animals to different destinations for hiking on the outskirts of Al-Thaghr, especially the “Sidi Bishr” road to the seashore, where Ahmed Shafiq Pasha details the discovery of that area by the Khedive and his companionship in thought. He mentions that “on one of the moonlit nights, that is, the Khedive prepared Eighty donkeys of the Makariah donkeys that we would ride at night in the desert on the shore of the sea, and he commanded that the Khedive’s music accompany us and the number of its men was forty-five, so we rode and rode while they played their music until we reached Sidi Bishr and we were a little further away from it. Men, women and children came to us to inquire about that event. When they learned of the presence of their emir (the Khedive), they shouted in praise of the custom of the Arabs and accompanied us on our return to a long-distance; then we came back when most of the night had passed. Its rocky folds are in a charming purr, so he resolves to penetrate it to watch it closely.”
– Ahmed Shafiq Pasha continues, as he continues his account of what happened the next day when the Khedive went to the same area with some of his men, and he remembered, “The next day, we passed Sidi Bishr by a large distance in our wanderings. We were three with Khedive Roller Bey, the special secretary, and Ali Bey Shaheen, the assistant of ceremonies. The writer of these lines (i.e. Ahmed Shafiq Pasha) walked until we reached a place where the Khedive admired its view, surrounded by two high rabbis, between them a small rib and at its northern end a small island. On the shore, let us go to this island and its surroundings and learn what is in it and what surrounds it.” Thus, the men carried out what was required until the Khedive indicated to them to return. From that day, it was decided in the Khedive’s mind that the point he had discovered and admired would be a summer residence for him and to build an elegant palace there. On one of the two high rabbits, there were old cannons from the era of the governor of Egypt, “Mohammed Ali Pasha”, which were used to protect the beaches in that area (and they are still standing until now, as the Salamlek Palace building was erected in front of them). A sundial (Ram Hour) was erected in front of it. Layyah) was engraved with two verses from the poetry of Sheikh “Ali Al-Leithi.” As for the other hillock, it had a coast guard station, which was bought by the Khedive from the government and built in its place the “Al-Haramlek” palace (the main building in the area) to become one of the rare architectural masterpieces, where he mixed the palace in One building is between “classical architecture” and “gothic architecture” in its various stages, as well as the “Italian Renaissance” and “Islamic style”.
Behind the rabitin, a small isolated house was owned by a wealthy Alexandrian of Greek origin called (Sinadino), where he used to invite his friends to him on moonlit summer nights (similar to the recreation chalets in our present time). He spent times of rest in the shadow of that charming nature. Hence, the Khedive bought from her This house, as he bought large land from the government and from the people to be extensions of the new palace, with  ​​about 370 acres, planted as gardens and parks. The Gulf was taken as a port for the Saray, the port in front of which the famous yacht “Al Mahrousa” was anchored, and linked the island to the beach with an “Italian” bridge. In the “Gothic” style, a classic tea kiosk was built on the island.
The “Khedive” himself supervised the organization of the garden for singing, where he selected the trees that were planted in it, as well as he supervised the planning of the roads and corridors therein. A mosque and hospice for the elderly and others.
Thus, the area was built and decorated with lush gardens, and he called it and the palace together one name, which is “Al-Montazah Palace.” And in the reason for choosing that famous name, “Ahmed Shafiq Pasha” also mentions the reason for the name, Fayroy, “I am the reason for calling it by this name. We were once in the presence of the Khedive, and he was Among us, Mahmoud Shukri Pasha, the head of the Turkish Court, His Highness asked us to elect a name for the new palace, so each of us suggested a name. Mahmoud Shukri Pasha suggested that the palace be called the Montazah Palace, so His Highness was satisfied with this name and gave it to him from then on.
– The Alawite family continued during the period after Khedive “Abbas Helmy II” to take care of these gardens and consider them a major summer resort for the royal family, until Farouk’s residence there and until the July Revolution of 1952 where he was residing, and he was informed of the outbreak of the revolution to develop events quickly so that Farouk abdicated