Palace sights in Africa
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Royal Enclosure
It's hard not to notice Gonder's impressive Royal Enclosure, with its castles and high stone walls sitting streetside. The entire 70,000-sq-metre site (also known as Fasil Ghebbi) was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1979.
Free 90-minute guided tours (a tip will be expected) are worthwhile and available weekdays. On weekends, you can hire a local licensed guide near the gate.
Almost completely restored with the help of Unesco, Fasiladas' Palace (in the compound's south) is the oldest and most impressive castle. It stands 32m tall and has a crenulated parapet and four domed towers. Made of roughly hewn stones, it's reputedly the work of an Indian architect, and…
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Moro-Naba Palace Ceremony
Such is the influence of the Moro-Naba of Ouagadougou, the emperor of the Mossi and the most powerful traditional chief in Burkina Faso, that the government will still make a show of consulting him before making any major decision. The portly present Moro-Naba (the 37th) is, typically for his dynasty, an imposing figure.
The Moro-Naba ceremony (la cérémonie du Nabayius Gou), takes place every Friday at the Moro-Naba Palace. It's a very formal ritual that lasts only about 15 minutes. Prominent Mossis arrive by taxi, car and moped (also known as mobylettes), greet each other and sit on the ground according to rank: in the first row sit the Moro-Naba's spokesman and his…
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Medina
Once the medina was Tunis, founded by the Arabs in the 7th century. Nowadays, to go from the new town into its closely knit streets, packed with generations of palaces and monuments, is to enter a different world. It's a Unesco World Heritage site.
A maze of tunnels and alleys dotted with hidden mansions, the medina's architecture is ideal for the climate, as the narrow streets are cool in summer and warm in winter. As space ran out, residents built upwards, constructing vaults and rooms above the streets. This gives the central lanes a subterranean feel, with watery shafts of sunlight filtering through. Apparently the vaults had to be built high enough to accommodate a…
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Bey’s Palace
Much of the area around the headland overlooking the port is a military zone, but don’t let that stop you visiting the misnamed Chateau Neuf (New Castle), which is in fact the old, 14th-century fort of Merinid Sultan Abou Hassan. While some of the complex is closed, the Bey’s Palace is open, in spite of closed gates (you may have to shout for the guard). The massive walls were first built in the 1340s by Merinid Sultan Abou Hassan and reinforced by the Spaniards in 1509, by the Ottomans in the 1700s and the French in the 19th century. The location is perfect, above the town, port and sea, and the gateway is impressive, but there is little majesty left in the building,…
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House of Amasyali
One of the most impressive of all Rosetta's fine buildings is the House of Amasyali, one of two restored houses on al-Anira Feriel. The façade here is one of the most impressive in Rosetta, with beautiful small lantern lights and vast expanses of mashrabiyya screens, which circulate cool breezes around the house. Although inside it's devoid of furniture - as are all the buildings - it's still possible to get a clear idea of how the house worked.
A series of rough stone chambers, which would have been used for storage, make up the ground floor. The 1st floor is for the men. One of the rooms here is a reception room, where guests would have been entertained by groups of…
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Palace of Fasiladas
Almost completely restored with the help of Unesco, the Palace of Fasiladas is the Royal Enclosure's oldest and most impressive castle. It stands 32m tall and has a crenulated parapet and four domed towers. Made of roughly hewn stones, it's reputedly the work of an Indian architect, and shows an unusual synthesis of Indian, Portuguese, Moorish and Aksumite influences.
The main floor was used as a dining hall and formal reception area; note the recessed Star of David above several doorways, which trumpet Fasiladas' link to the Solomonic dynasty. The small room in the northern corner boasts its original beam ceiling and some faint frescoes.
On the 1st floor, Fasiladas'…
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Palace of Ahmed Bey
Hajj Ahmed became bey or ruler of Constantine in 1826, and started building his new palace two years later. Progress was slow, partly due to objections of the more powerful dey of Algiers, but Ahmed finally occupied his new home in 1835. Beyond the high white walls lies one of the finest Ottoman-era buildings in the country. With a series of courtyards surrounded by tiled arcades, it is filled with gardens of olive and orange trees, and decorated with Tunisian and French tiles. Ahmed’s enjoyment of this wonderful place was short-lived because two years after he moved in, the French chased him out and turned the palace into their headquarters. After independence the…
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Montazah Palace Gardens
Khedive Abbas Hilmy (1892-1914) built Montazah as his summer palace, a refuge when Cairo became too hot. Sited on a rocky bluff overlooking the sea, it's designed in a pseudo-Moorish style, which has been given a Florentine twist with the addition of a tower modelled on one at the Palazzo Vecchio. Now used by Egypt's president, the palace is off limits to the public but the surrounding lush groves and Montazah Palace Gardens, planted with pine and palms, are accessible.
They're popular with courting couples and picnicking locals.There's also an attractive sandy cove here with a semiprivate beach (around £E10 to use it, although it's not particularly clean), and an…
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Abdeen Palace
Begun in 1863 and employing Europe’s most lavish architects and designers, Abdeen Palace was a centrepiece of Khedive Ismail’s plan for a modern Cairo, inspired by Paris’ recent makeover; the khedive even called in mastermind French planner Baron Haussmann as a consultant. He wanted the palace finished for the 1869 opening of the Suez Canal, to impress visiting dignitaries, but its 500 rooms weren’t completed until 1874. It was the royal residence until the monarchy was abolished in 1952, then became the presidential palace. President Mubarak prefers his digs in Heliopolis, but uses Abdeen for official occasions. One section, though not the ritzy royal chambers, is open…
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Raissouli's Palace
This building in Asilah still stands as a testament to the sumptuous life that scoundrel Moulay Ahmed ben Mohammed er-Raissouli (or Raisuni) led at the height of his power. He was a feared bandit, kidnapper and general troublemaker who went from petty crime to murder. The Spaniards eventually forced Er-Raissouli to flee Asilah after WWI, but he continued to wreak havoc in the Rif hinterland until 1925, when the Rif rebel Abd al-Krim arrested him and accused him of being too closely linked with the Spanish.
The building includes a main reception room with a glass-fronted terrace overlooking the sea, from where Er-Raissouli forced convicted murderers to jump to their deaths…
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Mtoni Palace Ruins
The ruins of Mtoni Palace, built by Sultan Seyyid Said as his residence in the early 19th century, are located just northeast of Maruhubi Palace. In its heyday, the palace was a beautiful building with a balconied exterior, a large garden courtyard complete with peacocks and gazelles, an observation turret and a mosque. By the mid-1880s the palace had been abandoned, and during WWI parts of the compound were used as a supplies storehouse.
Today nothing remains of Mtoni's grandeur other than a few walls, although you can get an idea of how it must have looked once by reading Emily Said-Reute's Memoirs of an Arabian Princess. To get here, continue north on the main road…
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Dungur
The structure at Dungur, is similar to Ta'akha Maryam, but much better preserved (though smaller), and fully excavated in places rather clumsily restored. The architectural style with small undressed stones set in a timber framework and walls recessed at intervals and tapering with height are typically Aksumite. The stairwells suggest the existence of at least one upper storey. The well-preserved flagstone floor is thought to have belonged to a throne room.
The palace also contains a private bathing area and a kitchen, where two large brick ovens can still be seen.
Much like Queen of Sheba's Bath, archaeologists date the palace to around the 6th or 7th century AD, some…
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Imperial Palace
Just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, overlooking the harbour. The palace was badly damaged during the Struggle for Independence. In its present state, it gives a very vivid idea of how all Massawa looked shortly after the war. The original palace was built by the Turkish Osdemir Pasha in the 16th century.
The present building dates from 1872, when it was built for the Swiss adventurer Werner Munzinger. During the federation with Ethiopia, it was used as a winter palace by Emperor Haile Selassie, whose heraldic lions still decorate the gates. It's usually possible to wander around the grounds.
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Palace Of Iyasu I
To the northeast of Fasiladas' Palace is the saddle-shaped Palace Of Iyasu I. The son of Yohannes I, Iyasu I (r 1682-1706) is considered the greatest ruler of the Gonderine period. Iyasu's Palace was unusual for its vaulted ceiling. The palace used to be sumptuously decorated with gilded Venetian mirrors and chairs, and gold leaf, ivory and beautiful paintings adorning the walls. Visiting travellers described the palace as 'more beautiful than Solomon's house'.
Although a 1704 earthquake and British bombing in the 1940s have done away with the interior and roof, its skeletal shell reeks of history.
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Dar Othman
Dar Othman was built by Othman Dey in the early 17th century. His business - piracy - was obviously lucrative, and he also happened to be Governor of Tunis. The palace is a wonderful example of period architecture, distinguished by its exuberantly busy façade. Some rooms are now offices (some to the Conservation de la Medina organisation), but you are welcome to visit the courtyards. The unusual interior garden was planted in 1936.
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Qasr al-Baron
You can't miss the extraordinary Baron's Palace, a Hindu-style temple modelled on the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, with Buddhas, geishas, elephants and serpents adorning the exterior. The fantastical look of the place contributed to a citywide panic in 1997 about 'Satanists' allegedly holding rituals here - turned out they were a bunch of upper-class teenage heavy-metal fans. A decade later, the ruin is still very much off-limits.
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Palais des Nations
Intended to be the venue for the Organisation of African Unity conference in 1984, which was cancelled when Sekou Touré died, the grand Palais des Nations served as the president's office until being destroyed in the February 1996 army rebellion. It is still in ruins. Near the palace are 50 Moorish-style villas, built to house African presidents during the conference meeting and now used as residences and offices.
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Maruhubi Palace Ruins
The once-imposing Maruhubi Palace Ruins was built by Sultan Barghash in 1882 to house his large harem. In 1899 it was almost totally destroyed by fire, although the remaining ruins - primarily columns that once supported an upper terrace, an overhead aqueduct and small reservoirs covered with water lilies - hint at its previous scale. The ruins are just west of the Bububu road and signposted.
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Palacio Spínola
Sprawling Palacio Spínola was built between 1730 and 1780 and passed to the Spínolas, a prominent Lanzarote family, in 1895. Nowadays it serves as both museum (of sorts) and the official residence of the Canary Islands government. It deserves a leisurely perusal, although many of the furnishings are clearly a few decades more modern than their surrounds.
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Palacio de la Asamblea
Construction of the new part of town, west of the fortress, began at the end of the 19th century. Laid out by Gaudí-disciple Don Enrique Nieto, Melilla is considered by some to be Spain's 'second modernist city', after Barcelona. The highlight is Plaza de España, with the lovely facade of the Palacio de la Asamblea facing Parque Hernández.
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Liceo de Taoro
The palatial 1928 Liceo de Taoro building is a private cultural society, but open to the public. An attractive terraced garden separates the mansion from the street and, although the building looks a tad foreboding, you can enter and have a drink at the café, a meal at the restaurant or check out any exhibitions that may be taking place.
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Dar Lasram
Dar Lasram is a magnificent mansion. From the 18th century, the Lasram family provided the beys (provincial governors) with scribes. Today it's home to the Association de Sauvegarde de la Medina, who oversee medina conservation. The interior has magnificent intensely tiled rooms and courtyards, and medina maps, plans and photographs.
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Former Governor's Palace
The best place to start exploring is the Former Governor's Palace, which stands majestically at the western end of Harnet Ave. Built in 1897 by the first Italian governor, it was used by Haile Selassie during the Ethiopian occupation. Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to visit it because it's an official building.
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Kabaka's Palace
Kampala has always been the heartland of the Buganda kingdom, and within the capital are a number of its impressive administrative centres and royal buildings. Most of these are located in and around Mengo and include the Kabaka's Palace, inside a vast walled enclosure. It is not open to the public.
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Ras at-Tin Palace
Just beyond the Necropolis of Anfushi is the Ras at-Tin Palace, a centre of power during the first half of the 19th century when Mohammed Ali summered here. It's from here that King Farouk boarded his yacht and departed from Egypt after abdicating on 26 July 1956. It's now closed to the public.
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