Manial Palace Museum

One of Cairo’s most eccentric tourist sites, the palace was built by the uncle of King Farouk, Prince Mohammed Ali, in the early 20th century. Apparently he couldn’t decide which architectural style he preferred, so he went for the lot: Ottoman, Moorish, Persian and European rococo. The palace contains, among other things, Farouk’s horde of hunting trophies and the prince’s collection of medieval manuscripts, clothing and other items. The gardens are planted with rare tropical plants collected by the prince on his travels. If you don’t want to walk to the museum, a taxi from Midan Tahrir should cost E£4. Note that the museum was closed at the time of research, though it’s scheduled to reopen soon.