Under the former royal gardens of the Montaza Palace in Alexandria, a secret chamber that turned out to be a crypt has been discovered, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Al-Damaty announced Sunday according to Egypt Independent.
Damaty said that the secret crypt, whose history goes back to World War I and II, was discovered a month ago by gardeners as they were cutting trees. The minster revealed that the secret crypt consists of cells with iron bars and a few windows, which he said indicated that the crypt was used as an underground prison.
Fun times.
As we still don’t know much about the secret chamber’s mysterious history, who built it and why, the minister told Egypt Independent that a detailed report will be prepared on it. He also added that the crypt will be developed for tourism and opened for visitors.
Inspired by Turkish and Florentine Renaissance styles evident in its two towers, the Montaza Palace is considered to be one of the most architecturally beautiful palaces in Egypt. Lying on top of a plateau, it offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
The history of the palace started in 1892 when Khedive Abbas Hilmy II (the last khedive of Egypt and Sudan), who was known to frequently go horse-riding on the shores of the Mediterranean in Alexandria, fell in love with a spot between two eminences overlooking the sea in an area near Sidi Bisher, a neighborhood in Alexandria. At the time, that spot contained old canons from the reign of Mohammed Ali that were used to protect Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
He decided to build a palace there, the Salmlek Palace, to use as his summer residence and hunting lodge. The Salamlek is one of two palaces in the Montaza’s extensive complex. Later in 1932 during the reign of King Fuad I, the Haramlek Palace and its royal gardens were included. The Harmlek is the one widely referred to now as The Montaza Palace. It served as the royal family’s vacation getaway for many years.
While the palace itself is not open to the public, the gardens of the Montaza complex are now a public park. The complex contains a variety of public and private beaches, as well as the historic Helnan Palestine Hotel.
As one of the oldest hotels in Egypt, it was built in 1964 to provide accommodation for the Arab kings and heads of state who participated in the Second Arab Summit in Alexandria held the same year. It later continued to provide accommodation for distinguished guests in Alexandria, and is now one of Alexandria’s most popular attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.
In addition to the Helnan, the palaces and the royal gardens that once housed rare plants, the complex also contains a notable clock tower standing in the middle of the distance between the two palaces, and a royal bridge styled like the Palace that leads to a very small island with a lighthouse. The palace, bridge and lighthouse can all be viewed from the Helnan Hotel.