Shubra Palace

Shubra Palace
Shubra Palace, Taif
General information
Architectural styleOttoman architecture
Town or cityTaif
CountrySaudi Arabia
Completed1858
ClientAli Pasha

Shubra Palace is a royal palace in Taif, Saudi Arabia. It was one of the royal residences until 1995 when it was transformed into a museum.

History

The building was originally constructed in 1858 as a two-storey house.[1] It was rebuilt by Ali Pasha, former sharif of Mecca, and completed in 1905.[2][3] It was named after a palace built in Cairo, Egypt.[1]

Following the capture of the city by Saudis the Shubra Palace was used by King Abdulaziz as summer residence.[4] Two of his sons, Prince Talal and Prince Nawwaf, were born there.[4] It is where King Abdulaziz died in 1953.[3]

King Faisal used the Shubra Palace as a summer residence.[2][3] The palace was also used as the office of Crown Prince Sultan.[4]

In 1995 the palace was made a heritage museum.[4]

Layout and style

The building consists of four floors and four uniform facades with gardens.[4][3] The windows and balconies have a criss-crossed pattern of strips of wood, known as latticework.[2] The interior of the building is designed with marble from Carrara, Italy.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Highlands of Ta'if". Leaders MENA. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Shubra Palace". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Michael R. T. Dumper; Bruce E. Stanley, eds. (2007). Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. p. 344. ISBN 978-1-57607-919-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Shubra Palace: An architectural treasure house in Taif". Saudi Gazette. Taif. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.