Manial Palace symbolizes Turkey-Egypt shared history: Turkish ambassador

Reham El-Adawi , Monday 30 Dec 2024

The Manial Palace’s 121st anniversary was celebrated with a cultural event, highlighting the shared heritage between Egypt and Turkey while setting the stage for future collaborations to commemorate a century of diplomatic relations.

`
Turkish Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen was granted a commemorative plaque by the Mainal Palace Museum director.

 

The Turkish ambassador to Egypt Salih Mutlu Şen, along with approximately 200 guests, attended a special evening to celebrate the 121st anniversary of the foundation of the Manial Palace, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities.

Egyptian students performed Turkish folk music and classical Turkish songs during the event. The songs, contributed by Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute, garnered significant appreciation.


Turkish Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen was granted a commemorative plaque by the Mainal Palace Museum director.

Discussions were held with the Director of the Manial Palace Museum Amal Sadek and other officials regarding future collaborations for next year’s events commemorating the centenary of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Turkey.

Ambassador Şen highlighted that the Manial Palace is one of the most important and beautiful symbols of the shared history between Turkey and Egypt. He pointed out that the palace contains numerous symbols, images, and plaques representing the Ottoman Empire's history.

The Turkish ambassador continued by saying that, in fact, the Golden Hall was specifically built in Istanbul for Sultan Abdel-Meguid’s visit to the Egyptian military commander Prince Elhamy Pasha to congratulate the success of the Egyptian forces that supported the Ottoman Empire’s war with Russia. The joint Turkish-Egyptian flag from the Ottoman Empire era was displayed.

"This hall was later transferred by Prince Muhammad Ali Tawfiq to Cairo and was reconstructed in the Manial Palace," he added.

At the celebration marking the 121st anniversary of the palace’s foundation, a group of students described Egypt's periods as prosperous during the Ottoman Empire era.

Ambassador Şen congratulated the Egyptian students on their speeches and poetic narratives about the relevant period. At the end of the celebration, a commemorative plaque was presented to Şen and other participants by the Manial Palace Museum.


Turkish Ambassador Şen with Egyptian students who performed Turkish folk music and classical Turkish songs.

 

Şen praised Egypt’s successful hosting of the 11th summit of the D-8 countries organization. "The event, held at the presidential palace in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, garnered widespread acclaim from heads of state, government leaders, and their delegations. With the summit’s conclusion, Egypt assumed the rotating presidency of the D-8, further solidifying its leadership role within the organization."

"Egypt’s leadership also played a pivotal role in accepting Azerbaijan into the D-8 framework, marking a significant expansion of the organization’s influence. Notably, Egypt is the only country Turkish President Erdoğan visited twice in 2024, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations," he added.

Ambassador Şen highlighted the success of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Egypt on the occasion of the summit, describing it as highly fruitful. "The summit also provided a valuable opportunity for Egypt and Turkey to engage in bilateral and regional discussions, including matters related to Syria."

The ambassador stressed that fast-paced regional and global dynamics necessitate closer consultation and coordination between Egypt and Turkey. He highlighted Egypt’s strategic importance in Turkish foreign policy, describing it as one of the most critical nations globally for Turkey’s strategic interests.

Ambassador Şen concluded by recognizing Egypt as a cornerstone of regional stability. He affirmed that Turkey and Egypt would continue strengthening their cooperation to promote peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond.

Short link: