Shubra Palace

General information

Shubra Palace is located in the city of Taif. It was given this name because its design was inspired by one of the palaces erected in the Shubra district of Cairo at the time. It was built in 1323 AH, taking two consecutive months to be constructed. The palace is distinguished by its urban style, relying on a mixture between Islamic and Roman styles with traditional architecture in the Hejaz region. The characteristics of Islamic architecture are most evident in the palace’s arches, columns, Rawasheen, doors, windows, and ceilings. It includes about 150 rooms and has two entrances: a main entrance on the western side, and a side entrance on the eastern side. It also has 4 similar facades interspersed with columns made of lime mortar and stone. In its main hall, there is a double marble staircase going up to two wings which contain rooms of various sizes, while its windows and doors are made of decorated wood. The palace served as a seat of the Kingdom's government when it used to move to Taif in the summer during the reign of His Majesty King Abdulaziz - may his soul rest in peace. During the reign of King Faisal, it became the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, then turned into a museum of antiquities and heritage in 1408 AH.