Egypt King Farouk doll collection on display

Dolls that once belonged to King Farouk (1936-1952) are on display for the first time in the Helwan Corner Museum until Monday, 11 December.

Museum director Randa Abdel Raouf said the dolls are dressed in Japanese, Sri Lankan, South African and Portuguese costumes.

“There are also 12 dolls representing a drummer and children dancing and playing games, as well as dolls modelled after American child actor Shirley Temple,” Abdel Raouf said.

“These dolls were made of different materials such as coloured rubber, cardboard and wax.”

The Helwan Corner Museum, also known as Farouk’s Corner Museum, is one of the architectural masterpieces of the royal buildings, built by King Farouk I in 1942 as a winter residence.

Designed in the shape of a boat docked on the shore of the Nile, it also has a river marina to receive yachts and large ships.

The adjoining garden has a wooden pergola and more than 30 types of rare mango trees that were brought from Albania to be planted in the royal palaces.

The rest house was converted into a museum in 1976 housing a valuable collection of furniture, antiques, statues and paintings, in addition to royal collectibles transferred from King Farouk’s rest house at the pyramids.