The Manial Palace was built by Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik (1875—1955), the uncle of King Farouk (the last King of Egypt), between 1899 and 1929.

Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik was born on 9 November 1875 in Cairo as the second son of Khedive Tewfik, the grandson of Khedive Ismail, and brother of Khedive Abbas Abbas Hilmi II. He grew up with a love for science, so he attended the secondary school in Abdeen and then traveled to Europe to obtain a higher degree in science at the Hyksos High School in Switzerland, followed by the Terzianum School in Austria. At his father’s request, he focused his studies on military science. He returned to Egypt after his father’s death in 1892. Throughout his life, he was known to be a wise man who loved literature, arts, and science, and had a thirst for knowledge. This certainly explains how he was able to build such a magnificent Palace.