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Royal Families
The former monarchies of the Middle East left behind some of the region's most beautiful palaces, gardens and collections. These short notes on the royal houses of Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia and the Ottoman Empire add depth to any journey through Middle East history.
At a glance
Royal houses that shaped
Over the past two centuries, several of the region's countries moved from monarchy to republic. Their dynasties built railways, canals, universities and opera houses, and many of their palaces now welcome visitors as museums. For the families who reign today, see our guide to the royal families of the Middle East.
For more than six centuries the House of Osman ruled an empire stretching from the Balkans to the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. The sultanate ended in 1922 and the Republic of Türkiye was proclaimed on October 29, 1923. Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus are highlights of any Istanbul stay.
Muhammad Ali and his heirs modernized Egypt, and under Khedive Ismail the Suez Canal opened in 1869 with a celebration that inspired the opera Aida. Egypt became a republic on June 18, 1953. The Manial Palace in Cairo and the Montaza gardens in Alexandria recall the era; see our Egypt history and culture page.
The Husainid beys reigned in Tunis for two and a half centuries and in 1861 issued one of the first written constitutions in the Arab world. Tunisia became a republic in 1957. Their palaces at Le Bardo now house the celebrated Bardo National Museum and its Roman mosaics; more on Tunisia's history and culture.
A branch of the Hashemite family, cousins of Jordan's royal house, reigned in Baghdad from 1921, beginning with King Faisal I. The monarchy ended in 1958. Read more about the family's wider story on our Hashemite family page and in Iraq history and culture.
The Pahlavi shahs ruled Iran from 1925 until the monarchy ended in 1979. In 1971 they hosted a celebration at Persepolis marking 2,500 years of Persian monarchy. Tehran's Golestan Palace, from the earlier Qajar era and a UNESCO site, and the Niavaran and Saadabad palace complexes are now museums; see Iran heritage and culture.
The easiest way to experience this heritage in luxury is in Istanbul, where Dolmabahçe Palace, Topkapı and the Çırağan Palace, now a hotel, line the Bosphorus. In Cairo, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Manial Palace make a natural pairing. Our timeline of Middle East history places each dynasty in context, and our museums guide lists the collections worth the journey.
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