Abdeen Palace Museum, Cairo, Egypt

The stately grandeur of this palace owes to its construction in 1863 at a time when a worldwide cotton shortage meant huge revenues for Egyptian cotton exports. It served as a royal palace until the end of the monarchy in 1952, when it became the home of the president. In the 1980s, President Hosni Mubarak decided to restore the decaying building and turn it into a weapons and medals museum, a process that was interrupted by a major earthquake in 1992.

Housing every conceivable means of killing an enemy, the weapons section is always a hit with young males. Its extensive collection of knives, guns and cannons, as well as ingenious combinations, is impressive and well-labelled. Another section is dedicated to a large, and somewhat monotonous, exhibit of medals and gifts presented to President Mubarak on various occasions, as well as medals given to members of the former royal family and Egyptian celebrities. Admission is EGP10 for foreigners, EGP5 for students, EGP2 for Egyptians, and an extra EGP10 for cameras. No video cameras are allowed.