 El Mahrousa as Egypt's royal yacht, c. 1940 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Egypt | |
| Name | El Mahrousa |
| Builder | Samuda Brothers,Cubitt Town,London |
| Laid down | 1863 |
| Launched | 1865 |
| Reclassified | Rebuilt 1951 and became a naval training vessel[citation needed] |
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 4,561 GT |
| Displacement | 3,762 tons |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Draught | 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion | Steam turbine, 3 screw propellers, 6,500 hp (4,800 kW) |
| Speed |
|
| Crew | 160 |
El Mahrousa (Arabic:المحروسة, literally "The Protected"), officially renamed for a period of time asEl Horreya (Arabic:الحرية, "Freedom"), is asuper yacht that serves as Egypt'spresidential yacht, and previously served as the country'sroyal yacht. She was built by the British ship building firmSamuda Brothers in 1863 to the order of EgyptianKhediveIsmail Pasha and was handed over to its crew two years later.
El Mahrousa underwent a number of important alterations during its years of service, including the replacement of herpaddle wheel engines byturbine driven propellers in 1905; the installation of awireless telegraph in 1912 and adiesel-fueled system in 1919; as well as multiple-feet lengthenings throughout that period. She also witnessed much of Egypt's modern history since she was first commissioned in the 19th century up till now. The yacht carried three Egyptian rulers to their exile abroad, namely Khedive Ismail, KhediveAbbas II and KingFarouk I, along with the latter's recently born son,Fuad II, the last ruling members of theMuhammad Ali dynasty. This marked the end of the monarchy in Egypt following the1952 revolution and the founding of the Republic of Egypt, after which the yacht joined theEgyptian Navy and was renamedEl Horreya (English:Liberty).
The yacht continued to play a role in the country's post-revolutionary history and participated in the 1976United States Bicentennial celebrations. She took Egypt's president,Gamal Abdel Nasser, to numerous locations and she notably sailed with PresidentAnwar Sadat toJaffa, Israel, during the1979 peace talks between Egypt and Israel. She was renamed back toEl Mahrousa in 2000 and became the first ship to cross theNew Suez Canal extension in 2015.
She was designed byOliver Lang[1] along the same lines asHMY Victoria and Albert, and built by theSamuda Brothers on theRiver Thames.
In 1867, the ship embarked on its first trip, in which it transported Egyptian troops to aid the Ottomans during theCretan revolt.[2] Two years later, Khedive Ismail Pasha used the ship to go on a tour to invite royals of Europe to attend the inauguration of theSuez Canal.[2]
After the 1952 abdication ofKing Farouk and his arrival in Europe he sent back the yacht to Egypt with all the crew and the equipment; she was taken over by the Egyptian government for use as a naval training ship, and her name was changed toEl Horreya. She spent most of her career in the easternMediterranean, but did participate in theInternational Naval Review held to commemorate thebicentennial of theUnited States of America.
Other notable figures who boarded the ship wereMohammad Reza Pahlavi, KingIbn Saud,Josip Broz Tito, andMenachem Begin.[2]
In 1984, its title as the largest super yacht was taken byPrince Abdulaziz, after having retained it for 119 years.[3] It is the oldest active super yacht in the world and theeleventh largest in 2023.
The ship is cared for by theEgyptian Navy, and is occasionally used as a Presidential Yacht. The ship goes to sea about three times a year, usually for just a day.[4]
On 10 September 2000 after visiting theEl Horreya, PresidentHosni Mubarak changed the name back to her original nameEl Mahrousa.[2]
On 6 August 2015, the ship was used to inaugurate theNew Suez Canal.[1][5]
Twice in the ship's history significant alterations to the ship's length were carried out. Firstly by 12 metres (40 ft) in 1872, with a further 5.0 metres (16.5 ft) being added in 1905. The 1905 rebuild was undertaken at the Pointhouse Shipyard ofA & J Inglis inGlasgow,Scotland and included the replacement of her twopaddle wheels with triple propellers powered bysteam turbines built by Inglis at their Warroch Street Engine Works in Glasgow. Inglis were one of the first companies to be granted a license by theParsons Marine Steam Turbine Company,Wallsend for the construction ofsteam turbines in their own works.