Nine paintings stolen from a museum palace of Egypt's 19th century ruler Mohamed Ali have been recovered on an anonymous tip-off, the state MENA news agency reported on Thursday.

Security forces found the nine paintings after receiving a phone call by unidentified personnel who told police the location of the paintings, said the report.

Who was behind the stealing of the paintings have not been known.

The paintings, which depict the life of Ali and his family, were stolen on March 10 from Mohamed Ali Palace located in Shubra al Kheima of Qalyubia Governorate, the old palace in the northern suburb of Cairo.

Security measures have been tightened up in the country, including Cairo airport, to prevent the stolen masterpieces from being smuggled out of Egypt.

Ali, the ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848, is widely regarded as "the founder of modern Egypt."

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2009)