The Baron Empain Palace is a wonder out of its place like a fish out of water showcasing a highly rare oriental Hindu design that has equal in all of Egypt. The Baron palace is a true gem that acts as one of the most attractive monuments in all of Cairo in the immortal city of the sun Heliopolis and the source of countless myths and history. The entire palace is a complete milestone and an epic piece of art that offer a different aspect of architectural design that offers a great sense of curiosity to seekers of beauty and wonder.

History of Baron Empain Palace

The incredible Baron Palace was constructed by Baron Edward Louis Joseph Empain a Belgian businessman between 1907 and 1911 on Al-Oruba street in Heliopolis on the main road leading all the way to Cairo International Airport plus designed by French architect Alexander Marcel which was meant to be his main residence in Egypt. In 2020 the palace was opened as a museum after a 2 years restoration period.

Who Was Baron Edouard Louis Joseph Empain

The Baron Palace was built by Empain who was a gifted engineer after he returned to Egypt in 1904 from India after the opening of the Suez Canal. He decided to make Egypt and the city of Cairo his main and final residence and when he passed away he wished to be buried in the lands of Egypt. The palace was completed by him in Heliopolis in 1911. Empain was given the title of Baron by the King of France due to his appreciation and hard work in constructing the Metro of Paris. He is credited with establishing the modern neighborhood of Heliopolis in the east of Cairo. It was his idea to build a metro line within the neighborhood leading to the city to attract as many Egyptians as possible to the new location, so he commissioned Andre Barcelona, a Belgian engineer to make his dream a reality.

Architecture and Design of Baron Empain Palace

The Interior design of the Palace has two floors and a small extension which is topped by a roof plus surrounded by a massive garden filled with exotic vegetation, ascending green terraces, and marble statues. The windows are studded with pieces of Belgian glass so the sun will always be present in the place. There is also a residence place in the basement for the palace servants that is made up of a number of rooms connected by doors and corridors. The baron himself designed the spiral staircase which surrounds the palace building plus holds an elevator that connects all the floors with the basement. The ground floor is made up of a dining room, a reception room, and a billiard room, the first floor contains four rooms; each room has its own bathroom and balcony. The Palace of Baron Empain sits on 6000 acres (4000 m2) in eastern Cairo and the baron himself built the city to hold all the needed infrastructures like electricity, water and drains. He also filled the city of Heliopolis with a number of hotels like the Heliopolis house and the palace hotel which is filled with recreational luxuries such as a park, racetrack, and golf course. Alexander Marcel the French architect built the place within Heliopolis Avenue of Palaces which was mainly inspired by the Hindu temple of Orissa and the Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat. Georges Louis Claude added the shapes of various human figures, Indian dancers, snakes, elephants, Shivas, Buddhas, and Krishnas into the external design. Within the palace is an exhibition of a number of archival photos, documents, maps, and plan plus there are a number of panels that narrates the long history of the legendary city of Heliopolis and the daily urban life of certain time periods.