The Palace of Baron Empain was the first palace built in Heliopolis, a northeastern suburb of central Cairo, east of the Nile, in Egypt. Along with other residential buildings such as the Heliopolis Palace Hotel (present-day Orouba Palace), it forms the El Korba area. It was completed in 1905.
The palace was built in the open desert between 1906 and 1911 by the Oasis of Heliopolis Company, owned by Baron Empain, on rue de Palais (now Salah Salem) in Heliopolis .
The palace was designed by the French architect Alexandre Marcel and decorated by the Belgian architect Georges-Louis Claude in the Heliopolis style: a mixture of Persian, Islamic and Neoclassical architecture. Inspired by the Cambodian Angkor Wat and Hindu temples in Orissa, Edouard Empain Palace (Qasr Al Baron) is an exquisitely designed building.
The Indian-style gate, which leads to the large palace garden, is completely decorated with flora and fauna architectural elements in stone. The building was built on three floors plus a basement. It has a peculiar wooden mechanism that allows the building to move on itself, resulting in a 360-degree rotation, so that the baron can see the entire Heliopolis while sitting in his chair, as well as the spiral staircase, secret rooms (including the legendary Pink Room), elevators and much more. Many also speculate about an underground tunnel connecting the palace to the Basilica of Our Lady of Heliopolis, the place where Baron Empain was buried. Striking is the architectural decorations, stained glass windows and various works of floors and ceilings. The entire building was built and decorated with the best materials of that time, which were brought to Egypt from all over the world.
The Baron Palace turns out to be a rare example of an Indo-Cambodian palace temple in Africa.
The villa was sold in 1955 to a Saudi family. Neglected by its new owners, the building is in poor condition. In 2005, on the occasion of the centenary of Heliopolis, the Egyptian government issued a decision to purchase the building.
Now the palace has finally been opened after the recent restoration work
The palace was built in the open desert between 1906 and 1911 by the Oasis of Heliopolis Company, owned by Baron Empain, on rue de Palais (now Salah Salem) in Heliopolis .
The palace was designed by the French architect Alexandre Marcel and decorated by the Belgian architect Georges-Louis Claude in the Heliopolis style: a mixture of Persian, Islamic and Neoclassical architecture. Inspired by the Cambodian Angkor Wat and Hindu temples in Orissa, Edouard Empain Palace (Qasr Al Baron) is an exquisitely designed building.
The Indian-style gate, which leads to the large palace garden, is completely decorated with flora and fauna architectural elements in stone. The building was built on three floors plus a basement. It has a peculiar wooden mechanism that allows the building to move on itself, resulting in a 360-degree rotation, so that the baron can see the entire Heliopolis while sitting in his chair, as well as the spiral staircase, secret rooms (including the legendary Pink Room), elevators and much more. Many also speculate about an underground tunnel connecting the palace to the Basilica of Our Lady of Heliopolis, the place where Baron Empain was buried. Striking is the architectural decorations, stained glass windows and various works of floors and ceilings. The entire building was built and decorated with the best materials of that time, which were brought to Egypt from all over the world.
The Baron Palace turns out to be a rare example of an Indo-Cambodian palace temple in Africa.
The villa was sold in 1955 to a Saudi family. Neglected by its new owners, the building is in poor condition. In 2005, on the occasion of the centenary of Heliopolis, the Egyptian government issued a decision to purchase the building.
Restorations
The Empan Palace was abandoned for a long time and only restored in recent years. Expensive restoration work began in 2017 and is still ongoing.
In mass culture
The Empain Palace has always been shrouded in secrets of all kinds, it seems to be damned, haunted by spirits and a scene of demonic sessions over the years. The legend has its roots in the palace in the tragic death of Helena, sister of the baron (who fell from the balcony) and Mary, daughter of Empain (who committed suicide). It is said that the wooden tower stopped working after the infamous event that the young Mary was subjected to. The stories about the palace are so varied that many have renamed the place the Palace of Terror, revered as a place full of ghosts and spirits. In the 1990s, it was the scene of diabolical celebrations that prompted the Egyptian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to close it to the public. It can only be visited on special occasions (such as concerts or festivals), although visitors always flock to the sidewalks around the building to be photographed and photographed.
Now the palace has finally been opened after the recent restoration work
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