Baron Empain Palace in Cairo, is considered a unique architectural masterpiece and built by the Belgian industrialist, Baron Edouard Empain (1852-1929) who lived in Cairo and developed the East Cairo desert into the populated district known today as” Heliopolis”.
Baron Empain Palace
Empain had made his fortune building railway lines in Belgium and France, and had masterminded the construction of the Paris Metro. The palace unmistakably modeled on the Hindu temples of Orissa in India, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
The palace was designed by French architect “Alexander Marcel” and decorated by “Georges Louis Claude”, inspired by the Angkor Wat in “Cambodia”.
Decorations Baron Palace
The Palace is located over a rotating base which rotates the palace to access sun beam in all directions. It’s a distinctive work of art construction.
It included luxurious gardens, gilded doors, and Belgian mirrors designed by “Georges Louis Claude” and covered with detailed animals and figures inspired by “Orissa” in India and Angkor Wat in “Cambodia”.
The palace is connected to underground tunnels which lead to the nearby Catholic basilica where the Baron is buried. The Baron’s life was somewhat tragic and long after his death, he remains a mysterious figure in city lore.
The architectural beauty of Empain's palace stands in stark contrast to his wretched personal life. His daughter Merriam was plagued by psychological problems and would sit for hours in one of the basement rooms when she was in a bad mood. It was this chamber in which she was found dead, just a few years after her mother's death.
The palace is not generally accessible to the public. However the area around the palace “El Korba” is a vibrant and dynamic neighborhood in the city full of shops, restaurants and a marketplace.
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