Amazing Baron Palace.

History of the Baron Empain Palace.

First and foremost, who is Baron Empain, for whom this palace is named? Édouard Empain was a wealthy Belgian entrepreneur, engineer, industrialist, and amateur Egyptologist. Empain’s first encounter in Egypt occurred in 1894, when he established Cairo’s first tramway line.

Soon after arriving in Egypt, the baron fell madly in love again and decided to settle there; he even specified in his will that he wanted to be buried there. The most logical thing to do next was to find a place to live, and surprisingly, Empain chose a plot of land in the middle of the desert just outside of Cairo (which is now modern-day Heliopolis) and constructed the iconic palace from 1907-1911.

Empain chose the mesmerizing Hindu-Khmer architectural style and commissioned French architect Alexandre Marcel to design it. It’s also worth noting that Marcel used Hennibique reinforced concrete in the building, which was brand new at the time.

Returning to the magnificent Baron Palace, some of the decorative molds adorning the exteriors, inspired by Hindu and Buddhist legends, were imported. They were all designed by Marcel, but they were first used for the Cambodian pavilion and the Panorama du Tour du Monde at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900.

George-Louis Claude was responsible for the stunning interior design, which incorporated European artistic influences. The palace was divided into three floors: the basement, which housed the servants’ quarters, the kitchen, and the storage room; the ground floor, which housed the reception halls; the first floor, which housed four private living chambers and a bathroom; and the roof, which was where the baron hosted his lavish parties.

What is the Baron Palace?

It is considered one of the distinctive palaces that combines history and antiquity. It is a unique architectural masterpiece built by a Belgian millionaire “Baron Edward”, who came from India to Egypt shortly after the opening of the Suez Canal at the end of the nineteenth century

Baron Palace consists of several charming and wonderful floors

We start on the ground floor and which consists of huge halls with a large number of balconies and doors, and enjoy watching the paintings that were painted by the most famous artists, such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, which are located in the corners of the room.

Then you can go up to the first floor, which includes spacious sitting rooms, and servants’ rooms, and see the mosaic floors with distinctive colors between orange, red, and blue.

Then go up to the second floor, which contains rooms overlooking the main streets of the palace, do not miss the view from the balconies, enjoy sitting in it, and do not forget to take souvenir photos there with your friends.

The Palace Structure:

Baron Empain purchased 6,000 acres of desert land on which he planned to build his city, complete with all necessary infrastructure such as water, drains, and electricity, hotel facilities such as the Palace Hotel and Heliopolis House, and recreational amenities such as a golf course, race track, and park.

French architect Alexander Marcel designed his palace in Heliopolis’ Avenue of Palaces (now Al-Orouba Street), drawing inspiration from the Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat and the Hindu temple of Orissa. Marcel incorporated reproductions of various human figures, Indian dancer statues, elephants, snakes, Buddhas, Shivas, and Krishnas into the exterior design. Georges-Louis Claude, Marcel’s colleague, designed the interior and decorations. Both architects were well-known at the time.

The palace has two floors and a small extension near the roof. Windows studded with small pieces of Belgian glass were designed specifically to keep the sun visible during the day. When construction was finished in 1911, the palace was surrounded by a landscaped garden with ascending green terraces, each with its own collection of marble statues and exotic vegetation.

Finally, you can climb to the palace’s roof through a staircase made of luxurious rosewood located on the second floor, with walls with animal and rare plant drawings on top.

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