A Magic Inspired By Ancient Hindu Temples Reflects The Twentieth Century In The Baron Palace
With a unique style with the classic Belgian architecture, the Baron Palace was built. A magical exterior design inspired by ancient Hindu temples. While the interior design influenced by the arts of the European Renaissance, in a way that makes the sun never set in its rooms and lobbies. It is one of the masterpieces that reflects the everyday lifestyle of the early twentieth century.
You will feel luxury and sophistication when you wander in the garden of this unique Baron Empain Palace. There, you can find an old vehicle for the Heliopolis tram and other cars that were driving in the streets of Cairo during the twenties and thirties of the previous century. That is why the Baron Palace can get you a true image of Egypt during this period.
Reverse side baron palace
by JasmineElias under CC BY-SA 3.0
The Story Of Building Baron Palace
In the heart of the desert of east Cairo, Baron Eduard Empain dreamed of setting a new district. He was an engineer, entrepreneur, financier, industrialist, and a wealthy man in Belgium. Baron wished to build this district with a unique design naming it Heliopolis. And already the Egyptian government had accepted the project.
From Here the Story Came!
Baron decided to build his palace, as the first thing that would be built in this district. Already, he had tasked Alexandre Auguste Louis Marcel, the French architect, and urban planner, to design the Baron Empain Palace. Building this palace continued from 1906 until 1911, to be one of the most prominent Monuments in Cairo.
If you cross in front of this palace with no hesitation, you will find your feet harry up to find out this unique masterpiece. Sure, its high tower that rotates on a movable base, and its balconies include statues of Indian elephants, will attract you. Then, you find yourself put your feet o this floor that includes colorful mosaics.
How Your Tour To Baron Palace Will Be!
It will be a great time when you walk through this remarkable district, Heliopolis. You go through a magical spot designed with classic Belgian architecture and carries all the meaning of luxury within its streets and buildings. Walkthrough these large areas with their charming gardens and cross through the huge hotel. Also, Baron had built this hotel to be the oldest Heliopolis Hotel. It was later annexed to the presidential palaces in Egypt and is currently used as the official residence of the President of the Republic under the name of “Ittihadiya Palace.” Then, the palace of Baron will meet you to stand in full amazement.
Baron Palace by Hossam el-Hamalawy under CC BY-SA 2.0
How Is The Baron Palace From Inside?
The palace is located in an area of 12.5 thousand meters. The internal area of the palace is relatively small, as it consists of seven rooms distributed over two floors. The first floor includes a large hall and three rooms. One of which is for hospitality and the second for the table. While the third is for playing billiards, and through the marble staircase decorated with handrails with small, finely made Indian statues. You can go up to the second floor.
What About The Second Floor!
It consists of a large hall and four large bedrooms with parquet floors. Each has its own bathroom that is covered with mosaic tiles of blue, orange, and red colors. Each room has a private balcony with the Indian elephants’ statues. The floor includes colorful mosaics and has twisting benches surrounded by statues on each side.
You will find charm in the roof of the palace, “the panorama.” It is like a park, where Baron held some of his important parties. It was his favorite place to drink tea at sunset. The walls of the roof had drawings of plants, animals, and fairy-tale creatures. You can ascend it by a ladder made of luxurious rosewood.
Baron Palace by Hossam el-Hamalawy under CC BY-SA 2.0
The basement was for kitchens, parking spaces, servants’ rooms, and marble sinks. It connected to the table hall by an elevator made of walnut wood. On the left side of the palace, there is a large tower.
The Magic Story of Baron Tower!
This tower was rotating on a movable base a full turn every hour to allow who was sitting in it to see what was around in all directions. It consists of four floors linked by a spiral marble staircase. On its railings, there are inscriptions of bronze plates with sculpted Indian statues.
Around the palace, there is a courtyard garden with flowers and plants. Below it, a tunnel that connects it to the “Basilica.”
Baron Palace by Hossam el-Hamalawy under CC BY-SA 2.0
The opulence does not end at this point, but ensure that at each inch at the Baron Palace, you will find Rare statues and artifacts carefully made of precious metals, including what the Baron brought from India, such as statues of Buddha and the mythical dragon, including European-style white marble with Greek and Roman features, in addition to statues of dancers performing movements similar to the movements of ballet dancers.
Inside the palace, there is an ancient antique clock that shows the time in minutes, hours, days, months, and years, with changes in the moon’s faces and temperatures.
Alabaster, Italian marble, and Belgian crystal glass were used in the construction of the palace, and the entrance to the palace includes statues of elephants, while ivory is spread inside and outside the palace, and the windows made in the Arabic style rise and go down with Indian Buddhist statues. On the balconies of its doors are finely made Greek decorations.
How Can I Arrive At Baron Palace!
All this luxury is awaiting you in Heliopolis district that you can arrive by car, Taxi, public buses, or even by metro, which was the idea of Baron. In order to attract people to his new district, Baron thought of constructing a metro. He commissioned the Belgian engineer, André Barshallo, who was working at that time with the Paris Metro Company, to build a metro line linking the new district “Heliopolis” with Cairo.
The ticket for Baron Palace will cost you 100 L.E, while the visiting hours are from 9 am to 4 pm.