Baron Empain Palace

The Baron Empain Palace (Arabic: قصر البارون إمبان, "Qasr el Baron Emban"), better known as Le Palais Hindou (literally, The Hindu Palace), is a distinctive and historic Hindu temple inspired mansion in Heliopolis, a suburb northeast of central Cairo, Egypt.[1][2] It was founded by Edward Louis Joseph Empain, a Belgian businessman who was awarded the title of "Baron" by the King of Belgium[3] due to his contribution to the Paris Metro and tramway lines connecting Belgium, Northern France, and Holland.

Baron Empain Palace
Exterior of the Baron Empain Palace
Former namesBaron Empain
General information
StatusIntact
Architectural styleIndian
LocationHeliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Coordinates30°05′12″N 31°19′49″E
CompletedEarly 20th century
Technical details
MaterialReinforced concrete
Floor count3
Design and construction
Architect(s)Alexandre Marcel

History

In 1904, Baron Edward Empain came to Egypt with the intention of expanding his empire and creating more railway lines to connect Egypt.[4] By 1906, the Baron hired a French architect named Ernest Jaspar to help create a unique aesthetic in the suburbs of Heliopolis dubbed the "Heliopolis style."[5] Including aspects of Persian elements to neoclassical European aspects, the newly established city of Heliopolis would become a cultural center of Egypt attracting people from all over the world. Hospitals, restaurants, banks, and stores among other created infrastructure and establishments also contributed to the allure of the newly founded Heliopolis. The Baron also held an exclusive event at his palace to celebrate its completion.

The Hindu temple housed Baron Empain as well as his wife, two sons, and an alleged daughter. According to widely spread rumors, the Baron's daughter is said to have suffered from some kind of medical or mental condition that required her to be hidden from the outside world, as these qualities in a child were greatly frowned upon.[5] Other legends surrounding the family imply that either the daughter or the Baron's wife committed suicide inside the palace, which would later contribute to the belief that the Hindu Palace was haunted and inspire the ghost tourism being labeled a national monument.[6]

After the Baron's death in 1929 and the 1952 coup that took place in Egypt, the palace was left abandoned. Decades later in the 1990's, there was social revolution against many conservative values of Islam and young people began to trespass and vandalize the palace. They were mostly doing drugs and throwing parties in a counter culture; however, the conservative backlash would insist these young adults were practicing satanism based on previous rumors of the past and a prejudice against nontraditional values.[5]

Architecture

The palace was designed by an architect named Alexandre Marcel[7] who was born in Belgium. The palace's interior was constructed and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude. Inspired mostly by the Hindu temples of North India, it was built between 1907 and 1911, in reinforced concrete which was considered a symbol of luxury and status at the time.

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baron Empain Palace.

References
  1. Baron Empain palace: "WHO BUILT THE PALACE... COUNT DRACULA OR BARON EMPAIN?, May 1, 1997". Archived from the original on 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  2. Baron Empain palace: Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Baron Empain Palace". Government of Egypt.
  4. "Cairo Palaces details". Official Portal of Cairo Governorate. April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  5. "Baron Empain Palace: Remembering Heliopolis' Glorious Past". Photorientalist. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  6. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih, Shaimaa M. Naguib (17 November 2022). "Sustainable Reuse of Dark Archaeological Heritage Sites to Promote Ghost Tourism in Egypt: The Case of the Baron Palace". Museums for Heritage Preservation and Communication.
  7. Alexandre Marcel: Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.