Unknown secrets of the enigmatic Baron Empain Palace in Egypt

Baron Empain Palace is located in Heliopolis and is considered to be one of Cairo’s historic mansions that is admired by citizens and tourists alike — both of whom are only able to see the palace from outside as visitors are not allowed in.

September 11, 2012
Unknown secrets of the enigmatic Baron Empain Palace in Egypt
Unknown secrets of the enigmatic Baron Empain Palace in Egypt



Shahd Alhamdan

Saudi Gazette


 


Baron Empain Palace is located in Heliopolis and is considered to be one of Cairo’s historic mansions that is admired by citizens and tourists alike — both of whom are only able to see the palace from outside as visitors are not allowed in.



The palace was built toward the end of the 19th century by millionaire Belgian entrepreneur and Egyptologist Edouard Louis Joseph who held the title of Baron Empain. The king of France gave him this title in recognition for his efforts in the establishment of the Paris Metro.



Baron Empain was known to be interested in two things: money and traveling. He was the head of several major projects in his country and he founded the Bank of Brussels in Belgium. He visited many countries including Mexico, Brazil and South America and eventually Africa where he started several projects.



When his ship finally docked in Egypt, he fell in love with the country and since that moment, he decided to live in Cairo and even wrote in his will that he wanted to be buried in the dust of Egypt.



Accurately predicting which direction the city would grow toward, he bought a piece of land in what was then a desert area and is now an upscale neighborhood in Cairo.



Baron Empain, however, faced one problem after picking the location of his palace: the architectural style. Wanting something unique, he picked a style that he had seen at an art gallery in Paris. Designed by Alexander Marcel and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude, the palace is a great mix of European and Indian architecture.



After buying the design from Marcel, he handed it over to a number of Italian and Belgian engineers who immediately began construction. It took them five years to finish the project.



Several characteristics distinguish the place from other palaces. For instance, the place has marble statues in the form of elephants and has a tower that sits on a revolving base, which gives a view of all surrounding directions. The exterior is covered with statues of Hindu deities, mythical creatures and elephants.



Although the castle is an architectural masterpiece, its history is filled with sorrow.



Baron Empain did not lead a happy life. He walked with a noticeable limp and suffered from epilepsy. It is said that he would often suffer violent seizures in the garden of his palace where he spent a great amount of time.




He lived with his daughter Merriam and sister Helena who died after falling from the balcony of her room while the baron was in the south region of the palace. It is alleged that the base of the revolving tower mysteriously stopped moving after Helena’s death.



His daughter suffered from psychological problems allegedly due to Baron Empain’s often harsh treatment. Merriam was known to sit for hours in one of the basement rooms when she was in a bad mood. She would come out smiling and saying that she had spoken “with my friend.” Merriam died a few years later under mysterious circumstances.



Despite rumors and the palace’s tragic history, it was turned into a national museum after the Ministry of Housing took ownership. Still not open to the public, Egyptians want access to the palace so they can see the place that has been the basis of countless ghost stories.




“I do not believe the ghost stories. The palace should be open to tourists,” said Ahmed Embabi.


September 11, 2012
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