5/5 Olya M. 10 months ago on Google
Baron
Empain's
palace,
with
its
Indian
style
and
tower,
stands
out
in
the
desert
landscape,
distinct
from
the
rest
of
the
city.
The
palace
reflects
the
high
status
of
its
owner
and
marks
a
major
milestone
in
the
urban
landscape
of
Heliopolis.
Baron
Empain's
palace
is
the
most
prominent
of
monuments
in
the
capital,
its
unique
and
innovative
image
attracts
crowds
of
pedestrians
on
the
road.
It
was
founded
by
Edward
Louis
Joseph
Empain
between
1907
and
1911.
He
was
a
Belgian
businessman
who
was
awarded
the
title
"Baron"
by
the
King
of
Belgium
on
account
of
his
economic
contributions.
The
French
architect
Alexander
Marcel
was
tasked
with
building
this
masterpiece.
The
interior
design
of
the
palace
consists
of
a
basement
and
two
floors
topped
by
a
roof.
The
palace
is
surrounded
by
a
large
garden
from
all
sides.
As
for
the
basement,
it
contained
a
residence
for
the
palace's
servants,
and
consisted
of
a
group
of
rooms
connected
by
corridors
and
doors.
The
palace
building
is
surrounded
by
a
spiral
staircase
and
an
elevator
that
connects
all
the
palace
floors
with
the
basement.
The
ground
floor
consists
of
a
reception
room,
a
dining
room,
and
a
billiard
room.
As
for
the
first
floor,
it
houses
four
rooms,
each
with
its
own
balcony
and
bathroom.
Finally,
the
roof
of
the
palace
comes
as
an
open
space
on
one
of
the
sides
of
the
tower,
characteristic
of
the
Baron
Palace.
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.
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