Egypt will soon reopen the century-old Baron Empain Palace after a $6 million renovation of the Indian-inspired mansion built by a wealthy Belgian engineer in the upmarket Heliopolis district of the capital Cairo.
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Built in 1911, the two-story mansion fell into disrepair after Édouard Empain's death in 1929 and for many years, amid protracted ownership disputes, it was rented out for social events or as a film set.
Egypt finally launched a $6 million restoration of the palace – an emblem of Heliopolis's mix of early 20th century Moorish Revival, Persian Revival, traditional Arabic and European neo-classical architecture – last year and it is expected to reopen for visitors in three months' time.
Antiquities Minister Khaled Al-Anani said during a tour of the palace that the restoration followed extensive studies and talks with civil society organizations in Heliopolis and the Belgian Embassy in Cairo.
