Mohamed Ali mosque

Mohamed Ali mosque

Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Cairo Citadel

Mohamed Ali Mosque is one of the most interesting mosques in Egypt. It stands proudly on the top inside the courtyard of the Cairo Citadel and the point is also called the Alabaster Mosque. The architect was Yousf Boushnaq, designed the Mohammad Ali mosque. The Mohammad Ali Mosque was designed to meet the Turkish ideals, a reproduction of the best mosques found in Istanbul . Located at the foot of the Mugattam Hills, the mosque dominates the Cairo Citadel, and it is the most visible landmark on the skyline of Cairo.

General view of the Muhammad Ali Mosque

It should be noted that the Mosque of Muhammad Ali is not typical of these structures in Cairo. In architecture, Muhammad Ali Pasha, Viceroy and effectively king of Egypt and the founder of the modern era of Egypt , made a radical break with all the traditional features of Mamluk architecture in Cairo Ottoman period late . This departure is underlined by the choice of sites. Now , because they are the most visible monuments of Islamic Cairo, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali became a symbol of the city, even if it is the lesser of the Egyptian monuments.

The main material used for construction was limestone, but the lower parts of the mosque, and the court, facing a total of 11.5 million alabaster.

Mosque is rectangular and consists of two sections:

East section, which is the main part , called " Beit al Salah " or " house of prayer " .

The western part, called the " Sahn " "or " court " .

East Division (the " Beit al Salah " or " house of prayer " )

The eastern part is the part that is prayer. It is square, each side measuring 41m , and has a roof with a central dome ( 52m high) based on four arches supported by massive pillars . Around the large central dome, there are four half domes, while there are more than four small domes covering the corners.

The prayer hall and its lighting

The marble mihrab is covered by a half-dome on the lower level. The domes are covered with crisp, medals and other reasons . The inner dome is impressive in its size and shape, similar to the mosques of Istanbul. There are six medallions around the dome , which include the names of Allah (God) and Mohammed (the Prophet) and the names of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, namely Abu Bakr , Omar, Othman and Ali.
 

The main dome and several of the half dome interiors

In the mosque are two minbar , or chairs. The largest wood is decorated with gold ornaments, and original . It is said to be one of the largest in Egypt , including its significant gold decorations. The small alabaster was a gift from King Farouk , dating from 1939. The mihrab , or prayer niche is made of Egyptian marble. It is quite simple , but very beautiful at the same time .

The Mihrab of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo

Above the entrance is a large balustrade with marble columns and bronze. To the right of the entrance is the tomb of Mohammed Ali. It is made of white marble with floral and crisp and golden inscriptions. Originally, Muhammad Ali was not buried in his mosque , but later , during the time King Abbas I (1849-1854) , his body was transferred from Housh El Basha inside the mosque where he sits inside the door of bronze.

There is a large open space of about 54 m long and 53 m wide courtyard space. It is surrounded by one or riwaqs vaulted naves resting on pillars and covered with small domes .

The court  as in the mosques of Sulayman Pasha and Malika Safiyya, is surrounded by rounded arches carrying small domes. These domes are supported by large marble columns, although relatively simple. The yard is almost square , measuring 54 by 53 meters. The court has an entrance to the north and south of the mosque. In the middle of the courtyard is a marble ablution fountain with a carved wooden roof on columns . The fountain is richly decorated in a similar style to the Sabil - face kuttab the Madrasa al- Nasir on Mu'izz street. This structure was built by Ismail Pasha in 1828. The Sabil and the upper part of the facade of the courtyard are decorated with small oval murals on which Mediterranean landscapes are represented.

inner court

 In front of the door of the house of prayer , through the center of the NO Riwaq is a pavilion , above which is a French clock developed, presented to Muhammad Ali in 1845 by King Luis Philip in exchange for obelisk which now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. This clock was not working properly!

A view of the clock

 To the west and north are two octagonal minarets that rise up to 82 m in height. And 2 balconies.
To get to the mosque, you can take the bus from Tahrir Square (No. 82 , 83 or 609) and Ataba Square, nn. 50, 55 or 401 . The mosque is open weekdays 8:00-17:00 .

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Cairo Citadel

Cairo Citadel

The Citadel of Cairo

The Citadel of the Mountain (Jabal al- Qal) in Cairo is one of the major works of military architecture of the Middle Ages. Located on a spur that has been artificially cut off from the Mokattam Hills, the citadel overlooking the city of Cairo and turned back to the rocky hills and the desert behind . Founded by Salah al -Din al- Ayyubi ( Saladin ) in 1176 AD, the citadel was a sign of the coming of a new regime whose roots were strangers and tastes were military. For nearly seven centuries (1206-1874 AD), it was the seat of government for the Ayyubids (1171-1250 AD ), Mamluks (1250-1516 AD ), Ottomans (1516-1798 AD), and Muhammad Ali Family (1798-1952 AD), as well as a real and symbolic barrier between the rulers and the ruled. During this long period, it was the theater in which the history of Egypt was played.

The Citadel is one of the greatest monuments in the world of medieval warfare, especially when viewed from the rear (north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character.

The area where the Citadel is now started, that's life not as a major military base of operations, but also the" Dome of the Wind", a pavilion created in 810 by Hatim Ibn Hartama, who was then governor. In fact , this area was well known for its cool breeze. These early governors, not realizing its strategic importance, it is sufficient to use the pavilion for its view of Cairo. Between 1176 and 1183, Salah ad -Din (Saladin to Westerners 1171-1193 AD), an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect against the attacks of the Crusaders, and since then has never been without a military garrison. Originally, it served as both a fortress and a royal city.

Legend has it that Salah ad -Din chose the site for its healthy air. The story goes that he hung pieces of meat around Cairo. Everywhere rotten meat in a day, with the exception of the Citadel area where it remained fresh for several days. But in reality , this provides a strategic advantage both to dominate Cairo and to defend outside attackers . Salah ad -Din had come from Syria where each town had a kind of fortress to act as a stronghold for the local ruler so it was natural that he would bring this custom in Egypt.

Early Photograph of the Citadel

Salah ad- Din techniques were used to build the most modern fortress from the time of the construction of the original citade. Large , round towers were built in projection on the walls and the defenders could direct flanking fire on those who could climb the walls . The walls themselves were ten meters (30 feet) high and three meters (10 ft ) thick.

Early Photo Showing the Citadel from the Back Side

The Bir Yusuf (the good of Salah ad -Din ) was dug to provide occupants of the fortress with an inexhaustible source of drinking water. Some 87 meters (285 ft ) deep, it was cut but rock solid to the water table. This is not just a tree. There is a big enough ramp for the animals to descend into the well to run machinery that lifted the water. Unfortunately, the well is closed to tourists these days.

Most of the fortification was built after the reign of Salah ad -Din, as added by almost all invaders including the British, some of which have destroyed much of what existed before them.

After the death of Salah al- Din , his nephew, Al- Kamil, reinforced the Citadel by enlarging several of the towers. More precisely, he locked the Burg al -Haddad (blacksmith Tower) and Burgar - Ramlab ( Sand Tower ) making them fully three times larger. These two towers controlled the narrow passage between the Citadel and the Mokattam hills. Al- Kamil also built a number of large dungeons ( turns) around the perimeter of the walls, three of which can still be seen overlooking the Citadel parking area . These massive structures were square , up to 25 meters ( 80 feet ) high and 30 meters (100 ft) wide. In 1218, the death of the father of al- Kamil, Sultan al- Kamil now transferred his residence to the Citadel where he built his palace in what is now the southern district. While the palace is no longer exits, until the construction of Abdeen Palace in the mid 19th century it was the seat of government for the country of Egypt.

When Mumluks finally overthrew the Ayyubid leadership in 1250, their sultan Baybars al- Bunduqdari ( 1260-1277 ) settled in al- Kamil palace. He isolated the compound of the palace by the construction of a wall that divided the fortress into two separate enclosures connected by the Bab (gate) al- Qullah . The area was once the palace is considered the southern district stood , while most of the Citadel is considered appropriate housing in the North.

An- Nasir Muhammad, an interesting Sultan of that time who ruled during three distinct periods (1294-1295, 1299-1309 and 1310-1341) demolished most of the old buildings inside the South and replace much larger structures. Unfortunately, the only remaining factory built by him is the An- Nasir Mohammed Mosque . It was begun in 1318 and completed in 1355 and is located near the door of the cabinet. We also know he has built a large courtroom with a large green dome dominating the other structures inside the South. Beside it was built the Qasr al- Ablaq (striped palace) with its black and yellow marble . This palace , used for official ceremonies and conduct the affairs of the state, was a staircase leading to the lower chamber and the royal stables where An- Nasir kept 4,800 horses.

The Ottomans controlled Egypt in one way or another between 1517 and the early 20th century, with the exception of a brief French occupation. Much of what we see of the Citadel actually dates from this period. The lower chamber where the stables of An -Nasir came to be known as al- Azab name because some of the Ottoman soldiers, known as the Azab regiments were stationed in the lower chamber. These soldiers were not allowed to marry until they retired , and in fact the word Azab can be translated as " license."

The Ottomans rebuilt the wall that separates the North and South boxes and the Bab al- Quallah. They also built the tallest tower in the Citadel today, Burg al- Mokattam that rises above the entrance to the Citadel Salah Saalem off road . The tower is 25 meters (80 feet ) high and has a diameter of 24 meters (79 ft). In 1754 , the Ottomans rebuilt the walls of the lower chamber and added a fortified gate called Bab el- Azab.

Bab el-Azab between the two rounds

From the late 16th century until the French occupation, the strict military structure of Ottoman soldiers gradually deteriorated . During this period, the Azab troops began to marry, and have even been allowed to build their own home in the fortress. By the mid 17th century, the Citadel became a gated community with private shops and other commercial and public baths and a maze of small streets.

The Ottoman Muhammad Ali Pasha, one of the great builders of modern Egypt , came to power in 1805 , and was responsible for considerable alteration and building within the Citadel. He rebuilt much of the exterior walls and replaced most of the buildings of the decaying interior . He also reversed the roles housings North and South , which makes the housing northern his private domain, while the southern district was opened to the public. His Mohammed Ali Mosque, built in the Ottoman style called Baroque that imitates the great religious mosques of Istanbul, today dominates the southern district .

South of the mosque in Hawsh is the (Jewel) Palace Gawharah. This structure was built between 1811 and 1814 and houses the Egyptian government until it was transferred to Abdeen Palace .

Today, there is also a museum of the National Police to the Citadel. It was built on the site of the Mamluk Striped Palace just opposite the Mosque of An- Nasir Muhammad . It features displays of law enforcement dating back to the dynastic period . However, in 1983, a room lined palace was discovered buried under the rubble, and can be seen at the southern end of the terrace. The terrace offers a magnificent view of Cairo.

Just through the Bab al- Qullah inside the North, there is Muhammad Ali Harem palace that was built in the same style as Ottoman Jewel Palace . The statue is in front of Ibrahim Pasha by Charles Cordier. The palace served as the residence of the family for the Khedive until the government was moved to Abdeen Palace . It was a military hospital during the British occupation and was returned to Egyptian control after World War II . Since 1949 , he was the Military Museum of Egypt (founded by King Farouk ). While the museum has many artifacts illustrating warfare in Egypt , one of the most interesting attractions is the summer show. This room contains a complex system of marble fountains, ponds and canals designed as a cooling system, and this is probably the last of these examples in Cairo. In the courtyard of the livery behind the gate of the museum is a statue of Sulayman Pasha that originally was in the city center. Just beyond the museum is a small Carriage Museum in what was the mess British officer until 1946. Borrowed from the Carriage Museum more Bulak , it contains eight cars used by the family of Muhammad Ali. Just behind the museum is in the Burg - Turfah (Masterpiece Tower) , one of the largest square towers built by al- Kamil in 1207.

Near the northern end of the housing is the mosque of Suleiman Pasha Mosque.Suleiman is not as big in size as is or Muhamed Ali Al -Nasir, but it is decorated and adorned with a fine example of a mosque Ottoman style. Despite all this.

The highlight of the Citadel may be the view it offers of Cairo. Looking out of the city, one can appreciate how the city earned its nickname, "The city of a thousand minarets ", and on a clear day, you can even make the outline of the Giza pyramids in the distance.


Today, the Citadel is the most visited monument in Islamic Egypt. In the walls of several large buildings that are open to the public, including the famous Muhammad Ali Mosque (1828-1848 AD), which dominates the skyline of Cairo, the Mosque of Sultan al- Nasir Muhammad (1318), Sulayman Pasha mosque ( 1528 AD ) ; Gawhara palace and several museums.

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khufu pyramid

khufu pyramid

Egypt tourism_Khufu Pyramid1

 Khufu (2589-2566 BC) was the 4th Dynasty ( 2613-2498 ) pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. Originally, the Great Pyramid was 481 feet ( 146.6 m ) high. Although commonly known as Cheops (also Suphis ) due to the end of the Greek influence on Egypt , the name of Cheops is the ancient Egyptian name for the original king as demonstrated by its own cartridge . He ruled for about 24 years.
Khufu was the son of another great pyramid builder , King Sneferu . The name of the mother of Khufu was Hetepheres .
Only a small 3 inches tall statue of Cheops is seated on a throne as king of the track and is now in the Egyptian Museum
It does not seem to be a record of a king to intervene between him and his father Snefru although records show the third in line to the throne . Like his father, Khufu probably reigned for 23or 24 years, and he also seems to have had military expeditions to the Sinai Peninsula . Rock inscriptions in Wadi Maghara record the presence of its troops , probably in order to keep the Bedouin in the control and operation of the turquoise deposits there. A small inscription on a rock on Elephantine Island in Aswan said the King had an interest in this area very red granite quarries .
Around the Pyramid

The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops ) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis , Egypt. It is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world , and the only one to remain largely intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC.The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more 3800 years. There have been various scientific and technical alternatives for the construction of the Great Pyramid theories. Assumptions of the most accepted building are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.
When you get out of the pyramid, you can see the remains of the original wall that is on the north side and east. It is about 10m from the base of the pyramid . Little remains of the Mortuary Temple of Khufu . What remains is the basalt paving and is located near the east side of the wall. You can also see occasional traces of the road that leads from the valley temple in the village, Nazlat al- Samman, at the foot of the plateau. This floor has collapsed over the past 150 years. Three small pyramids stand east of the pyramid of Cheops. These are considered to have been his sister, Merites , who was also his wife, and perhaps two other queens.
To the west of the Great Pyramid is the royal cemetery. It contains 15 mastabas which have recently been opened to the public after being closed for more than 100 years . This site was discovered the mummy of a woman 4600 years. She had a completely unique coating of plaster that has never been seen or found anywhere else .
At the base of the south face of the Great Pyramid is the Pit boats and museum. The five boat pits were discovered in 1982. A boat is on site and can be seen at the museum. The boat, which is enclosed in the stones , has no nails . It was held together with string and stakes, but not nails, and is surprisingly intact. The purpose of these boats may have been intended for use in the afterlife or to accompany the sun-god in his journey.

Boat pit near the Great Pyramid, Giza

Solar Boat Museum at Giza

Herodotus believed that Khufu put its citizens into slavery and hard work to build the pyramid because it was the norm in the world at that time . Evidence today , however , shows that the Great Pyramid was built by paid workers who have worked on their own and were paid for their work.
To date, it is still not known how the Great Pyramid was built . Records of the registration of priests that took 10 years to build the dam of the valley temple to and20years mortuary temples to build the pyramid itself with all costs being close to € 100 million today's prices.
Theories on how it was built range from the use of a long ramp that extends into the desert constantly extended and strengthened the pyramid ascended a ramp that wraps around the face after each pyramid during upward as it was built . Both are impassable. Herodotus says that the structure was built as a series of terraces , raising blocks on all four sides at the same time with the use of wooden tools. This method has been tested by the late Peter Hodges, a contractor, using short lengths of wood with a metal foot - floor, and it appeared to be more convenient than other theories.
The internal layout indicates that there were at least two changes during construction. Initially, it was determined that the burial chamber was deep beneath the surface of the plate . This has been modified to include a small room, now incomplete and incorrectly known as the House and 50 feet of the Queen above the plateau. The final construction incorporated the Grand Hall , 28ft high and topped by a cantilevered roof , leading up to a horizontal passage that enters the king's chamber at the heart of the pyramid. A large granite sarcophagus , carved from a single block of Aswan granite was placed in the room. This must have been placed in front of the room was covered because it is an inch too wide for the corridor.

Burial chamber

The exterior of the pyramid was encased in a bright white limestone , placed on top to bottom. The site was stolen during the construction of medieval Cairo in the middle ages . Limestone has all but disappeared from the pyramid and the soil of black basalt is the mortuary temple and the temples disappeared under the Arab village , although parts of it were seen in 1991when a new treatment system has was asked.
Mainly on the west side of the pyramid were the tombs of courtiers who hoped to serve their king in death as they had in life. There are 3 small graves on the east side for the queens of Cheops . Two major discoveries relating to Khufu was found . In 1925the tomb of his mother , Queen Hetepheres was found on the east side of the pyramid and the second was a wooden boat discovered intact in 1954 near the south side.
During excavation work in May 1954 , Kamal el- Mallakh found a series of 41large blocking stones , each weighing an average of 18 tons. The pit these stones revealed a long boat of cedar . Too long for the pit vessel was carefully dismantled in 650parts including 1224pieces . After several years of restoration by Hag Ahmed Youssef Moustafa in March 1982, the ship was presented in a specially designed museum covering the hole where the boat had been lying for 4500 years . The ship or bark as they were called was built to navigate the king in the afterlife .

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Baron Palace

Baron Palace

Outdoor view of the Palace

The Baron 's Palace seems that  in Greater Cairo, after the Great Pyramid and Sphinx of Giza, is subject to other fables, legends and rumors than any other monument in Egypt. I was amazed to hear a guide, which was very serious, the old palace was built on a type of turnstile turn the whole building and its windows were always sunny. Of course , it was urban legend in Cairo, but for many years, building in Heliopolis has ignited the imagination of the local people with all kinds of fables, legends and rumors.Today, the Hindu palace Barons remains countless rumors object. From time to time, new rumors about the monument was abandoned for many years. Its haunted by bats, stray dogs, and others believe in ghosts. And while the place attracts some architects for her wealth, it also seems to have attracted teenagers for their wild parties. They enter the place on weekends , drink beer and smoke hashish . In the late 1990s , the palace was said to be filled with tattooed , devil worshiping young people holding orgies, skinning the cat and write their names in the rat blood on the walls of the palace. Of course, as old houses go, we assume that it could or could not be haunted, but the palace now has two guards who are responsible for ensuring that nothing too special happens inside.

 Statue of Hindu divinities out of palace

The palace was the industrial manufacturer of Belgian origin , General Baron Edouard Louis Joseph Empain (1852-1929) The prodigal son of a school teacher in the village which has become one of the greatest entrepreneurs of colonialist of Europe in the 20th century. 

Baron Empain

Empain was born in Beloeil , Belgium, and was the son of a teacher François Julien Empain and his wife Catherine (nee Solivier ). He went into business with his brother , Baron François Empain and other family members , and has amassed a large fortune.Empain began his career as a cartoonist in a metallurgical company , Metallurgical Society in 1878 and became involved in the construction of the railway when he noticed that the transport infrastructure in the country has been inadequate. After the success in Belgium with the Liège- Jemeppe line , its companies have developed several lines of railway in France , including the creation of the Paris Metro .Because he felt he was too dependent on banks for its industrial projects, in 1881 he founded his own bank , Bank Empain , who later became the Belgian Industrial Bank ("Industrial Bank of Belgium ").  The Empain group companies greatly expanded during the 1890s, electric tramlines urban construction in Europe , Russia , China, the Belgian Congo , and Cairo , Egypt. Desiring to be as independent power producers, Empain also involved in the formation of a number of utilities for power projects.

"Edward Empain" received the title Baron by the King of France in recognition of his efforts in the establishment of the Paris Metro , where he was an engineer in circulation. Edward Empain was a brilliant engineer with an economic mind. When he returned home , he created several projects that have brought him a lot of money, and most of these projects was the Banque de Bruxelles, he created in Belgium. Collecting money was not his only hobby , he was passionate about travel and visited most countries of the world. He visited Mexico , Brazil and South America. He also traveled to Africa where he had many projects . Then he moved eastward to the land of magic and beauty ...... India.

Belgian billionaire fell in love with the East, he spent many years in India and he loved mythology and decided to look for the oldest historic site, it is moved to the cradle of ancient civilizations "Egypt" . A few days after his arrival in Cairo , he loved this country very much and decided to live there until his death. He even wrote in his will that he wants to be buried in the dust of Egypt, even though he passed away!It was natural for him to look somewhere for permanent residence . The strangest thing was the choice of location in the desert near Cairo.Once he chose where to live , he leaned over to study architecture at his home in Cairo, which would be built . He made ​​a decision where he lives should only be unprecedented in the world. Balconies of the palace were decorated with statues of elephants. It has a tower on a base that moves one full cycle every hour to allow someone to see all the views in all directions .

Another view of the Baron's palace

His efforts culminated in 1907 with the construction of the new city of Heliopolis in the desert ten kilometers from the center of Cairo. It was designed as a "city of luxury and leisure " , with broad avenues with monumental panoramic outlook , equipped with all facilities and infrastructure, including water , sewer , electricity, facilities the hotel such as the Palace Hotel and Heliopolis House and leisure facilities including a golf course , racetrack and park. In addition, there was housing for rent , offered in a range of innovative design types targeting specific social classes with detached and terraced villas , apartment buildings, apartment blocks with balcony access and workers' bungalows.

Strange works in stone at the Baron's palase

The new city has also represented the first large-scale attempt to promote what later came to be called the " modern Arabic style", known in his time as the " Moorish ". However, his own extravagant house , which was built between 1907 and 1910 , dominates the city, he chose an architectural style that was very different.To his own house, he chose a prestigious location in Heliopolis , and ordered Alexander Marcel , a French architect and a member of the prestigious French Institute , build him a Hindu palace . Some say he was supposed to be more or less a copy of the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia he had seen during his travels in the country , while others say it is modeled on the great Hindu temples of Orissa.

Another strange stone Baron's Palace

Empain best Indonesian artists and sculptors for its construction. They built on an artificial elevation to allow the Baron to watch the sunrise Heliopolis. The palace was striking out under the responsibility of Marcel, who played an eclectic mix of busts, statues , elephants , snakes , Buddha, Krishna and chills . The sophisticated interior was the responsibility of his French partner, Georges- Louis Claude . This team was also responsible for the construction and decoration of the Oriental Pavilion attached to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Belgium.The palace was , of course, built in a very select area . Other noble neighbors , to his left , facing Avenue Baron was the Arabesque palace , which is now the military headquarters but was originally the home of Boghos Nubar Pasha and Mary. It was Pasha who helped Baron Empain in buying 6,000 acres of empty desert to a pound each on which he built Heliopolis. Diagonally opposite resist the former residence of Sultan Hussein Kamel , who ruled Egypt between 1914 and 1917. Today, it is a presidential guest house .Since visitors are not allowed to enter the palace , little is known about its interior today. It consists of two floors with two additional floors underground . The basement contains a mausoleum of the family, a kitchen and a room of the servant. There are two elevators and even a tunnel that connects to the nearby church built by Baron .

 the door is closed of the palace of Baro

Of course , the Baron himself was the first to occupy the palace . He received all hosts marks Egypt including King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of Belgium during the pre-war I visit Egypt. Although the decrease in number, there are those who still remember when the landscape surrounding the Hindu palace was a paradise festooned with growing green terraces each with its own set of erotic statues in marble and exotic vegetation. As guests negotiated terraces on their way to the major steps leading into the great hall of the palace, they felt as if some mythical Deus watched from inside the palace. These lyrical pleasure Baron endless.Next to occupy the palace was his playboy son , Baron Jean Empain . He received his guests, either racing or Heliopolis his balls innumerable palaces where he cut a dashing figure with his multiple wives . It was an American cabaret dancer Rozell Rowland aka Goldie who finally nailed to the altar. The "prince" and the showgirl had met in a nightclub in Cairo where she performed all painted gold. The last of the family of Baron to occupy the palace were Janine and Huguette Empain who actually preferred the salons of the fashionable Heliopolis Sporting Club or the roof garden of the former Hotel Semiramis in sepulchral halls of the palace of their great grandfather. The palace was finally sold by its owners in 1957 for two families, and Alexem Reda , who were Saudi-born .

Corner detail from Baron's Palace

The spark of the place is gone today. It became an architectural masterpiece that produces incredible stories and rumors, but as these stories and rumors, has no inner beauty. Finished murals Fresco massive golden doors , balustrades , floors , door handles gold , and Belgian mirrors were torn from their sockets. Now he is best known for the bats that live there, and profane the floors with their droppings.The Egyptian government may want to turn the palace into a museum in the desert, or perhaps a large pantheon of Egypt. Unfortunately, they are not the owners of the building and those who are said to have asked for 50 million U.S. dollars prize. This is much more than the annual budget of the Supreme Council of Antiquity. The owners speak to transform the palace into a casino or even a medical center Euro style . Unfortunately for the owners, their options are limited. Act 117 prohibits the sale or purchase of buildings that are considered to be antiques. So for now, it seems, the Palace of the Baron is one of those landmarks that is yet to see the light of the restoration.No doubt incredible stories will continue to leave the palace and lost fortunes. None will be more amazing than that, however, the priceless architectural treasure abandoned and crumble at the sight of all the ministers, VIP, tourism and other passenger air as they motor up the road from the airport on their way in or out of Cairo.

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