The Step Pyramids of Saqqara

Most people living in Cairo / visiting Cairo would have been to the Step Pyramid of Saqqarra..Well, despite all my travels, I had only seen the Step Pyramid from the outside, never ventured inside the complex. This is despite sending tons of guests to see the pyramid!

According to historians, the Step Pyramid complex holds a very special place in the history of Egyptian architecture as it was here, that limestone was first used on a large scale as a construction material, and here the idea of a monumental royal tomb in the form of a pyramid was given shape.

Since hubby was out of town, and, I had the time, decided to go see the Saqqarra pyramids.

Near the ticket office is the small Imhotep Museum which contains the sarcophagus of Imhotep, who is credited with building Egypt's first pyramid. He is recognized as a doctor, a priest, scribe, sage, poet, astrologer, and a vizier and chief minister to Djoser, the second king of Egypt's third dynasty.

The colours from centuries ago are still bright and the detailing absolutely clear!
The Step Pyramid of Djoser! While many credit it to be the first known pyramid to mankind, recent findings seem to suggest step pyramids of earlier vintage, but as per popular concensus it is still considered the first known pyramid to mankind!

It is believed that this pyramid marks the transition of funeral tombs from a mastaba to a proper pyramid. In fact, the pyramid probably started out life as a mastaba and was subsequently added to, which explains the structure and the distinct steps...
There is a large facade through which you enter the complex, and, walk into a colonnaded entrance.

The colonnaded entrance contains 40 columns - 20 on each side. They are considered to represent the provinces of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The corridor opens into a rectangular vestibule which served as the final entrance to the courtyard. I understand that this courtyard used to serve as a running field for the King's Sed Festival during which the king would demonstrate to the people his continuing physical prowess and ability.

The south tomb's chapel. Its exterior has niches over which a frieze of cobras protect the facility..

The carvings above the entrance of the tomb of Inefrt..

The name of the Prince Inefrt written in heirogyphics at the entrance of the tomb.
Frescos on the wall at the entrance to the inner chamber of the tomb..

Heirogyphics on a false door in the tomb....
Original colours on the frescos from over 3000 years ago....

I can just imagine what this must have looked like when the colours were still bright!I understand that there are two other tombs which are in a better condition, but did not go in there this time.

Another engraving at the entrance to another tomb...

The pyramid of Unnas, the last king of the 5th dynasty. The pyramid is infinitely more well known than the man who built it, because for the first time in the history of the excavation of pyramids, they discovered 128 magical spells of the Pyramid Text on the walls of its subterranean chambers!

The duck like figure at the bottom represents the number 1000. The fresco indicates sacrifices made of 1000 cows, 1000 horses, 1000 deer etc...

In the shadows of Dsojer's pyramids, stands the pyramid of Userkaf who was considered the founder of the 5th Dynasty.His pyramid was called "Pure are the (cult) places of Userkaf", but today, in keeping with its state of disrepair, locally its known as the "ruined pyramid".

The duo at Saqqara...

I am glad that I did make the trip. Now my son and I are hoping to be able to go see the new pyramid that they discovered at Saqqara!

The Cairene Sabil: Umm Abbas

After seeing the Sultan Hassan mosque, I still had some time to spare before my son came home, so my driver volunteered to drive me around that area. As per him, there were a number of old and beautiful buildings in that area which I could see from the comfort of my car.. Since I had time to spare, I happily agreed. It seemed like a good idea!

Suddenly, my driver very excitedly called out "look Miss Manisha" and I looked around rather fazed for I could only see traffic , and, some dilapidated buildings around me. And then I spotted what had got him so excited. A lovely marble structure with beautiful gold engravings that was juxtaposed against a brown wall. Having read a little about Cairo's monuments and structures, I recognised it as a sabil.

A sabil was a kind of water reservoir built by the rich & famous to provide water to the denizens of Cairo. I believe the origins of the sabils lie in the Quran and the hadith since providing free water for all to drink, something that is highly regarded in the Koran.

Very often, a sabil would have a first floor which would be used as a khutub or a school where the poor could be taught the Koran.

This particular sabil was built by Bambah Qadin - the granddaughter of Abbas I, who ruled Egypt from 1848 to 1854 A.D, and the mother of Abbas II. "Umm" in Arabic means mother so the sabil of the mother of Abbas, hence the name Sabil Umm Abbas!

Located off Saliba Street at the corner of the side alley ‘al-Siufiya’, Saliba Street can be reached from Midan al-Qal’a (Citadel Square), also called Mohammed Ali Square where Sultan Hassan mosque and Rifai mosque stand.

The sabil's facade is really beautiful with Ottoman style decorative panels running around the sabil & inscriptions above the windows. Obviously, the monument has been recently restored, as is obvious by the bright gilded decorations. The colours are too bright for them to be original, but the restorers have done a wonderful job. The facade is adorned by gilded Ottoman inscriptions & decorations standing out against blue and deep red backgrounds to which the marble structure provides a perfect foil.

Umm Abbas's sabil is obviously a labour of care and detailed attention. You don't really need to spend much time, but the structure is gorgeous and definately worth one look! It stands out amidst the stone, dull brown buildings and crowded roads.

I believe, some sabils were open only at certain hours; others remained open day and night. However, during Ramadan, all the sabils were closed. Each sabil was run by a manager or a keeper who made sure that it functioned well.

As per records of the 18th century, there were over 300 sabils in existence, while current records show only around 70 still extant. Now while I have no intentions of seeing all 70, there a few others that I do want to see, like the Bazdar and Maghlawi sabils , and the sabil of Tusun Pasha & that of Katkhuda....

Nilometer

While everyone does the regular tourist circuit, Cairo has a number of other places of varying vintage and interest, that you just need to have the time, and, of course the inclination to go see.

One such place, that had been on my agenda for over a year, is the Nilometer on Roda Island, but somehow everytime I planned to go there, something came up, and, I could not. However, a friend was equally keen to see the place, so we finally did manage to make the trip, and, at least for me, it was worth the trip, notwithstanding my vertigo!

Deciding to go see it was the easy part, finding it was another story all together! Its amazing how these things are overlooked not only by tourists but also locals. Finally, it was a hotel concierge who came to our rescue, and, after a broken car mirror, a visibly upset driver, and, terrific traffic, we made it to the Nilometer. Nestled between the Nile and a lot of greenery, it is rather easy to miss it. And while you are searching for it, might make sense to ask for Mikyas al-Nil - might make it easier to find it!

I guess the importance of Nilometer in earlier Egyptian life cannot be underestimated. The rulers and their officials derived their power from the Nilometer? Strange? Not really, when you consider that the levels of the water as measured in the Nilometer, helped the officials predict the level of inundation, which indicated the extent of deposits of fertile black soil which was so crucial to cultivation. More importantly, this determined the level of taxes to be paid to the ruler, hence playing an important political and administrative role.

Though you would have thought that the years of experience would have taught the peasants to read the signs when the Nile was flooding, much better than the officials reading it off a Nilometer, but there is a premium to being royalty and having access to years of acumulated data which probably made the prediction a little more accurate, and, made it sound a lot more hi-fi (much like management speak vis-a-vis common sense, lol!)

From the outside, the conical dome is very modern and you need to hunt out the caretakers to open the doors and allow you to go in. We found a very helpful one, who could not speak a word of anything other than Arabic, but nevertheless, very sweetly proceeded to explain things to us (God bless CSA and my driver for my Arabic lessons!).
The Nilometer was built on the oredrs of the Caliph al-Mutawakkil (847-861) under the direction of Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Hasib at the end of his reign in 861.The Nilometer, as it stands today, is almost as it was originally except for the wooden painted dome roof which was a later addition as part of a restoration project.

The roof, I understand, was destroyed in a bombing by the French during their occupation of Egypt (wonder why the Egyptians are still so fascinated with the French? French language, French au pairs, french food?) after which a new dome was built in the same style as it is today. This however, was not destined to last too long either, and, was destroyed by a factory explosion, and, then restored as close to the original as possible, based on an 18th century painting by the Danish traveler, Fredrik Ludvig Norden as a reference. It is indeed beautiful (see photo below)!

The Nilometer consists of a well which houses an octagonal marble column which is graded and divided into 19 cubits. From what I understood with my limited knowledge of Arabic, water upto the 16th mark meant an ideal flood, anything below 16 meant famine and drought, and anything above 19 meant tragedy! I also read somewhere that prior to the expected flood, this column would be anointed with saffron and musk in order to help induce a good water level!

This well, that houses the marble column, continues deep into the ground, beyond the surface level of the Nile. This well was connected to the Nile through tunnels, which are sealed now (see tunnel doors below).

The walls of the well are inscribed with Kufic Qur'anic inscriptions referring to water, prosperity and vegetation.

The Nilometer was also importat as a trigger for Fath al-Khalij or the festival of the Opening of the Canal. The Khalij Canal originated opposite Roda Island and would be opened when the Nilometer reached the 16 mark. At this level, the water filled up the canal and provided irrigation for the farmers.

From what I have read, during the celebrations, decorated boats would crowd the river. Those who witnessed it referred to it as Cairo's most spectacular festival. Of course the celebrations were not guaranteed. If the water levels remained below 16, then far from celebrating, the locals would be fasting and praying to the rain gods!

The first time I went, my vertigo got the better of me, and, I did not manage to go down the well. The absence of any railings/ support makes it worse!

The next time round, I gritted my teeth and went down, couldn't let a fear get the better of me! And believe me, the view, as you look up from the ground, with the light streaming through the dome, is really worth the trek down!

How to get there: Nilometer is located inside the gardened compound of Cairo's Al Manasterly Palace. The entrance fees is LE15 er head.

A 4,300- year-old pyramid discovered in Sakkara desert

Daily News Egypt
By Marwa Al-A’sar
First Published: November 11, 2008

CAIRO: A 4,300-year-old pyramid of a Pharaonic queen was discovered in Sakkara desert, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told reporters in a press conference on site Tuesday.
“The pyramid is believed to belong to Queen Sesheshet, the mother of King Titi (2323 – 2291 BC), the founder of ancient Egypt‘s Sixth Dynasty,” Hawass said.

The pyramid is part of the cemetery associated with King Titi, who had his funerary complex built north-east to that of King Djoser (2630 – 2611 BC). It is 4.5 meters high with a square base of 22 meters on each side. The original height is estimated to be about 14 meters.

“We are about to reach the burial area, yet I don’t think we will find much because we found traces of robbery there,” Hawass said.
Sesheshet’s pyramid is located near those of Titi’s two wives, Khuit and Iputi. The three pyramids were designed similarly.

Though Sesheshet was recognized from inscriptions on a medical papyrus, no identified tomb for her has ever been discovered in the Sakkara necropolis, according to Hawass.

He pointed out that the Egyptian excavation in the Titi cemetery has added a lot to the understanding of the beginning of the sixth Dynasty.

An Egyptian archeological team has been excavating the site since 1988. But the discovery was made a few months ago when it appeared that the structure unveiled under the sand was a pyramid.

The Sesheshet pyramid is the 118th discovered so far in Egypt. There are 20 pyramids more found out but with only the bases remaining.
“The newly discovered pyramid is expected to be unveiled after two months,” Hawass concluded.

The queen mother played an important role in the establishment of the sixth dynasty at a time when two branches of the former ruling family were in conflict.

For many years, scholars believed that Iputi was the primary wife of King Titi. Recently, however, Hawass excavated the pyramid of Khuit, discovering that her pyramid was built before Iputi’s, which indicates she was the chief wife.

City of Dead - Khankah of Sultan Farag Barquq

I think part of the problem of going to see the tombs in the City of the Dead is the complete lack of any signage of any sort which would help find the tombs you are looking for!



My driver used to work for a travel agency before, but even he shrugs his shoulders when its comes to this part of Cairo. "No English tourist come to cemetry" he looks at me rather accusingly! "Er... ana min el Hind, ana mish engeltera!"



I suspect he's not too happy, having to roam the "Qarafa" (the local name for the City of the Dead) but does not have too much choice, given the "idosynchrasies" of his expat employer, lol! Though I keep telling him to look at the brighter side of this - after we are gone, he can probably go back to work for a travel agency, and, this time take them to places where "no man has gone before"! Pardon the last line, but my son's current obsession with all things Star (Star Trek, Star Wars etc) is rubbing off on me!!!



So willy nilly, he had to ask around for the nexy tomb on my list.



Khankah of Sultan Farag Ibn Barquq
My second stop was the Khankah of Sultan Barquq which my driver mistook for another mosque. A Khanqah used to be a kind of hostel / monastery for the Sufis, where they could stay and learn. The tomb was built by his son Al-Nasir Faraj for him, but he was never buried here!

While he ensured a place in the history of Cairo's architecture for his father with this tomb, Al-Nasir Faraj, however had the misfortune of being "the most tragic king of Egypt". He took the throne at the age of ten, and was only twenty-three when he was deposed and killed in Damascus. The khanqah took so long to complete (eleven years), that during its construction the sultan was dethroned twice and traveled to Syria seven times to quell disturbances. His reign was really one of continual strife among the amirs .(www.touregypt.com)


Given this background, wonder where he managed to find the time to build such a beautiful masoleum and kankhah? Lessons in time management, much to learn!
The khankah is rather special on account of two beautiful domes and two minarets. One can climb both minarets, from which there is a fairly panaromic view, not only of the necropolis but of the surrounding areas.

The place has a huge sprawling courtyard which makes you wonder that it may well have been used as a congregational mosque rather than only a madrasa / khankah.

In one corner are stairs which take you to the upper floor to what must have been the living quarters of the sufi scholars who stayed and studied here.

Couldn't see much beyond this, cos I had to be back home in time to pick my son up, but shall be back another day!

City of the Dead

While driving from the airport to Maadi, past the Citadel, if you look around, you can see a sea of small brown buildings and masoleums dotting the landscape. Some of the domes of the masoleums are beautifully carved. This entire sea of mausoleums is probably the largest necropolis in the Arab world - the City of the Dead. The area covers five major cemeteries - the Northern Cemetery, Bab el Nasr Cemetery, the Southern Cemetery, the Cemetery of the Great, and Bab el Wazir Cemetery.

I remember the first time I drove through the area, I was fascinated by the buildings and the tombs and the contrast between some densely populated, bustling and other desolate, quiet, desserted sections in that area. When I mentioned this to a friend, she told me about the City of the Dead. Its not an area that many Cairenes like to visit, given that its a necropolis, she explained. As a name, it is, I must admit, a little macabre.

However, some of the tombs are really beautiful, and each time, I go to the Khan and come back I am very tempted to stop, but never could, due to paucity of time. But a few days ago, I decided that this was D day and come what ever may, the City of the Dead it was going to be!

I had been looking up some stuff on City of Dead before, and, I realised that big mausoleums like these were intended as complexes which included residential areas, kitchens, baths, bakeries, grain mills, a market place, rooms for travelers and small streets.

Also in cemeteries during those times also included small palaces and other residences for the wealtly to visit their dead in comfort. So most of the mausoleums belonging to the rich noblemen were large complexes, and, not just small tombs.

Other than just roaming around the necropolis, and exploring the various tombs and mosques, there were a few places on my list that I definately wanted to see:

a/ Mosque of Sultan Qait Bay
b/ Khankah of Sultan Farag Ibn Barquq
c/ Khankah of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay
d/ Mausoleum of Ahmed Hassanein Pasha
e/ Tomb of Emir Sulayman

Unfortunately, I only managed to see two - that of Sultan Qait Bay and Sultan. Will have to go back for the other three another day!

Mosque of Sultan Qait Bay
Perhaps, one of the most beautiful mosque/ tomb in the City of the Dead is the mosque of Sultan Qait Bay. In fact I remember it being described as the "jewel in the crown" for the mausoleums in the Cities of the Dead.

Purchased for a princely sum of fifty dinar, Sultan Qait Bay was a Mamluk slave who worked his way up through the ranks to become commander-in-chief of the army, and ultimately sultan.

He fought sixteen military campaigns, but is best remembered for the spectacular buildings he left. His buildings graced Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Damascus, and every quarter of Cairo. Out of more than 60 constructions and renovations he sponsored in Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Mecca, his most famous is the Qait Bay Citadel in Alexandria

The mosque though small is beautiful. The magnificent dome has a beautifully carved star pattern.

When you walk inside the mosque, you understand why someone had referred it to as the "jewel in the crown". It is indeed beautiful albiet small.

I had asked one of the caretakers to take a photograph of mine, and, after that I was surprised to find a policeman / guard following me around, muttering in Arabic and wildly gesturing towards my camera. For a moment I thought that perhaps it was not permitted to take photographs, so rather hesitatingly I asked "mish mumkin (not possible)?" He gestured no and once again at the camera. Then when I was reviewing the photos, it struck me! The man had happily sneaked in behind me while the snap had been clicked and wanted to see his photograph! There you can see him, pose et all!
The ceiling is decorated beautifully with the traditional Islamic design tools - calligraphy, geometric patterns and arabesque designs. You can see the shape of the star worked in the ceiling pattern (below). The star, I understand is quite prominently used in Islamic art as a symbol of guidance often mentioned in the Quran.

The mosque has beautiful stained glass windows on two sides, much in the fashion of the long windows in old English castles.

During the afternoons, when the sun rays filter in through these windows, they cast the coloured shadow of these windows on the floor and the walls giving the impression of the stone smoldering in the aftermath of a raging fire!

Of course, you see this mosque every single day, but might find it difficult to recognise it. Where have you seen it? Well, on the LE 1 note that you handle every single day!

The reality is far more beautiful and the picture on the LE 1 note does not do the mosque justice. Go see it!

Sultan Hussein mosque

This is the Sultan Hussein mosque near Khan el Khalili. As you are walking out of the Khan, you can see one of the minarets through the higgedly piggedly maze of the buildings of the Khan..

The mosque is really large with the areas for women and men being segregated and seprated by a wall. There is a shrine covered in silver which has access from both the male and the female section of the mosque.

The women's section.......

EDITED (3 Nov '08): Met some Pakistani friends yesterday with whom I raised this topic. As per them, physical segregation in terms of separate places does not exist even at Kaba, so its arisen more out of practice than a specified tenet.

Al Azhar

This is a random photograph. While at Khan, waiting for the car, I happened to look out towards Al Azhar, and the towers against the white clouds looked really beautiful so just clicked a photograph!

Bab Zuwayla

Next to the Al Azhar mosque is the sprawling Al Ghouri Wikala or at least what I suspect is a part of the Al Ghouri complex. There is an open archway through which a bustling passage stretches as far as the eye can see. If you take this pathway and keep walking, you come at the other end at Bab Zuwayla, which is the Southern gate of the old walled city of Al Qahira.

Bab Zuwayla is one of the three gates that remain of the original 60 that guarded the walls of Al Qahira. Built in 1092, the wall has survived the years being beefed up at different points in time. In fact you can “read the wall” or see the different reinforcements effected in the form of different colours / textures of stones.

The word “Bab” means gates and “Zuwalya” refers to the soldiers of the Berber tribe Zuwayla who was part of the Fatimid army and whose barracks were near this gate. Local folklore has it that the gate was considered unlucky, probably on account of the fact that in the earlier times executions were carried out here and the heads hung out on spikes on the top of the gate! Ugh!

However, the gate subsequently gained popularity as Bab al Mitwalli after a saint who lived near the gate and was rumoured to perform miracles!

As you enter the gate, you find yourself standing on steps which are atop the walls of the old walled city. One step you are within the limits of the old Fatimid city of Al Qahira, and, the next moment you are not!


A set of 76 steps carry you to the roof of the gate which is adorned by two circular towers. This is the loggia that at one time used to house the Royal Orchestra which would announce the arrival of the Royal Fatimid processions. During the Mamluk reign, drummers at the loggia would herald the arrival of the Amir into the city! I suspect this is also where the executions were carried out – a rather creepy feeling!


On both sides of the gate are beautifully carved minarets. Each minaret has a narrow staircase that leads up to the top, to a panoramic view of Cairo, though I must admit, the immediate view is not exactly eye candy! For a moment I had second thoughts about going up, seeing it gets a little dark and rather narrow but decided to brave it!



Despite the fact that you are in a crowded part of old Cairo, its incredibly peaceful, and, at this time of the year, very pleasant!

The Citadel

Cairo Citadel, al_Muqqatam Citadel, Qal'al - Jabal.. a rose by any other name would have smelt as sweet...

Its amazing that I have visited the Citadel so many times, but somehow never written about it, especially since its one of the most well known non-pharonic monuments in Cairo. My son's class was going for a field trip to the Citadel, so happily volunteered to tag along...

One would've thought that after going there a number of times with guests, I would've had my fill but there's something so majestic about the Citadel perched on its rock throne, watching over Cairo as the city goes about its business...

The Citadel was built by a lieutenant of the Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din between 1176-1183 as a royal residence and military barracks. It has a long history and had the distinction of being the seat of government for four different dynasties - the Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and Khedival rulers of Egypt.

It is said that the spur on which the Citadel is built was actually carved out from the Muqattam Hill, and was chosen for strategic reasons - it was high up on a mountain so easy to protect, it overlooked the twin cities of Cairo and Misr, and formed a barrier between the cities and the dessert..

Among its extant monuments, the 13th/14th c. hypostyle mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad from the Early Bahri Mamluk period, the 16th c. Mosque of Suleyman Pasha, first of the Citadel's Ottoman-style mosques, and the 19th c. Mosque of Muhammad 'Ali al-Kabir indicate the influence and existence of the different dynasties..

As you enter the complex on your left is Mohamad Ali's Jewel Palace which was destroyed to a large extent in an elctrical fire, and, now is in the process of being restored.

As you walk down on your left is the famous Mohammad Ali mosque, also known as the Alabaster mosque because of the alabaster used on the exterior and interior walls and the courtyard. It is said that it was designed to emulate the style of the royal Ottoman mosques of Istanbul, and, that the architect was the same man who built the Haga Sophya in Istanbul.

The mosque has 3 domes which are designed to be utilitarian. I believe the domes help to keep the mosque cool and also cause resonance which is useful during prayers. The domes on the exterior are covered with lead sheets which is what gives the mosque is silver sheen in sunlight.

If you look at the walls of the mosque, there are only 3 types of decorations - floral, geometric and calligraphy.. Islam does not permit worship of statues which is why you dont see any.

In the centre of the courtyard is an octagonal gazebo like structure which is the ablution fountain which is very much in use even today. A little ahead, on the right side is the ablution well from which the water was drawn before taking it to the gazebo to complete the cleansing process..

In the middle of the western side of the outer courtyard, stands a brass clock-tower, which was
presented in 1845 to Muhammad'Ali by Louis Philippe, King of France, in return for the obelisk which adorns the Place de la Concorde in Paris today. It is said that from the day it was gifted, the clock never worked! So clearly, King Louis Philippe did not appreciate his gift too much!!!

When you enter the mosque, the first thing that strikes you is this huge circular rail on which hundreds of lamps seem to be twinkling. While I did not have the energy to count, it is said that the rail has as many lamps as the number of days in the year i.e. 365. Can you imagine the plight of the vassal who had to light the oil lamps every day at sunset, and , then put them off after sunrise!!

In front of you, is a small curvature in the wall which prepresents the dierction of Kaba, and, is called the Mehrab. On the top part is a gilded half-sun which was the logo of the Ottoman empire. In fact, this logo can be seen in many places on the exterior and interior walls...

On the right of the Mehrab, you can see two sets of decorated flight of stairs. This is the "member" and from here the priest calls out the noon prayers. The original member is made from wood and decorated with the logo of the Ottomans. The new green one was gifted by King Farookh who was the last ruler who ruled Egypt.

Adjacent to the entrance, on your right, is where Mohamad Ali was buried. A stone reproduction of his hat adorns the grave at the top, and, a Holy Quran is placed on the grave.

When you look up, there is a balcony running along the walls of the mosque. This is the segregated prayer area for women when they come to pray at this mosque. This moque is an actively used mosque, so is closed to tourists for Friday afternoon prayers. So plan your trip accordingly, if planning to visit the Citadel on a Friday.

Baron Empain Palace, Heliopolis

Driving to the airport and back, I always wait to pass by a strange looking building in Heliopolis. Strange looking, not because it’s grotesque or weird, but because it is so un-Egyptian in its construct and carvings. My driver was clueless and was of little help so as to the name or the origins of this amazing structure.

It looks like an ancient Indian temple - an Indian temple in the middle of Islamic Egypt? The paradox kept bothering me, so I decided to pay the structure / temple / monument a visit.

On reaching the monument, I discovered that it was a palace - the Baron Empain palace, (Qasr Al- Baron), one of Egypt’s most spectacular architectural masterpieces, a place which has always been, and remains to be, a subject of fables, legends and rumors. And guess what the palace is known as? The Baron's Hindu Palace! So I was right about the Indian temple bit!

In 1904, Belgian Baron Edward Louis Joseph Empain first arrived in Egypt with only one intention: rescuing his company’s project to construct a railway line connecting Matariya to Port Said. Although the mission failed and he lost the contract to the British, he made up his mind to stay in Egypt. It is said that the Baron had fallen in love. But no one knew whether it was with the desert or one of the Egypt’s most beautiful elites (much is talked about his love and affection for Yvette Boghdadli).

The Baron is credited with building the new city of Heliopolis, ten miles from Cairo.

Baron Empain commissioned his palace in 1907, two years after work began on the construction of Heliopolis. Empain asked French architect Alexander Marcel to build him a Hindu palace on an artificial elevation. It was completed in 1911.

The elaborate interior was the responsibility of his French associate, Georges-Louis Claude.

ANGKOR WAT

Marcel and Claude had previously constructed and decorated the Oriental Pavilion attached to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Belgium. The palace was set in a marvelous garden - ascending green terraces, each with its own set of erotic marble statues.

The palace architecture is of a cross-cultural nature with an extraordinary mixture of Hindu temples of Orissa, Renaissance architecture along Marcel’s own adaptation of the Cambodian temples in Angkor Wat.

ORISSA HINDU TEMPLES

The Baron died at Woluwe, Belgium, and was buried under the basilic of Notre-Dame d'Héliopolis , and, with his death, began the ruin of this magnificient building.

The palace that was built by the hands of the best Indonesian artists and sculptors has sadly been allowed to fall to ruin.

The Egyptian army requisitioned the building during the Tripartite Aggression, which further damaged the garden and interior.

Over the years, the Baron palace has become a subject of many rumours, and, tales - the palace was haunted, it was used by devil worshippers and, perhaps more credibly, by drug dealers.

The palace was sold by the Baron’s family in 1957 to the families of Alxasam and Reda and was declared a monument later in the 80s by the Egyptian government.

But, a trip to Egypt would not be complete without a visit to this beautiful structure, still so majestic and unique in its construct, in this country of tombs and pyramids.