The tale of The Baron's Palace in Heliopolis, Egypt
Whilst staircases are often the focal point of a building, they are not usually the centre point of an entire city, or deserving of mythology. However there is one impressive spiral staircase which has inspired its own ghost stories, and has a fascinating true story surrounding it.
An Oasis in the Desert
Baron Edouard Louis Joseph Empain was a Belgian industrialist and businessman who gained fame for building the Paris metro, and moved to Egypt in 1904 with plans to expand his commercial empire by building new railway lines in the country. He set his sights on an unsettled area north-east of Cairo, and made grand plans to develop an extension of the city which would be a centre for luxury and leisure.
The Baron began to buy up parcels of land in the development area, and install infrastructure including running water, drainage systems, electricity, grand boulevards, parks, religious buildings, trams and leisure facilities. The new city of Heliopolis (City of the Sun) – named for the nearby ancient settlement – subsequently grew to be a cultural centre for Egypt, in no small part due to the Baron’s vision. The entire city was created to be architecturally striking, blending Persian, Moorish, neoclassical European and Arab design, which became known as ‘Heliopolis style’.
Image by Davis Hunter
Building a Masterpiece
The Baron wanted his own home to be the symbol of this new development, making the most of views over the Giza Pyramids. To this end, he employed French architect Alexandre Marcel to create a unique residence. The interior of the palace was largely designed and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude using inspiration from Hindu temples of Asia, and the statement staircase was conceptualised by Empain himself. The building was constructed using reinforced concrete, a modern material considered to demonstrate wealth and status, and the main tower was designed on a base which rotated a full 360 degrees to allow the Baron to see the entire city without moving from his seat.
One of the most impressive aspects of the palace is, of course, its grand spiral staircase, which connects all floors of the building, from basement to roof terrace.
Image by Hossam Manadily
House of Horrors
The grand mansion became known as The Baron Palace or Hindu Palace and was lived in by the Baron and his family until the Egyptian coup of 1952, when it was abandoned and left to fall into ruin.
The palace became a popular spot for ghost hunters and paranormal tourism. According to local folklore, the Baron’s sister, Helena, met a mysterious death in the palace. Some say she fell from the rotating tower whilst others claim she was pushed. The Baron’s wife also died mysteriously inside the building, possibly taking her own life, her body reportedly discovered in the service elevator.
The staircase was considered particularly haunted, as it was the location of the death of the Baron’s daughter Mariam, who had been kept hidden, locked away from the world because of a health issue considered shameful by society at the time. She is believed to have fallen to her death – whether accidental or deliberate is open to debate – from the top of the ornate spiral staircase.
There were a wealth of rumours and speculation about the Baron and the palace, and the estate’s destitute state helped perpetuate the Palace’s reputation as a ‘house of horrors’ inspired by the household’s tragedies. Over the decades, locals and visitors have reported strange occurrences in and around the Baron’s Palace. These tales range from ghostly apparitions to inexplicable noises, cementing its reputation as one of Egypt’s most haunted sites.
Adding to the estate’s dark appeal, stories of satanic rituals and secret gatherings have long been associated with the Baron’s Palace. After the building fell into disrepair, urban explorers reported finding strange symbols on the walls, and interpreted these as evidence of occult activities. The palace’s dark reputation reached a peak in the 1990s when rumors of paranormal activity surged. Witnesses reported strange lights emanating from the empty structure at night, shadows moving across the windows, and unexplained noises.
Image by Yasser Al-Ghol
Ghosts and Rebels
However, for some time the palace was a focal point for social rebellion and was regularly used by young people as a venue for free parties in the 1990s, which may well explain most of the stories of strange lights, noises and symbols on the walls!
The palace remained a derelict shell until 2005, the centenary of Heliopolis, when it was acquired by the Egyptian government and classified as an historical monument by the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities. The Belgian government agreed to jointly restore the building in 2012, and turn it into an international arts and culture centre. The palace was completed in 2020 and is now open to the public.