For foreigners and locals alike, the epic Baron Empain palace in Heliopolis is one of Cairo's most showstopping monuments, as grand and beautiful as it is mysterious and out of reach.
It might not be out of reach for much longer however, as Egypt's antiquities ministry announced Tuesday the launch of a new project that will carry out feasibility and documentation studies to restore and rehabilitate the abandoned palace.
Antiquities Minister Mamdouh El-Damaty said that the ministry would soon announce an architecture competition for submissions of suggested projects for the rehabilitation of the palace to allow it to become a tourist attraction, according to a statement .
El-Damaty added that the proximity of the palace to the Cairo Airport would make it even easier for tourists to access it. Restoration work is expected to begin in April 2016 after the studies are completed and the winners of the competition are announced.
The restoration of the palace will be carried out in accordance with its original structure and nature, its once extensive garden will also be rebuilt to fit what it originally looked like when the palace was first constructed.
The Baron Empian palace is one of the most distinctive historical palaces in Egypt, famous for its uniquely beautiful architecture, folktales that have shrouded it in mystery and the tragic fate of its former occupants.
The palace's design, the work of French architect Alexandre Marcel and designer Georges-Louis Claude, was based on and inspired by the Hindu temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Hindu temples of Orissa in India.
The Baron's style is what makes it stand out the most, giving it its out-of-place appearance in Cairo, a city whose historical architecture is predominately Islamic and European.
Its exterior is covered with concrete sculptures of Hindu deities, snakes, elephants and mythical creatures, and its interior was designed in a way that allows a constant stream of sunlight in all of its rooms and hallways.
Its garden used to be a lavish landscape consisting of ascending green terraces leading to the grand steps of the palace; each terrace had its own set of marble statues and exotic vegetation for guests to contemplate as they made their way to the residence.
The mansion, which was completed in 1911, was built by Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain, the rich Belgian industrialist who founded the city of Heliopolis. Empain came to Egypt in 1904 initially to save a business deal which didn't work out, but he stayed in Egypt and pursued other investments.
His biggest legacy is the Cairo suburb, which he began constructing in 1906 after buying a very large stretch of desert from the British colonial government in Egypt and on it built his dream city, with the palace both its masterpiece and centerpiece.
Although time took its toll on the monument over the years, it has always been one of Cairo's most significant landmarks. Now that it will be restored to its former glory, its significance might even increase.