- Title: Cairo's historic Baron Palace undergoes renovation
- Date: 19th August 2019
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (AUGUST 18, 2019) (REUTERS) SCAFFOLDING AROUND BARON PALACE UNDER RENOVATION MAN WORKING ON PALACE RENOVATION PALACE UNDER RENOVATION VARIOUS OF PALACE BALCONIES / PALACE TOWER CARVED STATUES IN PALACE WALL ADORNED PALACE DECORATIVE CARVINGS IN PALACE PALACE INTERIOR / PALACE CEILING STATUE / WORKERS OPERATING IN BACKGROUND WORKER CLEANING STATUE WORKERS RESTORING PALACE FENCE / PALACE UNDER RENOVATION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ENGINEER AND ANTIQUITY RESTORATION SPECIALIST, SALEH, SAYING: "We have now completed approximately 90 percent (of the renovation). We are finishing up. A few months, God willing, and we will open this palace up. It would hopefully be finished by then. But, of course, the recent uproar that took place on social media is not okay. I tell them, this is not acceptable. They have to turn to antiquities specialists in the field, like us. We have referred back (to documents). The documents are there. We have placed them on display, and will exhibit them again soon. We will upload them on the website of the Ministry of Antiquities. They are specific to the Baron Palace." VARIOUS OF WORKERS RESTORING PALACE FENCE VARIOUS OF WORKER RESTORING STATUE VARIOUS OF WORKERS RESTORING FENCE STATUE UNDER RENOVATION / PALACE UNDER RENOVATION PHOTOS OF PALACE / CONSTRUCTION WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MINISTER OF ANTIQUITIES, KHALED EL ANANY, SAYING: "Some people have old belongings, which we will use for the exhibition of Misr El-Gedida (the district of Heliopolis). The civilian community, the government, and the executive committees, all of us, have sat together in meetings, which were completely honest and the first of their kind. Why? Because I know how much the Baron (Palace) means to residents of Misr El-Gedida (residents). So I cannot simply work based on decisions that I make on my own. On the contrary, and as you have seen when the rumours started circulating (about the colour of the building), people were very upset. They were upset during the Eid holiday and were caused distress over false news. It is a rumour, and again I say to those who have spread the rumour surely have good intentions because they did this out of love. The rumours also speculated heights and measurements (of the fence around the palace). They definitely have good intentions." PALACE BALCONIES PALACE TOWER PALACE PALACE BEING RENOVATED STATUE / PALACE TOWER SEEN IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2019 13:27
- Keywords: Baron Palace Cairo Palaces Rennovations Culture Antiquities
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASVWN6D
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Built over 100 years ago by one of the district's richest residents, Cairo's famous Baron Palace is now undergoing various renovations, in an attempt to bring the historical landmark back to its 20th century glory.
The history of the palace goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the Belgian aristocrat, Eduard Empain, decided to retire from his worldly travels and establish a wealthy district in Cairo, calling it "Heliopolis", known today as Misr El-Gedida.
The Palace was built in 1911, takes on an Indian architectural style, and is made up of two floors, which Empain insisted on decorating with the rarest and most luxurious of statues.
Under the supervision of the Ministry of Antiquities, the palace is now being renovated using a 100 million Egyptian pound fund ($6 million), and is expected to be finished and open to the public in three months.
According to Minister of Antiquities, Khaled El Anani, the renovations were preceded by thorough studies of the original structure, as well as by constructive meetings between residents, the government, and relevant executive committees.
"I know how much the Baron (Palace) means to Misr El-Gedida residents," he said.
The renovation projects include the restoration of the palace roofs, the cleaning up and rebuilding of the statues and carvings adorning the palace, as well as the completion of missing doors and windowsills that have withered through time. Marble poles and paintings adorning the main entrance were also restored.
Despite the communications preceding the renovations, pictures circulating on social media caused an uproar of users saying the colour used to paint the palace wasted its original beauty and does not match the original shade of its facade.
Critics also said that the fence is being constructed according to inaccurate measurements.
But a restoration specialist explained that the palace's original documents have been carefully studied prior to the renovation process, deeming public criticism as rumours.
(Production: Amr Abdallah, Nadeen Ebrahim) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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