Egypt to reopen historic Baron Empain Palace after $6 million restoration

A general view of the restoration work at the Baron Empain Palace, "Qasr el Baron" or The Hindu Palace, built in the 20th century by a Belgian industrialist Edouard Louis Joseph, also known as Baron Empain, in the Cairo's suburb Heliopolis, Egypt August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will soon reopen the century-old Baron Empain Palace after a $6 million renovation of the Indian-inspired mansion built by a wealthy Belgian engineer in the upmarket Heliopolis district of the capital Cairo.

Built in 1911, the two-story mansion fell into disrepair after Edouard Empain's death in 1929 and for many years, amid protracted ownership disputes, it was rented out for social events or as a film set.