With Baron Empain’s Palace being officially inaugurated last week with an exhibition relating the history of the Cairo district of Heliopolis, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has also launched a new book entitled The Story of Heliopolis alongside the “Heliopolis, City of the Sun” exhibition in the palace, reports Nevine El-Aref.

The book, available in both Arabic and English, is directed at the general reader.

Nevine Nizar, ministerial advisor for exhibitions, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the book did not only narrate the history of Heliopolis, showing how it had been transformed from barren desert into an urban district complete with extensive services, but also took the visitor on a journey through time and back to the Belle Époque during which the area was built.

The book introduces readers to the pioneers of art, architecture, and engineering who made the Belgian Baron Empain’s dream a reality. This dream, which he shared with his friend the Egyptian politician Boghos Nubar Pasha, was to build a city in the desert whose exceptional architectural planning and unique buildings would rival Paris.

The book was the first of its kind in both its form and content, Nizar said, in that it presents history in the form of a story about the intangible heritage of Heliopolis, an aspect that the ministry holds in high regard. The book’s modern and appealing design helps to present the information as simply as possible, and the story of the founding of Heliopolis and the building of Baron Empain Palace is engagingly presented in the form of a conversation between key historical figures.

Despite the book’s wealth of cultural content, the information is presented in a manner suitable for all ages. Illustrations consisting of archival photos and imagined interactions between the story’s protagonists help to make this book an absorbing read. Special attention has been given to accurately reflecting the clothing of the protagonists with historical accuracy.

Nizar said that the book consisted of two parts, the first covering historical events surrounding the founding of Heliopolis, including conversations between key figures. The second part gives information about Baron Empain’s Palace and the history of Heliopolis. The book also comes with a free colouring book to raise children’s interest in the story of the exhibition, Heliopolis, and key figures in history.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly