Heliopolis style

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heliopolis style is an architectural style specific to an Egyptian district in eastern Cairo. At the beginning of the 20th century, the architects of the “Heliopolis Oasis Inc.” which was the Belgian company responsible for the building of a new suburb “Heliopolis”  ; also had a new style exclusively designed and developed to use it in the buildings of the new district.

Until today, this suburb is the only unique example which exists for this architectural form, and it is still very well preserved. It is represented by a large ensemble of buildings spanning a wide area of land, and with its typical historic form-language that relates itself to several epochs, this style is a unique mixture of the Moorish, Arabic and European styles.

The creators of this style tried to successfully implement the aesthetic and functional advantages of the three styles. Combining the qualities of these types (Moorish facades, Arabic sections, European plans) in a homogeneous unit; suitable for Egyptian domestic life at the turn of the century.

[edit] See also

• Heliopolis (Cairo Suburb)
• Timeline of architectural styles

[edit] References

• Dobrowolska, Agnieszka [2006]. Heliopolis: Rebirth of the City of the Sun (Paperback), First (in English), American University in Cairo Press, 176 pages. ISBN 9774160088. 

[edit] External links

• Celebration of a suburb, Al-Ahram weekly online
• Egypt in Bygone dayes, Photographic resource
• (Arabic) Heliopolis Company for Housing and Development - Currently responsible for the further development of Heliopolis
• (Dutch) Heliopolis: een Belgische droom in Caïro (Heliopolis: A Belgique dream in Cairo)

• (French) L'Egypte célèbre le centenaire d'Héliopolis (Egpyt celebrates the centenary of Heliopolis)
• (German) Egyptian delta light railways