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Name of Monument:

The Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oasis Company

Other name of the Monument:

Heliopolis Oasis Company (H.O.C.); Heliopolis Company for Housing and Development (current name)

Location:

Heliopolis (Cairo), Egypt

Responsible Institution:

Heliopolis Company for Housing and Development

 About Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT), Heliopolis (Cairo)

Date of Monument:

1908

Architect(s) / Master-builder(s):

Ernest Jaspar

History:

The HOC (Heliopolis Oases Company) was founded by decree on the 14th of February 1906. Its inception, however, came first in the 20th of May 1905 when the land was purchased and the railway concession was attained by both founders of Heliopolis: the Belgian Baron Edward Empain and Boghos Nubar Pasha.

The company’s Neo-Mamluk premises were built in 1908, following the designs of Belgian architect Ernest Jaspar (1876–1940). Currently, the building houses the company that used to handle services in the suburbs of Heliopolis like water, gas, electricity, tramways, etc.

Description:

The first administrative premises of the Heliopolis Oases Company (HOC). The architecture of Heliopolis represents quite a unique and outstanding experiment with form architecture. The neighbourhood's buildings – mostly designed by French and Italian architects – followed the European styles of the time, employing the principal of Eclecticism. Features of Arab, Andalusian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles are characteristic of the district.

Citation of this web page:

Ahmad al-Bindari "The Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oasis Company" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;AWE;eg;2;en

Prepared by: Ahmad Al-BindariAhmad al-Bindari

19th and 20th Century Researcher and Photographer, Architecture and Urban Heritage Program - 19th and 20th Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT), Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Copyedited by: Daniel de la VegaDaniel de la Vega

Daniel de la Vega is a copy editor based in Portland, Oregon. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2014 and has since done editing and localization work on everything from college applications to magazines to video game dialogue.

MWNF Working Number: ET2 002

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