In the heart of Krakow, at the junction of elegant Rhetoric Street and historic Smolensk Street, rises a building with an unusual and fascinating past, bearing the name of the Egyptian House. This historic building, although today presenting a modernist style, hides within its walls a history full of Egyptian inspirations.
Global Egyptomania
For centuries, the fascination with ancient Egypt has stimulated the imagination of artists, architects and intellectuals around the world. Monumental temples, hieroglyphs, sphinxes and pylons became a source of inspiration especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when European cities began to enrich their landscapes with exotic forms reminiscent of the Nile Valley. Egyptomania, sparked by archaeological discoveries and awakened by romantic imagination, was also reflected in architecture – from cemeteries and mausoleums to townhouses and public buildings. HERE we wrote about an orangery inspired by this style.
The birth of an Egyptian fantasy on the Vistula River
It was no different in Krakow. Following the wave of Egyptomania popular at the time, the Egyptian House was built in 1893-1896 at the junction of Rhetoric and Smoleńsk streets. The building, original in its design, was built on the initiative of Józef Kulesza, a Krakow sculptor and owner of a renowned stonemason’s workshop at the Rakowicki Cemetery. The design of this unusual project is attributed to the engineer Karol Lachnik, and its execution was supervised by the builder Beniamin Torbe. The very genesis of the building testifies to the ambitions of the investor, who wanted to create something eye-catching that would be quite different from any property ever built in Krakow.
Postcard from 1900. Source: Polon Digital National Library
Egyptian House – decoration as from the Valley of the Kings
In its heyday, the Egyptian House was a true architectural pearl of Krakow, standing out against other townhouses with its wealth of Egyptian motifs. The façade of the building was decorated with majestic sphinxes guarding the entrance, monumental pylons, and details inspired by hieroglyphs, sacred ibis and scarabs. There was no shortage of stylised figures of pharaohs, and the whole was completed by the characteristic cavetto cornice, commonly used in ancient Egypt. The entrance doors to the townhouse were decorated with patterns of lotus stems and papyrus. Behind them were interiors also enriched with elements alluding to the historic Nile Valley. The colours of the walls of the Egyptian House were inspired by the colours of the polychrome pyramids, creating an unusual, exotic atmosphere in the very centre of Krakow.
Reconstruction in the spirit of modernism
Unfortunately, over the years, the original appearance of the Egyptian House was significantly altered. As early as 1930, there were voices in the press criticising the neglect and visible damage to the Egyptian details. At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, it was therefore decided to carry out a major reconstruction of the building, which was to give it the modernist character that was fashionable at the time. As a result of these works, most of the characteristic Egyptian ornaments disappeared from the façade and interiors of the building, and the unique and original design became history, replaced by flat façades and insignificant details.
The townhouse in 1916 and 2014. Source: State Archive in Krakow and dawnotemuwkrakowie.pl
Egyptian House today
Although today’s Egyptian House is significantly different from its original version, few traces of its exotic past can still be seen. The most striking feature is the wooden entrance door, decorated with motifs of lotus stalks and papyrus and sun discs with ureushas. Inside the building, several architectural details have also been preserved, reminding visitors of its Egyptian roots. Interestingly, there are still at least four deteriorating statues of pharaohs that can be found in the building’s grounds. There is also a plaque on the façade commemorating the Scholarship Fund named after Józef Ostoja Zagórski, one of the former owners.
A heritage of extraordinary architecture
The Egyptian House in Krakow, despite its modernist metamorphosis, remains a fascinating testimony to its former times and architectural fascinations. Its history and preserved details still stimulate the imagination and remind us of an extraordinary chapter in the history of Krakow’s building industry. If the building still existed in its original form today, it would be one of the most distinctive buildings in the city and a unique example of this type of architecture in the whole of Poland.
Source: wielkikrakow.pl, dawnotemuwkrakowie.pl
Read also: Renovation | Monument | Krakow | Tenement | Architecture in Poland | whiteMAD on Instagram
The Egyptian House in 1896 and 2023. Source: Krakow Museum and Google Maps
The tenement at the beginning of the 20th century and today. The visible canal was filled in shortly after the older photograph was taken. Source: National Archives in Krakow and Google Maps
