Taking the waters

WATANI International

11 January 2009

The Cairo suburb of Helwan, which lies south of the city on the east bank of the Nile opposite the ruins of Memphis; is one of the most ancient settlements in Egypt. The first known dam in history dating from the pharaonic era was discovered in nearby Wadi Houf. Because of its mild climate several rulers made Helwan their capital, among them the Umayyad ruler Abdel-Aziz ben Marawan who decided to move south because of a plague that had struck Fustat, the then capital. When Marawan chose Helwan as his capital, albeit temporary, he built palaces and planted gardens to make it a suitable place for governance.

Sulphur springs were discovered in Helwan in 1874 by mere coincidence. It happened that several soldiers in Khedive Abbas’s army were suffering from ulcers. Fearing the spread of skin disease in Cairo, the khedive sent the inflicted soldiers away to Helwan. On their march they stopped at the hot sulphur and saline springs, and surprisingly they found their ulcers healing. News of the healing power of the springs spread through the army, and when Khedive Abbas learned about its potential as a health resort he built the Helwan spa (Hammamat Helwan) around the springs, but died before accomplishing the project.

Water analysis

When Khedive Ismaïl became ruler he sent a medical team to find out what they could about the site and to analyse the water coming from the sulphur springs. The team found that the water was beneficial for healing skin and venereal diseases.

In this favoured spot, with its hot springs, agreeable climate and beautiful scenery, Khedive Ismaïl and his son Tawfiq created an artificial oasis in the second half of the 19th century. This involved the transportation of fertile soil from a considerable distance. However, there was a problem for the sick who visited the springs to seek a cure. To reach the springs, they had to walk for some three kilometres or hire a horse or donkey. Ismaïl therefore decided to build a railway to link Helwan to the capital.

Soon Helwan was a spa for the wealthy and a popular vacation spot. In 1878 only 25 houses were built near that spa, but gradually more people came to settle there. In 1885 Khedive Ismaïl built a winter palace in Helwan, and after that members of the aristocratic Turkish class built luxurious villas nearby. According to statistics, around 1,000 people visited Helwan sulphur springs in 1887, nearly 30 persons daily.

Enlarged spa

It was due to two Egyptian brothers—the Sawiris Brothers who owned the Egyptian Hotels Company—that several coffee shops and hotels were established in Helwan. The Sawirises—no relation to the present Sawiris tycoons—obtained a licence from Khedive Ismail to renovate the spa buildings and establish separate spas for men and women. In 1922 Helwan was considered a town in its own right, with 25 streets and three squares. On the northwestern side of the town lies the National Institute for Astronomy and the Weather Phenomena Station.

The rapid industrial development of the town and surrounding area in recent years has, alas, largely destroyed the image of the fashionable international spa of the turn of the century. The pattern of the area is now set by its large factories for aircraft and automobile assembly, factories producing cement, lime and fertilisers, a large power station, and steelworks using iron brought by rail from open cast mines in Bahariya Oasis, all of which serve to pollute Helwan to a critical level. Helwan nevertheless still manages to attract a considerable number of visitors who come to see the Grand Hotel, Tawfiq’s palace, the Japanese garden and the wax museum. On 17 April 2008 Helwan was granted the honour of becoming an independent governorate and has set into motion a plan to revive the spa to its older splendour.