Al Maadi

Maadi owes its establishment to Khedive Ismail (1830 – 1895), who decided at the end of the nineteenth century to invest in the Helwan area, 25 kilometers south of Cairo, by establishing a therapeutic tourist resort in the small city with lush gardens and sulfur springs, in addition to its proximity to areas of Pharaonic antiquities. Such as Saqqara and Giza, which makes it a target for Western tourism programs. In 1868, Ismail sent a group of experts, including his personal doctor, to Helwan to discuss the nature of the wells and the possibility of developing and investing in the place. Experts pointed out the important medicinal properties found in Helwan Wells, so Khedive Ismail decided to build a palace there in 1877 and gave it to his mother and called it “Mother’s Palace.”