Penzance, England, United Kingdom
The Egyptian House, located in Chapel Street, Penzance, is an unusual building that was built in 1836 by John Lavin a Penzance mineralogist. The exterior of the building is flamboyant to say the least, with hieroglyphics, lotus flowers and sphinx like gargoyles. The building served as the residence of John Lavin and also housed his impressive geological collection.
At the time of its construction, Europe was enamoured of all things Egyptian following Napoleon’s campaign there, which brought the exotic Egyptian artwork and architecture to the eyes of Europe for the first time. Today the grand, and some say gaudy, building is private apartments and a shop at the bottom. It is a great site to take in as you stroll along Penzance’s impressive Chapel Street’s sites. While this is not a site that you would travel especially to Penzance to see, it is a lot of fun and makes for a great photo opp.
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