The town of Nova Gorica is surrounded by typically Mediterranean landscapes. On the nearby Kostanjevica Hill, however, visitors are met with an utterly surprising sight: an ornate villa that resembles a mosque.

The building’s appearance is not a coincidence. Its original owner was the architect Anton Laščak, who was born in the area in 1856, had spent much of his life in Egypt. He designed numerous buildings in Alexandria, which had been damaged by shelling, as well as Cairo. He had even served as the court architect for Abbas II, the viceroy of Egypt.

When Laščak returned to his homeland, he designed a villa unlike anything ever seen in the area: He drew heavily on Arab architecture, combined it with the latest Art Nouveau fashions of the time, and added some local architectural elements, resulting in a truly unique structure.

The building, known as Villa Rafut, was situated in a park that was, in many ways, just as unusual. It featured a number of exotic trees and flowers that would have a hard time surviving elsewhere in Slovenia but thrived in the Mediterranean climate of the area. They included camphor trees, cork oaks, and camellias.

Despite the spectacular surroundings of his new home, Laščak returned to Egypt, where he in died 1946. World War II brought political changes to the area: Even though the nearby town of Gorizia remained in Italy after the war, Villa Rafut found itself in Communist Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, it was heavily damaged in several earthquake and the state, which took over as the owner, failed to maintain the building.

Today, Villa Rafut is dilapidated and the surrounding park overgrown. What could serve as a local tourist attraction has become a local eyesore. The authorities are now determined to sell the villa, however, and locals hope that the owner will bring back some old glory to a landmark unlike any other.