We arrived in Cairo a day earlier than our tour group so we could tour the city of Alexandria. Although Alexandria is only 135 miles from Cairo, it took a LONG time because of the horrendous traffic (This makes visiting India someday seem even less inviting!)
Alexandria, the second-largest city in Egypt, is known as “The bride of the Mediterranean Sea.” Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, it sits on the delta where the Nile River flows into the Mediterranean. It is a thriving port town with a beautiful and busy 20 mile long harbor (corniche). Like Cairo, there is chaotic energy and constant beeping! But……the Mediterranean Sea air is so fresh here compared to the Cairo pollution!
Alexandria was once the great and fabled ancient city of antiquity (between the time of the pharaohs and the coming of Islam in the 7th century). It was here that St. Mark introduced Christianity to Egypt, establishing the Coptic (Egyptian) church. Cleopatra ruled from here, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located here. Alexandria rivaled Rome as a cultural and intellectual capital. It was considered the center of world learning; the city was credited with preserving most all the knowledge of the ancient world. So….we thought we should visit!!
For a one-day visit in 2022, however, it was a disappointment. Although Alexandria sits on lots of history, very little survives. History’s record has either been destroyed, lies under the sea, or is buried underneath today’s city.
The 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗤𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗯𝗮𝘆, pictured above, sits over one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. This wonder, the Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria (280-247 BC), is now at the bottom of the sea. The lighthouse stood until 1323 AD, when a powerful series of earthquakes destroyed it. Then 𝗦𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗤𝗮𝘆𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝘆 arrived. He fortified the place as part of his coastal defenses. He also built this castle, which became one of the most important defensive strongholds on the Mediterranean. Today, it is possible for divers to see the underwater remains of the lighthouse submerged by earthquakes.
Above is the 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗮 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮. It is a modern 21st-century complex. It was built to commemorate Alexandria’s legacy as an ancient center of world learning and culture. The exterior of the building features characters from 120 different written languages. This decoration serves as a reference to the wealth of world knowledge once housed in the library.
The ancient library, founded in the 3rd century BC, was part academy and part research center. It was also a library where the great thinkers of the age…scientists, mathematicians, and poets from all civilizations, came to study and exchange ideas. Euclid wrote his elements of geometry; the brain was discovered as the body’s controlling organ; the solar year’s length was calculated accurately to within 6.5 minutes….and on and on.
To this day, it symbolizes the noblest aspirations of the human mind and the greatest achievement of the intellect. However, the Library disappeared slowly, suffering a slow decline from the time of Caesar and Cleopatra. First, it was fire, then subsequent upheavals during the Roman Empire…all resulting in gradual neglect and ultimate destruction. By 400 AD, the library had vanished.
𝗣𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿: This name is misleading. This single column on a rocky hilltop in the middle of Alexandria has no connection to Roman General Pompey (Julius Caesar’s rival in a civil war.). Pompey was murdered by a Ptolemaic pharaoh in 48 BC when he fled to Alexandria. This legend was started by Crusaders, who thought the 100-foot Aswan granite pillar marked his burial site.
The pillar is instead a triumphal monument erected around 300 AD for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. This lonely single column marks the site of what was once a huge and elaborate marble temple that was decorated with precious metals on the interior. But….at least we can see something that remains!!! We did take an underground tunnel that led to a life-size black basalt bull from the temple.
We had lunch with our guide, Rasha Hamid, at a nice restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean. We enjoyed very fresh fish from the sea, salad and lots of dips. The pita bread was large and puffy instead of flat because it was made of corn instead of wheat.
𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗾𝗮𝗳𝗮:
This archeological site is considered one of the 𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙒𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙨. These tombs were tunneled into the bedrock in the 2nd century AD for a single wealthy family. The necropolis consists of Alexandrian tombs, sarcophagi, statues, and objects merging features of the Greek, Egyptian, and Roman periods. A circular staircase leads down to the tombs. It was really quite impressive; three levels deep and full of art and carvings.
Our tour was over, and we had to clench our teeth and be ready to ride back to Cairo! Our lives were in the hands of our competent driver who delivered us safely! We are glad we had this opportunity; however, we were hesitant to recommend the trip to others.
One interesting thing that helped distract from the road conditions…these pigeon towers! For thousands of years, Egyptians have been pigeon keepers, both for sport and food. References to pigeon husbandry can be found in hieroglyphics and Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets from more than 5,000 years ago. In much of the world, pigeon meat is highly prized and known for its moist, dark tenderness. (Unlike the US, where pigeons are considered little more than rats with wings!)
