One of the most beautiful destinations in Egypt, the pearl of the Mediterranean, should be in the book of your obligatory trips. It is a city of diversity, which offers more ambiance in harmony with the countries of the northern neighborhood than the Arab world. The view of colorful boats anchored just ten meters from the shore, and palm trees swaying in the wind in all directions takes us further into the charms of this city.
Alexandria is the city of the great Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Alexandrian Library, once the richest in the world is the most visited site in the city. a series of monuments from the time of the pharaohs, Greeks, and Romans, as well as a city of beautiful sandy beaches, restaurants, and modern and traditional hotels. It is still very important for Egypt, as a port area with as many as four ports. But, concerning its importance from the past, it has lost a lot. At the time of Ptolemy, Alexandria was second in size and wealth, right after Rome. An ancient version of modern world cities, such as New York or Tokyo, will leave Cairo in a fog for centuries.
Walking through the desert on the way to Persia, in 331 BC, Alexander the Great imagined a metropolis that would connect Greece and Egypt. His thoughts did not lead him to the Nile, like his predecessors, but he chose a location 50 km west of the Nile Delta. Having built the city walls, a canal to the Nile was dug, which provided fresh water and transport to the desert part of the city.
For almost a millennium, Alexandria was a large trading center. However, only a decade after the city was founded, Alexandria became the last refuge of its founder. After Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, his general Ptolemy, who was given control of Egypt, stole the body of the dead conqueror before he arrived in Macedonia, his native land. Although it is still not certain where he was buried, the procedure of Ptolemy has provided him with additional popularity through the centuries, until today. Ptolemy also embarked on another endeavor that will remain recorded in the history of the rule of all Ptolemy. The construction of the great Lighthouse, also known as Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the world, began during his reign and was completed during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II.
No one knows exactly what Pharos looked like. According to some literary works and sketches from ancient times, we can see that it was raised from a huge rectangular base into a real skyscraper, with an octagonal pillar at the top that culminated in a huge statue, probably of Zeus or Poseidon. Scholars say that since it was erected, around 283 BC, it painted all other human figures of its time. It survived an incredible 17 centuries, before finally collapsing in the middle of 1300.
In the earthquakes of 796 and 951, it was quite damaged, and then again at the beginning and middle of 1300, when it finally fell. The last remains of the Lighthouse, especially its marble, were used by the Egyptian Sultan Mamluk in 1480 to strengthen the defensive walls of Alexandria. The rest mostly collapsed into the sea. The QaitBay Citadel, which still adorns Alexandria, was partially erected on the foundations of the Lighthouse.
The city’s wealth and power consisted of numerous temples, wide streets, and public baths. As you sit in a nearby cafe inhaling the scent of the sea, you can’t help but feel the spirit of history in every stone below or front of you. There, in addition to various conquerors, Cleopatra and Mark Antony enjoyed their love.
It was a meeting place for artists and scholars. Although educated in the war, Ptolemy proved to be a great protector of intellectual life. He founded the Mustion Research Institute, which included the Alexandria Library, lecture halls, laboratories, and rooms for scholars. Archimedes and Euclid worked here on the problems of mathematics and physics, and the astronomer Aristarch concluded that the Sun is the center of the solar system.
The library was a source of knowledge for the whole world, partly because of the government’s edict that foreign ships must hand over their scrolls for transcription. The number of books grew steadily, reaching the number of 550,000 manuscripts with outstanding cataloging at the beginning of the first century BC. There was also the first translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek as well as the literal and scientific treasure of the Greeks and Eastern peoples.
In 48 BC, the library burned down but was rebuilt after that. However, the future was not in her favor, and she became the target of an attack after the edict of Emperor Theodosius on the severance of ties with paganism and polytheism. In 391, Patriarch Theophilus led the masses to demolish the library.
Today’s Library of Alexandrina lies on the seashore not far from the remains of the first library. It was officially opened in 2002 in the presence of about three hundred world and Egyptian guests. With a modern design, the library has as many as 11 floors that lie on twelve-meter foundations and is in the shape of a large disk. The roof structure made of glass and metal faces east, towards the rising sun, and on the surrounding surface, made of gray granite, texts are written in various languages.
When the Arab conquerors came to Egypt, the capital was transferred to Cairo, but Alexandria remained a place of culture and intelligence, as well as trade, until the Middle Ages. Even today, it is the most important port through which as much as 80% of imports and exports pass. When Napoleon came to Alexandria to commit Egypt, he found it devastated and returned to the level of a fishing village.
Fortunately, in the 19th century, it was revived as part of an industrialization program. Due to the large number of earthquakes that affected this region, the entire city was found under the surface of the sea. Thanks to the underwater cameraman El Bekri, who explored the area around the Citadel, a large number of statues and pillars were found. The moment he took photos underwater, stunned by the sight in front of him, he realized that everything would be covered with concrete blocks of 20 tons each, which were lowered into the sea to strengthen the breakwaters. Then his fight with the authorities began to stop the works and save the statues, obelisks, and sphinxes that lay at the bottom of the sea. The number of these relics exceeds 2,500, including the massive blocks of the former Lighthouse, as well as parts of the palace of Cleopatra VII. The Egyptian government has announced the construction of an underwater museum on this site. This should protect the sites from pollution, ships, and antique thieves, and be able to present them to the public.
What will surely fascinate you, next to the historical monuments, is the oldest tram transportation system in Africa. It dates back to 1860 when he was in a horse-drawn carriage. It was later switched to steam and in 1902 the first electric tram was launched.
Although it cannot be compared to Cairo in terms of nightlife, Alexandria is a place where a walk will be extremely pleasant. Stanley Bridge is beautiful at night as is the promenade along the coast. If you are still a fan of cafes and bars, there will be several modern ones where you will be able to spend your evening.
