'Alexandria' (in
Greek, ''; in
Coptic, '' '', in
Arabic, ''الإسكندريه'' '', in
Egyptian Arabic, ''اسكندريه'' ''Eskendereyya''), (population of 3.5 to 5 million), is the second-largest city in
Egypt, and its largest seaport.
Alexandria extends about 20 miles (32 km) along the coast of the
Mediterranean sea in north-central Egypt. It is home to the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New
Library of Alexandria, and is an important industrial centre because of its
natural gas and
oil pipelines from
Suez.
In ancient times, Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. It was founded around 331 BC by
Alexander the Great, and remained
Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand years, until the Arabs conquered Egypt in 641 AD and set up a capital at
Fustat (later absorbed into
Cairo). Alexandria was known for the
Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the
Library of Alexandria (the largest library in the ancient world) and the
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (one of the
Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages). Ongoing
maritime archaeology in the harbour of Alexandria (which began in 1994) is revealing details of Alexandria both before the arrival of Alexander, when a city named
Rhakotis existed there, and during the
Ptolemaic dynasty.
History
The city of Alexandria was named after its founder,
Alexander the Great, and as the seat of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, quickly became one of the greatest cities of the
Hellenistic world — second only to
Rome in size and wealth. However, it fell to the
Arabs in 641 AD, and a new
capital of Egypt,
Fustat, was founded on the
Nile. After Alexandria's status as the country's capital ended, it fell into a long decline, which by the late
Ottoman period, had seen it reduced to little more than a small fishing village. The city was revived by
Muhammad Ali as a part of his early industrialization program. The current city is Egypt's leading port, a commercial and transportation center, and the heart of a major industrial area where refined
petroleum,
asphalt, cotton textiles, processed food,
paper,
plastics and
styrofoam are produced.
Foundation
Alexandria was founded by
Alexander the Great in 331 BC (the exact date is disputed) as (''Aleksándreia''; see also
List of traditional Greek place names). Alexander's chief architect for the project was
Dinocrates. Ancient accounts are extremely numerous and varied, and much influenced by subsequent developments. One of the more sober descriptions, given by the historian
Arrian, tells how Alexander undertook to lay out the city's general plan, but lacking chalk or other means, resorted to sketching it out with grain.
A number of the more fanciful the foundation myths are found in the
Alexander Romance and were picked up by medieval Arab historians. The 14th century Arab historian
Ibn Khaldun ridiculed one where sea-monsters prevent the foundation, but were thwarted when Alexander descends in a glass box, armed with exact knowledge of their appearance, and goes on to erect metal effigies on the beach which succeed in frightening the monsters away.
Alexandria was intended to supersede
Naucratis as a
Hellenistic center in Egypt, and to be the link between
Greece and the rich
Nile Valley. If such a city was to be on the Egyptian coast, there was only one possible site, behind the screen of the
Pharos island and removed from the silt thrown out by Nile mouths. An Egyptian townlet,
Rhakotis, already existed on the shore and was a resort of fishermen and pirates. Behind it there were five native villages scattered along the strip between Lake Mareotis and the sea, according to a history of Alexander attributed to the author known as
Pseudo-Callisthenes.
A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt for the East and never returned to his city. After Alexander departed, his viceroy,
Cleomenes, continued the creating and expanding of the city.
The story goes that Homer appeared to Alexander the Great in a dream and described a city he would build as "An island set in ocean deep, lies off far Egypt's rich and fertile land, and the name of the island called Pharos".
Ptolemaic Era
In a struggle with the other successors to Alexander, his general, Ptolemy (later
Ptolemy I of Egypt) succeeded in bringing Alexander's body to Alexandria, where it became a famous tourist destination for ancient travelers (including
Julius Caesar).
Though Cleomenes was mainly in charge of seeing to Alexandria's continuous development, the ''
Heptastadion'' and the main-land quarters seem to have been mainly Ptolemaic work. Inheriting the trade of ruined
Tyre and becoming the center of the new commerce between
Europe and the
Arabian and
Indian East, the city grew in less than a generation to be larger than
Carthage. In a century, Alexandria had become the largest city in the world and for some centuries more, was second only to
Rome. Nominally a free
Hellenistic city, Alexandria retained its
senate to Roman times and the judicial functions of that body were restored by
Septimius Severus after temporary abolition by
Augustus.
Alexandria was not only a center of
Hellenism but was also home to the largest
Jewish community in the world. The
Septuagint, a
Greek translation of the
Hebrew Bible, was produced there. The early Ptolemies kept it in order and fostered the development of its museum into the leading Hellenistic centre of learning (
Library of Alexandria) but were careful to maintain the distinction of its population's three largest ethnicites:
Greek,
Jewish, and
Egyptian. From this division arose much of the later turbulence which began to manifest itself under
Ptolemy Philopater, who reigned 221–204 BC. The reign of
Ptolemy VIII Physcon from 144–116 BC was marked by purges and civil warfare (including the expulsion of
Apollodorus) surrounding the intrigues among the king's wives and sons.
One of the earliest well-known inhabitants of Alexandria during the Ptolemaic reign was the geometer and number-theorist
Euclid.
Roman annexation
The city passed formally under Roman jurisdiction in 80 BC, according to the will of
Ptolemy Alexander but after it had been previously under Roman influence for more than a hundred years. Julius Caesar dallied with
Cleopatra in Alexandria in 47 BC, saw Alexander's body (quipping 'I came to see a king, not a collection of corpses' when he was offered a view of the other royal burials) and was mobbed by the rabble. His example was followed by
Mark Antony, for whose favor the city paid dearly to
Octavian, who placed over it a prefect from the imperial household.
The ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Alexandria
From the time of annexation onwards, Alexandria seems to have regained its old prosperity, commanding, as it did, an important granary of Rome. This fact, doubtless, was one of the chief reasons which induced Augustus to place it directly under
imperial power.
In
115 AD Alexandria was destroyed during the Jewish-Greek civil wars which gave
Hadrian and his architect,
Decriannus, an opportunity to rebuild it.
In 215 AD the
emperor Caracalla visited the city and for some insulting
satires that the inhabitants had directed at him, abruptly commanded his troops to put to death all youths capable of bearing arms. This brutal order seems to have been carried out even beyond the letter, for a general massacre ensued.
Late Roman and Byzantine period
Even as its main historical importance had formerly sprung from pagan learning, now Alexandria acquired fresh importance as a center of
Christian theology and church government. There
Arianism was formulated and there also
Athanasius, the great opponent of both Arianism and pagan reaction, triumphed over both, establishing the
Patriarch of Alexandria as a major influence in Christianity for the next two centuries.
As native influences began to reassert themselves in the
Nile valley, Alexandria gradually became an alien city, more and more detached from Egypt and losing much of its commerce as the peace of the empire broke up during the
3rd century AD, followed by a fast decline in population and splendor.
In the late
4th century, persecution of
pagans by newly Christian Romans had reached new levels of intensity. Temples and statues were destroyed throughout the Roman empire: pagan rituals became forbidden under punishment of death, and libraries were closed. In 391, Emperor
Theodosius I ordered the destruction of all pagan temples, and the Patriarch
Theophilus, complied with his request. One theory has it that the great
Library of Alexandria and the
Serapeum was
destroyed about this time. The female mathematician and
neoplatonist philosopher
Hypatia was a prominent victim of the persecutions.
The
Brucheum and Jewish quarters were desolate in the
5th century, and the central monuments, the ''Soma'' and Museum, fell into ruin. On the mainland, life seemed to have centered in the vicinity of the ''Serapeum'' and ''
Caesareum'', both which became Christian churches. The ''
Pharos'' and ''Heptastadium'' quarters, however, remained populous and left intact.
Arab invasion
In 616, it was taken by
Khosrau II, King of
Persia. Although the
Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered it a few years later, in 641 the
Arabs, under the general
Amr ibn al-As during the
Muslim conquest of Egypt, captured it decisively after a siege that lasted fourteen months. The city received no aid from
Constantinople during that time; Heraclius was dead and the new Emperor
Constantine III was barely twelve years old. Notwithstanding the losses that the city had sustained, Amr was able to write to his master, the
Caliph Omar, that he had taken a city containing "4,000 palaces, 4,000 baths, 12,000 dealers in fresh oil, 12,000 gardeners, 40,000 Jews who pay tribute, 400 theaters or places of amusement." In
645 a Byzantine fleet recaptured the city, but it fell for good the following year.
The
Library of Alexandria and its contents were destroyed in 642 during the Arab invasion.
[1] Some deny this and claim that the library was destroyed much earlier, in 3rd century, due to civil war in the time of the Roman Emperor
Aurelian.
[2] The Lighthouse was destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century,
[3] and by 1700 the city was just a small town among the ruins.
Modern history
Mohammed Ali, the Ottoman Governor of Egypt, began rebuilding the city around 1810, and by 1850, Alexandria had returned to something like its former glory. In July
1882 the city came under bombardment from
British naval forces and was occupied (see
Egypt under Muhammad Ali and his successors). In July 1954, the city was a target of an Israeli
firebomb campaign. The city was the theater of the famous assassination attempt of president
Gamal Abdel Nasser known as the "Manshia Incident".
Mayors of Alexandria (since the implementation of the local-government act of 1960)
[1] :
#
Siddiq Abdul-Latif (Oct 1960 - Nov 1961)
#
Mohammed Hamdi Ashour (Nov 1961 - Oct 1968)
#
Ahmad Kamil (Oct 1968 - Nov 1970)
#
Mamdouh Salim (Nov 1970 - May 1971)
#
Ahmad Fouad Mohyee El-Deen (May 1971 - Sep 1972)
#
Abdel-Meneem Wahbi (Sep 1972 - May 1974)
#
Abdel-Tawwab Ahmad Hadeeb (May 1974 - Nov 1978)
#
Mohammed Fouad Helmi (Nov 1978 - May 1980)
#
Naeem Abu-Talib (May 1980 - August 1981)
#
Mohammed Saeed El-Mahi (August 1981 - May 1982)
#
Mohammed Fawzi Moaaz (May 1982 - Jun 1986)
#
Ismail El-Gawsaqi (Jul 1986 - Jul 1997)
#
Abdel-Salam El-Mahgoub (1997 - 2006)
#
Adel Labib (August 2006 - )
Geography
Alexandria from space, March 1990
Layout of the ancient city
The Greek Alexandria was divided into three regions:
;Brucheum
:the Royal or Greek quarter, forming the most magnificent portion of the city. In Roman times Brucheum was enlarged by the addition of an official quarter, making up four regions in all. The city was laid out as a grid of parallel streets, each of which had an attendant subterranean canal;
;The Jews' quarter
:forming the northeast portion of the city;
;Rhakotis
:occupied chiefly by Egyptians (from
Coptic ''Rakotə'' "Alexandria").
Two main streets, lined with
colonnades and said to have been each about 60 metres (200
feet) wide, intersected in the centre of the city, close to the point where the Sema (or Soma) of Alexander (his
Mausoleum) rose. This point is very near the present
mosque of
Nebi Daniel; and the line of the great East–West "Canopic" street only slightly diverged from that of the modern Boulevard de Rosette. Traces of its pavement and canal have been found near the Rosetta Gate, but better remains of streets and canals were exposed in 1899 by
German excavators outside the east fortifications, which lie well within the area of the ancient city.
Alexandria consisted originally of little more than the island of Pharos, which was joined to the mainland by a
mole nearly a mile long (1260 m) and called the ''Heptastadion'' ("seven stadia" — a ''
stadium'' was a Greek unit of length measuring approximately 180 m). The end of this abutted on the land at the head of the present Grand Square, where rose the "Moon Gate". All that now lies between that point and the modern "Ras Al Teen" quarter is built on the silt which gradually widened and obliterated this mole. The "Ras Al Teen" quarter represents all that is left of the island of Pharos, the site of the actual lighthouse having been weathered away by the sea. On the east of the mole was the Great Harbour, now an open bay; on the west lay the port of Eunostos, with its inner basin Kibotos, now vastly enlarged to form the modern harbour.
In
Strabo's time, (latter half of
1st century BC) the principal buildings were as follows, enumerated as they were to be seen from a ship entering the Great Harbour.
#The Royal Palaces, filling the northeast angle of the town and occupying the promontory of Lochias, which shut in the Great Harbour on the east. Lochias (the modern Pharillon) has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, together with the palaces, the "Private Port" and the island of Antirrhodus. There has been a land
subsidence here, as throughout the northeast coast of Africa.
#The Great Theatre, on the modern Hospital Hill near the Ramleh station. This was used by Caesar as a fortress, where he withstood a siege from the city mob after the
battle of Pharsalus
#The
Poseidon, or
Temple of the
Sea God, close to the
Theatre
#The Timonium built by
Mark Antony
#The Emporium (Exchange)
#The Apostases (Magazines)
#The Navalia (Docks), lying west of the Timonium, along the sea-front as far as the mole
#Behind the Emporium rose the Great Caesareum, by which stood the two great
obelisks, each later known as “
Cleopatra's Needle”, and now removed to
New York City and
London. This temple became in time the Patriarchal Church, some remains of which have been discovered; but the actual Caesareum, so far as not eroded by the waves, lies under the houses lining the new sea-wall.
#The
Gymnasium and the
Palaestra are both inland, near the Boulevard de Rosette in the eastern half of the town; sites unknown.
#The Temple of
Saturn; site unknown.
#The Mausolea of Alexander (Soma) and the Ptolemies in one ring-fence, near the point of intersection of the two main streets
#The
Musaeum with its famous
Library and theatre in the same region; site unknown.
#The
Serapeum, the most famous of all Alexandrian temples. Strabo tells us that this stood in the west of the city; and recent discoveries go far to place it near “Pompey's Pillar” which, however, was an independent monument erected to commemorate
Diocletian's siege of the city.
The names of a few other public buildings on the mainland are known, but there is little information as to their position. None, however, are as famous as the building that stood on the eastern point of Pharos island. There,
The Great Lighthouse, one of the
Seven Wonders of the World, reputed to be 138 meters (450 ft) high, was sited. The first
Ptolemy began the project, and the second Ptolemy completed it, at a total cost of 800
talents. It took 12 years to complete and served as a
prototype for all later
lighthouses in the world. The light was produced by a furnace at the top and was built mostly with solid blocks of limestone. The Pharos lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century, making it the second longest surviving ancient wonder next to the
Great Pyramid of Giza. A temple of
Hephaestus also stood on Pharos at the head of the mole.
In the first century, the population of Alexandria contained over 180,000 adult male citizens (from a papyrus dated 32 CE), in addition to a large number of freedmen, women, children and slaves. Estimates of the total population range from 500,000 to over 1,000,000, making it one of the largest cities ever built before the
Industrial Revolution and the largest pre-industrial city that was not an imperial capital.
Ancient remains
Very little of the ancient city has survived into the present day. Much of the royal and civic quarters sank beneath the harbour due to
earthquake subsidence, and much of the rest has been rebuilt upon in modern times.
"Pompey's Pillar" is the most well-known ancient monument still standing. It is located on Alexandria's ancient
acropolis — a modest hill located adjacent to the city's Arab
cemetery — and was originally part of a temple colonnade. Including its
pedestal, it is 30 m (99 ft) high; the shaft is of polished red granite, roughly three meters in diameter at the base, tapering to two and a half meters at the top. The structure was plundered and demolished in the
4th century when a bishop decreed that Paganism must be eradicated. "Pompey's Pillar" is a misnomer, as it has nothing to do with
Pompey, having been erected in
293 for
Diocletian, possibly in memory of the rebellion of
Domitius Domitianus. Beneath the acropolis itself are the subterranean remains of the Serapeum, where the mysteries of the god
Serapis were enacted, and whose carved wall niches are believed to have provided overflow storage space for the ancient Library.
Pompey's Pillar
Alexandria's
catacombs, known as ''Kom al Sukkfa'', are a short distance southwest of the pillar, consist of a multi-level labyrinth, reached via a large spiral staircase, and featuring dozens of chambers adorned with sculpted pillars, statues, and other
syncretic Romano-Egyptian religious symbols, burial niches and
sarcophagi, as well as a large Roman-style banquet room, where memorial meals were conducted by relatives of the deceased. The
catacombs were long forgotten by the citizens until they were discovered by accident in the 1800s.
The most extensive ancient excavation currently being conducted in Alexandria is known as ''Kom al Dikka'', and it has revealed the ancient city's well-preserved theatre, and the remains of its
Roman-era baths.
Antiquities
Persistent efforts have been made to explore the antiquities of Alexandria. Encouragement and help have been given by the local
Archaeological Society, and by many individuals, notably Greeks proud of a city which is one of the glories of their national history.
The past and present directors of the museum have been enabled from time to time to carry out systematic excavations when opportunity offered;
D. G. Hogarth made tentative researches on behalf of the
Egypt Exploration Fund and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies in 1895; and a German expedition worked for two years (1898–1899). But two difficulties face the would-be excavator in Alexandria.
Since the great and growing modern city stands right over the ancient one, it is almost impossible to find any considerable space in which to dig, except at enormous cost. Also, the general
subsidence of the coast has sunk the lower-lying parts of the ancient town under water. This underwater section, containing much of the most interesting sections of the Hellenistic city, including the palace-quarter, is still being extensively investigated by the French underwater archaeologist
Franck Goddio and his
team [2] and
[3]. It raised a noted head of
Caesarion. These are even being opened up to tourists, to some controversy
[4].
The spaces however, that are most open are the low grounds to northeast and southwest, where it is practically impossible to get below the Roman
strata.
The most important results were those achieved by Dr. G. Botti, late director of the museum, in the neighbourhood of “Pompey's Pillar”, where there is a good deal of open ground. Here substructures of a large building or group of buildings have been exposed, which are perhaps part of the Serapeum. Nearby immense
catacombs and ''columbaria'' have been opened which may have been appendages of the temple. These contain one very remarkable vault with curious painted reliefs, now lighted by electricity and shown to visitors.
The objects found in these researches are in the museum, the most notable being a great basalt bull, probably once an object of cult in the Serapeum. Other catacombs and tombs have been opened in
Kom el-Shuqafa (Roman) and Ras et-Tin (painted).
The German excavation team found remains of a Ptolemaic colonnade and streets in the north-east of the city, but little else. Hogarth explored part of an immense brick structure under the mound of ''Kom el-Dika'', which may have been part of the Paneum, the Mausolea or a Roman fortress.
The making of the new foreshore led to the dredging up of remains of the Patriarchal Church; and the foundations of modern buildings are seldom laid without some objects of antiquity being discovered. The wealth underground is doubtless immense; but, despite all efforts, there is not much for antiquarians to see in Alexandria outside the museum and the neighbourhood of “Pompey's Pillar”. The native tomb-robbers, well-sinkers, dredgers and the like, however, come upon valuable objects from time to time, which find their way into private collections.
Modern city
Modern Alexandria at night
Blocks
Modern Alexandria is divided into 6 blocks:
★ '
Montaza' block: population 943,100
★ 'Eastern Alexandria' block: population 933,600
★ 'Middle Alexandria' block: population 566,500
★ 'Amreya' block: population 457,800
★ 'Western Alexandria' block: population 450,300
★ 'Gumrok' block: population 186,900
There are also two cities under the jurisdiction of the Alexandria governarate:
★ 'Borg Al-Arab city': population 186,900
★ 'New Borg Al-Arab city': population 7600
Neighborhoods
★ Agami
★ Amreya
★ Anfoushi
★ Assafra
★ Attarine
★ Azarita, also known as ''Mazarita'', originally ''Lazarette''
★ Bab Sidra
★ Bahari
★ Bachus
★ Bulkeley, also known as ''Bokla''
★ Burg el-Arab
★ Cleopatra
★ Dekheila
★ Downtown
★ Eastern Harbor
★ Fleming
★ Gabbari, also known as ''Qabbari''
★ Gianaclis
★ Glym (short for ''Glymenopoulos'')
★ Gumrok
★ Hadara
★ Ibrahimeya
★ Kabbary, also "Qabbary"
★ King Mariout
★ Kafr Abdu
★ Karmous, also known as ''Karmouz''
★ Kom el-Dik, also known as ''Kom el-Dekka''
★ Labban
★ Laurent |
★ Maamoura Beach
★ Maamoura
★ Mafrouza
★ Mandara
★ Mansheya
★ Mex
★ Miami
★ Montaza
★ Muharram Bey
★ Mustafa Kamel
★ Ramleh, also known as ''el-Raml''
★ Ras el-Tin
★ Rushdy
★ Saba Pasha
★ San Stefano
★ Shatby
★ Schutz
★ Sidi Bishr
★ Sidi Gaber
★ Smouha
★ Sporting
★ Stanley
★ Syouf
★ Tharwat
★ Victoria
★ Wardeyan
★ Western Harbor
★ Zizinia |
===
Squares===
★
(Ahmed) Orabi Square, in
Downtown
★ Mansheya Square, in Mansheya
★
Saad Zaghlul Square, in
Downtown
★ Tahrir Square (formerly ''
Mohammed Ali Square'', originally ''Place des Consuls''), in
Downtown
★
Ahmed Zewail Square, near Wabour El Mayah
===
Bridges===
★ Stanley Bridge, in
Stanley
★ Muharram Bey Bridge
===
Palaces===
★
Montaza Palace, in
Montaza
★
Ras el-Tin Palace, in Ras el-Tin
★ Presidential Palace, in Maamoura
Educational institutions
★ Abbas Helmy High School
★
Alexandria Institute of Technology (AIT)
★ Alexandria Language School (ALS)
★
Alexandria University
★
Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport
★ Al-Madina Al-Monawara High School
★ Al-Ramml High School
★ The British School of Alexandria (BSA)
★
Collège Saint Marc
★ Deutsche Schule der Borromärinnen DSB A "Saint Charles Borromé"
★ Don Bosco
★ Ecole Champollion
★ Ecole Gérard
★ Ecole Saint Gabriel
★ Collège de la Mère de Dieu
★ Ecole Saint-Vincent de Paul
★ Ecole Sainte Catherine
★ Egyptian American School
★
Egypt Modern School
★
El Nasr Boys' School
★
El Nasr Girls' College
★ Gamal Abdel Naser High School
★ Institut Sainte Jeanne d'Antide
★ International British School
[4]
★ Janaklees National School (JNS)
★ Mubarak Technologichal School (MTS)
★
Modern American School
★ Riada Language School (RLS)
★
Schutz American School
★ Taymour English School (TES)
★
Université Senghor
★
Victoria College
★ Sidi Gaber Language School {SLS}
Libraries
The Royal Library of Alexandria in Alexandria,
Egypt, was once the largest
library in the world. It is generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the
3rd century BC, during the reign of
Ptolemy II of Egypt. It was likely created after his father had built what would become the first part of the Library complex, the temple of the
Muses — the
Museion, Greek ''Μουσείον'' (from which the modern English word ''
museum'' is derived).
It has been reasonably established that the Library, or parts of the collection, were destroyed by fire on a number of occasions (library fires were common and replacement of handwritten manuscripts was very difficult, expensive and time-consuming). To this day the details of the destruction (or destructions) remain a lively source of controversy. The
Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in
2003 near the site of the old Library.
Museums
★
The Graeco-Roman Museum
★
The Royal Jewelry Museum
★ The Museum of Fine Arts
★ The Cavafy museum (see
Constantine P. Cavafy)
Gardens, parks, and zoos
Facade of the Montaza palace
★ Montaza Royal Gardens
★
Antoniades park
★
Shallalat Gardens
★
Alexandria Zoo
★
Green Plaza
★
Fantasy Land
★
Maamoura Beach, Alexandria
★
Marina Village
===
Catacombs
★ Catacombs of Kom al-Shuqafa
Churches===
★
Saint Alexander Nevsky Church (Russian Orthodox Rite)
★ Saint Anargyri Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★ Church of the
Annunciation (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Anthony Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Archangels Gabriel and
Michael Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Catherine Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Catherine Church (Latin Catholic Rite)
★
Pope Cyril I Church, in Cleopatra (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★ Cathedral of the
Dormition, in Mansheya (Greek Catholic Rite)
★ Church of the
Dormition (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Prophet Elijah Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Georges Church, in Sporting (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Georges Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★ Church of the
Immaculate Conception, in Ibrahemeya (Greek Catholic Rite)
★ Church of the Jesuits, in Cleopatra (Latin Catholic Rite)
★
Saint Joseph Church, in Fleming (Greek Catholic Rite)
★
Saint Joseph of Arimathea Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mark Cathedral , in ''Ramleh'' (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mark Church, in
Shatby (Latin Catholic, Coptic Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Rites)
★
Saint Mark &
Saint Nectarios Chapel, in
Ramleh (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mark &
Pope Peter I Church (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mary Church, in Assafra (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mary Church, in Gianaclis (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mina Church, in Fleming (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Mina Church, in Mandara (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Nicholas Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Paraskevi Church (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Sava Cathedral, in
Ramleh (Greek Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Tekle Haymanot Church (Coptic Orthodox Rite)
★
Saint Theodore Chapel (Greek Orthodox Rite)
Mosques
★
Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, in Somouha
★
Bilal Mosque
★ El-Gamee el-Bahari, in Mandara
★ Hatem Mosque, in Somouha
★ Hoda el-Islam Mosque, in Sidi Bishr
★
Abu el-Abbas el-Mursi Mosque, in
Anfoushi
★ El-Mowasah Mosque, in Hadara
★ Sharq el-Madina Mosque, in Miami
★ El-Shohadaa Mosque, in Mostafa Kamel
★ Qaed Ibrahim Mosque
★ Yehia Mosque, in Zizinya
Synagogues
★
Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue
Alexandria Port
Main articles: Alexandria Port
The
port is divided into:
★ The Eastern Harbor
★ The Western Harbor
Sports
The main sport that interests Alexandrians is
soccer, as is the case in all Egypt and
Northern Africa. Alexandria was one of three cities that participated in hosting the
African Cup of Nations in January
2006, which
Egypt won.
Alexandria has four
stadiums:
★
Harras El-Hedoud Stadium
★
Alexandria Stadium
★ El-Krom Stadium
★
Borg El Arab Stadium: recently built and can hold up to 80,000 spectators
Other less popular sports like
tennis and
squash are usually played in private
social and
sports clubs, like:
★ Alexandria Sporting Club - in "
Sporting"
★ Smouha Club - in "Smouha"
★ Lagoon Resort Courts
★ Alexandria Country club and other places
Sea sports such as
surfing,
jet-skiing and
water polo are practised on a lower scale.
Sightseeing
Demolished monuments
★ The
Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Existing monuments
★ The Roman Amphitheatre
★ Pompey's Pillar
Citadels
★
Citadel of Qaitbay
Famous spots
★ Bir Massoud, Miami
★ The Unknown Soldier, Ahmed Orabi Square in Mansheya
★
El Montaza Royal Gardens
★
Maamoura Beach
Transportation
The yellow tram, a taxi and a minibus in "Saad Zaghloul square", Alexandria.
Alexandria tramway routes
Airports
- Alexandria is served by the nearby
Al Nozha Airport, located 7 km to the southeast.
- Another airport serves Alexandria named
Borg al Arab Airport located about 25 km away from city center. This airport has been in use since about 2003. It was a military airport before that, and till now there is a military section there.
Highways
★ The International coastal road. (Alexandria -
Port Said)
★ The Desert road. (Alexandria - Cairo /220 km 4-lanes, mostly lit)
★ The Agricultural road. (Alexandria - Cairo)
★ The Circular road. ''the turnpike''
★ Ta'ameer Road "Mehwar El-Ta'ameer" - (Alexandria - North Coast)
Train
Extends from "Misr Station"; the main train station in Alexandria, to
Abu Qir.
Train stations include:
★ Misr Station (the main station)
★ Sidi Gaber Station
Tram
Main articles: Alexandria Tram
An extensive tramway network built in 1860 and is the oldest in Africa. A single ticket costs 25 Egyptian
piastres (2007). The tram network is divided into two parts joined in the "Raml Station". Trams working east of the "Raml Station" are painted blue and usually known as "Tram Al-Raml". The ones operating to the west of "Raml station" are painted yellow and is a little smaller with a single tram working on both routes.
Trams are the slowest means of transport in Alexandria but are convenient for short trips, 2-3 stations. If you are a sightseer with time to spare it is the cheapest way to see most of Alexandria.
Taxis
Taxis are a main means of public transportation in Alexandria. Taxis are painted black and yellow. Fare usually starts from 2
Egyptian pounds (2007). All taxis are required by law to have a meter but almost none is actually used since the fares have not changed in a very long time to keep up with inflation. Exactly what amount to charge a taxi is not exactly known and is left to the customers to estimate how much the trip is worth (like all other cities in Egypt, including
Cairo) but most Alexandrians who use taxis usually know from experience what every trip costs. This creates a problem for travelers and tourists who are usually over-billed for their trips. Tourists are always advised to ask for how much they should pay for a taxi before hailing one.
Other means of public transportation
-
Buses and
Minibuses.
Culture of Alexandria
The word "Iskindireyya"
This is a list of all words related to the word "Alexandria" in Arabic:
★ "'al-Iskandareyya(h)'" (الإسكندرية) (noun) (formal): Refers to the city of "Alexandria". Used in formal texts and speech. Its
slang/informal equivalent is "'Iskindireyya(h)'". "Iskandareyya(h)" and "Iskindireyya(h)" are different in pronunciation and when written in
English, though they have the same
spelling when written in Arabic. You can never hear only "Iskandareyya(h)" without "al-", or "Iskindireyya(h)" with "al-" or "el-" ("el-" is the informal equivalent of "
al-"). The optional "h" at the end of both of them is called a "
ta' marbuta" which can be unpronounced in spoken Arabic, but must exist in written texts. So you can say both "Iskindireyya" or "Iskindireyyah", but as it is
transliteration from "spoken Arabic" then "Iskindireyya" would sound more correct.
★ "'Alex'" (noun): Natives of both Alexandria and Cairo playfully refer to "Alexandria" by only "Alex", especially in informal English texts. In an English conversation between two Egyptians (whether Alexandrians or Cairenes), you would usually hear "I'm going to Alex tomorrow." instead of "I'm going to Alexandria tomorrow."
★ "'Sakandari'" (سكندري) (adjective): Means "Alexandrian" or "from Alexandria". You have to be a native of Alexandria to be called "sakandari". The slang equivalent is "'iskandaraani'".
Writings about Alexandria
Novels
★ ''Academic Year'' (1955, set in late 1940s) by
D.J. Enright.
★ ''
The Alexandria Quartet'' (1957-60, set in 1930s) by
Lawrence Durrell.
★ ''The Bat'' (part of the ''Drifting Cities'' trilogy) (1965, set in 1943-44) by Stratis Tsirkas.
★ ''The Danger Tree'' (1977, set in 1942, partly in Alexandria) by
Olivia Manning.
★ ''The Beacon at Alexandria'' (1986, set in 4th century) by
Gillian Bradshaw.
★ ''City of Saffron'' (tr. 1989, set in 1930s) by Edwar Al-Kharrat.
★ ''Girls of Alexandria'' (tr. 1993, set in 1930s and '40s) by Edwar Al-Kharrat.
★ ''No One Sleeps in Alexandria'' (1996, set during
World War II) by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid.
History
★ ''Alexandria: a history and a guide'' (1922; numerous reprints) by
E.M. Forster.
★ ''Alexandria: City of Memory'' (Yale University Press, 2004) by Michael Haag.
Memoir
★ ''Out of Egypt'' (1994; describes family history in Alexandria) by
André Aciman.
Songs about Alexandria
★ Songs in
French:
★
★ ''Alexandrie'' by
Georges Moustaki.
★
★ ''Alexandrie, Alexandra'' by
Claude François.
★ Songs in
Greek:
★
★ ''Alexandrinos'' by
Yannis Kotsiras.
★ Songs in
Arabic:
★
★ ''Shat Eskendereya'' by
Fairouz.
★
★ ''Ahsan Nas'' by
Dalida (
remade by various artists).
★
★ ''Leil Eskendereya'' by
Moustafa Amar.
★
★ ''Ya Wad Ya Eskandarany'' by
Moustafa Amar.
★
★ ''Ya Eskendereya'' by
Mohamed Mounir (lyrics by
Ahmed Fouad Negm).
Alexandria as a summer resort
Alexandria is considered a main summer resort in the
Middle East, visited by people from all the other cities to enjoy the sun and sea there. Beaches become full of umbrellas and families and the city is usually crowded in summer.
Beaches of Alexandria are famous of having lots of cafeterias and umbrellas. There are both public beaches (which anyone can use for free, and are usually crowded) and private beaches (which can be used upon paying a small fee). There are also private beaches that are dedicated only to the guests of some hotels.
Shopping in Alexandria
Shopping malls in Alexandria:
★
Carrefour City Center
★ Deeb Mall
★ Family Mall
★ Fathalla Supermarkets
★ Green Plaza
★ Imperial Mall: said to be not successful and to be closed soon.
★ Kirosez Mall
★
Metro Supermarkets
★ Mina Mall
★
San Stefano Grand Plaza Mall
★ Wataniyya Mall
★ Zahran Mall: a large
complex that has a number of
cinemas.
★ Maamoura Plaza Mall
Born in Alexandria
★
Alkistis Protopsalti (Greek singer)
★
Amr Khaled (Muslim preacher)
★
André Aciman (American writer)
★
Pope Athanasius the Apostolic (Champion of
Christianity)
★
Constantine P. Cavafy (Greek poet)
★
Demis Roussos (Greek singer)
★
Eric Hobsbawm (British historian)
★
Princess Fawzia (Egyptian princess)
★
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (Italian poet and artist)
★
Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egyptian President)
★
Georges Moustaki (Greek-French singer and composer)
★
Gideon Gechtman (Israeli sculptor)
★
Giuseppe Ungaretti (Italian poet)
★
Haim Saban (American billionaire)
★
Hend Rostom (Egyptian actress)
★
Mohamed Al-Fayed (Egyptian businessman)
★
Moustafa Amar (Egyptian singer)
★
MTM (Egyptian music band)
★
Omar Sharif (Egyptian actor)
★
Rudolf Hess (German deputy fuhrer of the Nazi Party)
★
Sayed Darwish (Egyptian music composer)
★
Tawfiq al-Hakeem (Egyptian writer)
★
Youssef Chahine (Egyptian film director)
Photography gallery
See also
★
Alexandria Governorate
★
Governorates of Egypt
Notes
★ "Alexandria: City of Memory" by Michael Haag (London and New Haven, 2004). A social, political and literary portrait of cosmopolitan Alexandria during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
★ Victor W. Von Hagen. ''The Roads that led to Rome'' The World publishing Company, Cleveland and New York. 1967.
References
1. http://freecopts.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=343
2. Goldston, Robert. Sword of the Prophet. New York: The Dial Press. 1979
3. http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/pharos.html
4. http://www.isealex.com
External links
Official website
★
Alexandria official website
★
Expatriates in Alexandria
Read more about Alexandria
★
Read more and see photo galleries about Alexandria
★
Richard Stillwell, ed. ''Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites'', 1976: “Alexandria, Egypt”
★
Landmarks in Alexandria
★
Satellite image and plan of ancient Alexandria in DeeperStudy.com's "Bible Atlas from Space"
Maps of Alexandria
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