ALEXANDRIA – LARGEST AND RICHEST PEARL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

From Cairo to Alexandria is slightly over a two hour drive northwest to the Mediterranean Sea.  This pleasant 32 kilometer coastal sprawl offers a temperate climate replete with steady sea breezes, a cosmopolitan charm, and hints of fading grandeur as seen in its world class monuments and yet decaying infrastructure.  The city was   founded by the world’s greatest military genius, Alexander the Great, around 332 BC.

Alexander no sooner spent a couple of months in this original port town of Rhakotis and laid down a plan for its transformation into Egypt’s capitol then he was off to battle Phoenicians (present day Lebanon), leaving the development of the city to his general, Ptolemy.  The city eventually became the largest and richest in the world in its time, and replaced Memphis as Egypt’s ruling center.

The city also became the greatest port in Europe, and the focus of trade from the Mediterranean, India, Arabia, and parts of Africa and the Orient.  This trade in spices, silks and precious metals brought wealth, surpluses, leisure, and the arts to the city.

In time, this cumulative bounty also brought forth the world’s greatest library, the world’s greatest lighthouse, one of antiquities finest museums, one of the greatest temples in the world, and numerous schools of philosophy.  At one time it appeared Alexandria had succeeded Athens’ as the center of learning and culture in the known civilized world.

Among the luminaries who set up shop in Alexandria were Eraosthenes (who calculated the circumference of the earth to within 50 miles 1700 years before Colombus), the famous mathematician Euclid, the heralded astronomer and inventor Archimedes, and the celebrated engineer Hero (aka Heron). 

Cleopatra VIII – yes, that Cleopatra – the last ruling descendent in the Ptolemy dynasty, held court here and carried on her famous affairs of state with Romans Julius Caesar and Marc Antony prior .  Upon the Queen’s famous “asp to the throat” suicide in 30 BC Lower Egypt was finally co-opted as a province in to the Roman Empire.

At the time of my arrival, the Bibliotheca Alexandria was doing its best to regain some of the glitter lost from the original, dating back to early in the third century before Christ.  Its modern reflective glass architecture and expansive complex housed a restaurant, massive manuscript collection, reading room, art exhibits, and a few relatively small museums.  I was not able to visit as much of the interior as anticipated, due to Egypt’s election of Sisi on the day of my visit.  Built in 2002, the New Library remains one of the top venues of modern Egyptian culture in the country.

The Ancient Library was legendary.  Begun under Ptolemy I, it was finished under his son Ptolemy II.  Invitations were sent to foreign rulers asking them to contribute manuscripts.  Room was created to house up to 70,000 scrolls.  When requests did not result in filled shelves, borrowing did.  All ships entering Alexandria’s harbor were searched, and each manuscript found was taken to the library.  There it was decided whether it was worthy of being kept and replaced with a copy, or returned to its crew.

It is estimated up to 500,000 books were eventually stored there (a rumor that up to 200,000 of them had been gifted by Antony to Cleopatra has largely been debunked).  Among several collateral and complete destructions mentioned in its history, the library was destroyed at least in part during the civil war of Egyptian succession between Roman Generals Pompey and Julius Caesar and Egyptian co-rulers Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII in 48 BC.

Another of my intended stops in Alexandria was Pompey’s Pillar.  It appeared this might be something commanding and majestic, like Admiral Nelson’s Column in London.  Not so.  It was relatively puny, hidden, and requiring an oversized fee just to get in for a photo op.  Once again – as is so common in these parts – the descriptive panels were non-existent or insufficient or written only in Arabic.

However … I did discover simply in the course of wandering that the Pillar marks the high point of the Temple of Serapis. This synthetic God was devised during the 3rd century BC on the orders of Ptolomy I as a means of unifying Greeks and Egyptians in his kingdom. The blended god was depicted as Greek in facial appearance, but with Egyptian adornments and icons from many cults.

This amazing complex was built by Ptolemy III to honor and enforce the cult of Serapis (that made-up synthesis of Hellenistic and Egyptian traits) who was made the protector of Alexandria. By all ancient accounts, the Serapheum was the largest and most magnificent of all temples in Hellenistic Egypt.  It was compared to the Temple of Jupiter in Rome, and the Parthenon in Athens.

Some historians have speculated that the builders of this pagan masterpiece intended to make it a composite structure, combining diverse elements of Egyptian and Greek art into a unified whole. The Serapheum was regarded by the ancients as marking the blending of works from the architects of the Pyramids at Giza and the creators of the Athenian Acropolis. It merged for their purposes a flair for Egyptian artistic scale with the grace and loveliness of Greek Hellenistic design.

Nearby was another objective on my Alexandria “wish list” – the beautiful Roman Ampitheater, only one of its type in Egypt.  The relatively small gallery has seating for up to 800 spectators.  At one time the theater may have been roofed to serve as an platform for musical performance.  Perhaps also wrestling contests.

It is constructed of thirteen semi-circular tiers of white marble imported from Europe. Its columns are of green marble imported from Asia Minor, and red granite imported from Aswan. The wings on either side of the stage are decorated with geometric mosaic pavings, which are flanked by Roman baths and the irregular stone foundation remains of Roman homes.

On the drive over to my next objective, the Summer Palace of “Fat King Faisal” (last of the Egyptian monarchs), I am humored by my driver Tharwat and my guide for the day, Shaddi.  They slap each other on the back and keep referring to the virtues of eating pigeon.  “Aren’t those birds just a little foul,” I ask, belatedly taking note of the double entendre now adding droppings to the conversation.

“Oh, no!” they enthusiastically reply.  “They are considered a delicacy here.  It is not uncommon for a bridegroom to have three to four of them on his wedding day.  We call them Egyptian Viagra!”

The Summer Palace is an Italian inspired visual feast.  But once again due to renovation requirements, the interior is not accessible.  That does not keep the Egyptians from charging you anyway (worth a small laugh for the craftiness – pay first, let them complain later).  The grounds were first known as the Montaza Palace Grounds.  Its Salamlek Palace was built in 1892, and used as a hunting lodge and guest residence.

The larger Al-Haramlik Palace and royal gardens were added to the grounds in 1932 by King Fuad – but the overall compound was still known as The Montaza Palace.  It was utilized as a royal summer retreat. The Palace is a mixture of Turkish and Florentine styles, with two towers, the easternmost  rising dramatically higher and paying homage to many a Sienna or Florence Clock Tower. The pastel colored palace has long open arcades facing the Mediterranean along each floor.

President Anwar El-Sadat eventually renovated the Summer Palace as an official presidential residence prior to his assassination. Its Italian Renaissance clipped-horseshoe design was most recently used by former president Hosni Mubarak as a retreat once again prior to his being deposed in 2011.  Apparently the palace has a residue of bad karma.

Next on the tour loop: the very picturesque Citadel of Qait Bey.  The Citadel (or the Fort of Qaitbay) is a 15th-century defensive embrasure designed as somewhat of a cross between a Norman Castle and an English coastal artillery fort.  It was built in 1477 AD by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa’it Bay (don’t make me say that twice).

The Citadel is situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor.  For anybody familiar with the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, Pharos ought to ring a bell (back to that in a moment). Today, it remains pristine in its simplicity and Disneyland-like clarity of design and appearance.

The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is considered one of the most important military strongholds, not only in Egypt but along the entire Mediterranean. It formulated an important part of the defensive system of Alexandria in the 15th century AD.  Shortly after its construction, about 1480 AD, the Sultan fortified the place as part of his coastal protections against the Turks, who were threatening Egypt at that time. He also built a mosque inside.

The Citadel continued to function during most of the Egyptian Mameluke period, the Turkish Ottoman period and the modern period.  At one time it was used as a prison for political prisoners and a “guest house” for those courtiers out of political favor.  After the British bombardment of the city of Alexandria in 1882, it fell into disfavor and disuse. It became neglected until the 20th century, when it was restored several times by King Farouk and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

It was erected on the exact base of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the others being the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicamassus, and the Colossus of Rhodes).

The famous Lighthouse – literally a landmark --was begun in 280 BC, and topped out at 387 feet after 12 years of construction.  It was fashioned on three levels out of limestone blocks. A square bottom was 98 feet on each side.  Its water level and basement blocks were riveted together with poured lead in order to withstand vibration and the constant pounding of waves.

Above that was an octagonal middle section, topped by a round tower summit holding a furnace with a huge mirror to reflect light which could be seen up to 30 miles out to sea.  The Lighthouse at Pharos thus became the virtual prototype for all other lighthouses throughout the world.

Several disasters occurred – primarily earthquakes -- and the shape of the lighthouse regularly changed, but it still continued to function. The Pharos Lighthouse remained working at least until the time of the Arab conquest in the 7^th century.  Attempted restoration was initiated around 880 AD. During the 11th century another earthquake occurred, causing damage to the octagonal middle tower. The bottom survived, but it could only serve as a watchtower.  A small mosque was added to the top.  In the 14th century there was yet another destructive earthquake.  This time the whole building was completely destroyed. Parts of its remaining blocks were utilized for the Citadel a century later.

A final, brief visit is paid to the Roman catacombs, the Kom-el-Shugafa.  The entry to this spacey, almost cavern like and well-lit ossuary were first discovered (or rediscovered) in 1936.  While not as impressive in size or scope as the catacombs of Rome or Paris, the underground cemetery is still notable for its 35 meter deep central staircase, spiraling around 3 levels to a subterranean cistern.

Situated around this central staircase are carved tombs of varying size, shape and artistic quality.  The crypts are sufficient for 70 families and approximately 300 individual tombs.  Many of the easily accessible vaults are decorated with exceptional engravings, uniting in death Egyptian and Roman and Greek mythological themes.  

Ironically the downfall of Alexandria, which had been a city of prosperity and learning, came about as a result of religious contention between the newly legalized Christian faith and the old faith of the pagan majority. Under the reign of Theodosius I beginning in 347 AD, paganism was outlawed and Christianity flourished.  In 391 the Christian Patriarch Theophilus followed Theodosius’ lead and ordered all the pagan temples in Alexandria destroyed or converted into churches.

By the year 400 AD Alexandria was in constant religious turmoil.  By 415, the Neo-Platonic philosopher Hypatia (a rock star among locals with the influential gravitas of a Martin Luther King) was murdered.  Riots ensued.  Some scholars claim the burning of the Great Library and complete destruction of the Temple of Serapis followed. Alexandria declined rapidly after this date with scholars, scientists, and artisans of all intellectual persuasions departing the city for safer locales.

The city became steadily impoverished after the rise of Christianity, both financially and culturally, and became increasingly a battlefield for warring faiths. It was conquered by the Persians in 619. The Eastern Christian Byzantine Empire re-claimed the city in 628 but lost it to the invading Arab Muslims in 641.

The forces of the Christian Byzantines and the Muslim Arabs then fought for control of Alexandria, and Egypt, until Arabian forces finally prevailed in 646 and Egypt came under continuous Islamic rule. The city’s churches were then destroyed or transformed in to mosques.   Christian historians report that at this time the great library was destroyed for the final time and in full, this time by Islamic conquerors.