A princely port city

EGYPTIAN MIGHT

I embarked on a trip to explore the myriad interesting facets of Alexandria, Egypt’s erstwhile capital, on the second day of my Egyptian sojourn. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, this metropolis has other claims to fame as well — the country’s second largest city and the largest seaport. Situated on the Mediterranean along Egypt’s north coast, Alexandria is a city of legends. This is where Euclid sired Geometry and Aristarchus deduced that the Earth revolves around the Sun (about 18 centuries before Copernicus). 

Alexandria was the setting for so many historic events, dramatic stories, great architectural feats, and a cosmopolitan hub for intellectuals in the early 20th century. During the Hellenistic period, it was home to both the legendary Great Library of Alexandria and the Pharos, a lighthouse ranking among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Architectural sites

The Mediterranean port city awed me with its rich cultural mélange, archaeological wonders, Greco-Roman landmarks, old-world cafes, European-style parks, beautiful bays and harbours. I rambled around in Cleopatra’s ancient hometown, scouting for traces of her connections, but in vain. But I stumbled upon other interesting archaeological sites like Pompey’s famous pillar watched over by two sphinxes. It was the largest of its kind and the only known free-standing column in Roman Egypt that was not composed of drums. Around the memorial column, I found a number of statues and artefacts,  and the remains of a serapium, a temple dedicated to the deity Serapis.

The 800-seat Roman amphitheatre was another interesting stop in the heritage sojourn. Dating from the 2nd century AD, it is a small amphitheatre that was used by the Romans for poetry and music. It features marble seats bearing the graffiti of chariot team supporters during races in Byzantine times. On the site, other ruins have also been excavated, including a bath house and a villa with some well-preserved mosaics.

I tarried a while at the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Age. It was only when donkeys fell through a hole in the ground that this bizarre Roman burial site in Egypt was discovered. As I descended the circular staircase to have a peek into the well, I felt claustrophobic. The Catacombs Kom ash-Shuqqafa are cool, and at a certain depth,  the staircase opens into a series of chambers and antechambers. I had a glimpse of the tombs, statues and objects of Pharaonic funerary cult with Hellenistic and early-Imperial Roman influences. Standing in the striking Hall of Caracalla, I could imagine how the Roman emperor laid to rest some of the Alexandrian youths he massacred. My guide led me to some of the catacombs guarded by murals that depict two terrific bearded serpents. The central tomb, surrounded by a broad passage lined with cavities in two rows, had room for over 300 mummies. The painstaking efforts Egyptians put in to preserve a lifeless body for eternity is astounding.

From there I drove along the marina to reach an impressive-looking citadel called Fort Qaitbey. This turreted fortress — built in the 15th century — is on the site of the majestic Lighthouse of Alexandria. It’s said that stones from the original lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC on an island in the harbour were used in its construction. From there, the Mediterranean, in full view now, was a mesmerising blue.

From here I could see a long stretch of the Alexandrian coastline and on that the unusual profile of the Grand Library of Alexandria. Built near the site of the original Library of Alexandria — perhaps, the ancient world’s greatest — with an unrivalled collection that included the original manuscripts of Euripides, Aeschylus and Sophocles, the bibliotheca seeks to resurrect that lost monument with shelf space for eight million books. The glimmering vision in steel and glass opened on the Corniche in 2002.

World of a library

Today the library is transformed into the disc-shaped, ultramodern Bibliotheca Alexandrina research centre. What caught my attention was the drum-like exterior wall of the building, with a massive granite wall on which characters from all the world’s written languages are inscribed. The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a dramatic monument in the post-modernist architectural style. A remarkable feature of the library is CULTURAMA, an interactive display of Egypt’s cultural heritage. The city became the intellectual capital of the Western world when it drew antiquity’s finest scholars and has long been an inspiration to writers and artists.

Another notable archaeological site is the imposing Montaza Palace that’s  perched on a hill overlooking the sea. Once the summer home of the Egyptian royal family, it now houses a museum in their honour. Built to a Turkish and Italian architectural design, it stands in some of the prettiest gardens in Alexandria.

I stopped at a wayside restaurant for a quick bite. Egyptian cuisine has a range of dishes to suit all palates and budgets. I  tried the signature dishes like koshari (made from macaroni or spaghetti, rice, lentils and chickpeas, all served with a thick garlic and tomato sauce, topped with fried onions and herbs) and the popular falafel, (a dish of spicy beans mashed together with herbs into patties, and fried). I rounded off the snacks with Karkadeh or Hibiscus, a delicious tea proven to lower blood pressure.