Dec 4 - I had only ever been to Alexandria once, and for a school function, so I thought it would be good to see the historical side of the city. It is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest on the Mediterranean coast. The legend is that it was founded by Alexander the Great, though it seems obvious that there was already a town here when he arrived. Alexander’s mission in this part of the Mediterranean was not to conquer territory but rather to just occupy ports, so that the Persians would not be able to supply their navy.
It was known as a center of learning, being quite cosmopolitan in character. Hence, it became the location of the most famous library of ancient times, the Alexandria Library. That, along with the (now destroyed) Alexandria Lighthouse, ranked among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
We take the desert road up. Coming out of Cairo, it seems like the housing developments are endless, and many look like luxury gated communities. This is followed by extensive farming acreage, including date palms and corn. I guess they pull some water from the delta canals.
It is extremely crowded and covered in dust, much like Cairo, through there is a bit more remaining of the older character. We are in a minibus today and rear-end another minivan on the highway heading in. There is about ten minutes of harsh yelling, as the other minivan is dented and ours is not. Lots of threats ensue between the drivers, followed by a hasty transfer of cash and we continue on our way.
First stop is Pompey’s Pillar, dedicated to the Roman Emperor Diocletian between 298-303 CE.
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Around the pillar are the remains of some underground passages with niches. Our guide has a lot to say about them that contradicts the official history, but the simple version is that it was a center for Apis (bull) worship.
On to the Catacombs of Kom al Shoqafa. This underground complex, carved completely from relatively soft sandstones, is an interesting mixture of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman design. Our guide has a lot to say about it being a center for a Dionysian cult during Roman times, while the official history states that it was a crypt, possibly originally intended for only one family. It was forgotten by the 4th century, only re-discovered in 1900 when a donkey fell through one of the rooves.
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Go next to some remains of the Roman city. It is dominated by an amphitheatre, though one of the smallest I have seen.
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Last stop is the new Alexandria Library (Bibliotheca Alexandrina). This is an effort to revive the old library, probably founded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in an area nearby, and which was gradually destroyed through numerous fires, wars, and eventually neglect. The modern library, opened in 2022, tries to capture the grandeur and fame of the old one, and its contents are all searchable online. It has the largest open reading area of any library in the world. There is a free guided tour. Odette spend some time in the kids section, which had a large number of books in English.
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Make the long trip back to Cairo, mostly in the dark. Traffic isn’t so bad until we are in the downtown area. I jump out at Tahrir Square, as today I had planned to meet up with a friend I made online a few years ago from Syria, Ammar. Since first communicating with him, he moved from Syria to Cairo, in hopes of finding a better future. We meet and sit in a street café (meaning the tables and chairs are just out in the street).
Ammar talks a bit about the transition of moving to Cairo from his home town south of Hama. Cairo was a shock of noise and dirt, and the people speak a very different dialect of Arabic. He was a bit taken aback by the pushiness of sellers, and the constant tricks to get more money, neither of which are features of Syrian life. He didn’t have much time to get to know the city other than his home and work, as his job took long hours and he really needed to build up some savings. Though there are probably many Syrians living here, he says he knows only seven.
On the positive side, he can find work (though all in the ‘gray’ area of legality, as a real work visa would be very expensive to get), and there is always electricity. In Syria there are currently about three hours of electricity per day. And he does have a sense of hope, having done the hard work of getting out of Syria (the government makes it difficult for young people to leave), and into a place where there are opportunities.
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Back to the dusty and dilapidated hotel we are staying in, to find that Odette is sick and vomiting. She carries on that way through the night, unable to hold even water down. Between this and mosquitos, we have a miserable time.
Egypt