Egypt - Former Glories

December 16

Hello everyone!

Much of my time in Egypt has been spent traipsing around temples and tombs. One of the amazing aspects of this is simple but often forgotten amongst the wonder: that they still exist. The final stop on my Egyptian excursion is perhaps a timely reminder that many monuments have been lost to time.

Pompey's Pillar

Citadel of Qaitbay

On my birthday I hopped on a train to travel from Cairo to Egypt’s second city: Alexandria. I travelled first-class - not because it was my birthday but because non-Egyptians are apparently not allowed to travel in the cheapest seats. At less than $5, I wasn’t particularly bothered. I do wonder about how strictly this is applied with nationalities which stereotypically aren’t associated with having lots of money, though. Would someone from Sudan or Ethiopia have to buy a first-class ticket?

The not-quite-golden ticket

Do I belong? Probably not. Do I care? Absolutely not.

Since moving to Malawi, I’ve generally been on holiday on my birthday. I’ve spent it in some fascinating places and Alexandria would prove to be no different.

29: Stellenbosch (South Africa), 2016

30: Long Crendon (England), 2017

31: Cienfuegos (Cuba), 2018

Egypt’s second city has many similarities to Cairo - the choking traffic being the main one. What makes it a bit different is its location. Alexandria is a coastal metropolis, situated on the Mediterranean Sea.

The train took a little over three hours

The corniche was more populated by fishermen than sun-seekers

You get a nice view of the Med from the Fish Market

Having a view of the sea led me to my birthday splurge - food from the sea! Grouper! Calamari! Yum! 

Grouper from the Sea Gull restaurant

Delicious calamari

I read that Alexandria is a long city, which makes sense when you see how densely packed it is along its corniche. Travelling around would be a strain without the rickety trams meandering along.

Traffic along the main corniche road

One ride, for as long as you want, was about 20 US cents

A long, leisurely stroll along the corniche (on the pavement to avoid being sent flying into the water) shows you examples of the city’s storied past, when it was the European entrance to the wonders of Egypt in a more colonial era.

The old courthouse

Ruins from a previous era

The western tip of the corniche has the imposing Citadel of Qaitbay, a looming fortress which was built in 1480 CE. Climbing to the top of the tower allows you a great view of the city as it curves along with the coast.

The citadel was restored from 1984

Don't worry, there are stairs to get up there!

Arguably it is what was on this site before the citadel which is of more interest. This was the location of Egypt’s other contribution to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Lighthouse of Alexandria. I imagine this structure, accepted to be over 100 metres tall and with a viewing distance of almost 50 kilometres, would have been an incredible sight if it was still standing.

The citadel is built on Pharos Island, where the lighthouse was placed

Artist's impression of the Lighthouse - even today, it
would be the second tallest building in the city

Another important historical site with Greek connections was the Library of Alexandria. This ancient library contained up to 400,000 written scrolls at its peak and helped the city become regarded as the capital of knowledge in the ancient world. Once again, it hasn’t stood the test of time. Rebuilt in the 1990s and opened in 2002, it is now a regular library that I didn’t feel the need to pay $5 to enter.

Definitely not what it used to look like

The main building of the library complex

Alexandria wasn’t just influenced by the Greeks. The Romans used the city as an important base during their control of Egypt. Some of their constructions, such as the Roman Forum and Pompey’s Pillar, are still visible today.

Nothing to do with the real Pompey, who was
alive over 300 years before this was built

A headless sphinx being protected by a real feline

Getting to Pompey’s Pillar involved walking away from the corniche and into the heart of the city. Very narrow streets are bristling with shops and food stalls. Oh, and more cars. I swear it is probably quicker to walk around Alexandria than to drive through its core.

This on Google Maps was quite a wide street...

Smells: potent

Alexandria is an interesting place that many people don’t visit on a typical tour of Egypt. I imagine that more people would add it to their itinerary if its ancient structures such as the library and lighthouse were still standing. Even without these and a sense of faded glory, I enjoyed my flying visit in this final stop on my Egyptian excursion.

32: Alexandria (Egypt), 2019

Salaam, Egypt

Love you all,

Matt