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Alexandria Maps and
Destination Data and Information:
Alexandria and the immediate area around the City. It could in fact be
argued that this area extends to Marsa Matruh to the west on the coast.
The area has a Mediterranean feel about it, and the attraction is the
Mediterranean Sea, and to the people of Cairo, a somewhat cooler
climate.
Alexandria History and Name: When the name of Alexandria is
mentioned, I feel my eyes lighting up, it is as if Alexander the Great
has come back to life again. This great young leader came to Egypt to
fight against the Persians, who had invaded Egypt a few years before.
In 333 BC Alexander entered Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, where
he was welcomed and hailed as a King by the Egyptians. He was a quite
clever diplomat, as he showed great respect and veneration to the gods
of ancient Egypt, especially Ptah, the patron god of Memphis.
Afterwards Alexander decided to visit the famous Oracle Temple of Amon,
located in the oasis of Siwa, in order to consult the seer about his
destiny. He was marching parallel to the Canopic branch of the Nile when
he stopped to rest at an old Egyptian village called "Re-qdt” (its Greek
name is “Racotis”) between the Mediterranean Sea and the Lake of Mariott
(its location today is the area of Tel Bab Sadrah or Karmouz). Alexander
decided to build a town there, which became the chosen site of
Alexandria. He had an architect named "Dinocratis" plan it – it was the
birth of a great new city.
He continued on to Siwa, to consult the oracle and then left Egypt to
fight the Persians in Asia. After his triumphal campaigns, Alexander the
Great died in Babylon in 323 BC without ever seeing the city that bears
his name.
In
fact it wasn’t until the reigns of Ptolemy I, (Soter - the Saviour), and
his successor Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) that the building of the city
was completed and it became the main capital.
Dinocratis had planned the city in squares, like a chessboard. Two main
streets interlaced vertically and horizontally extending from east to
west as well as from north to south. Alexandria had 5 districts, each
one named after a letter of the first five letters in the Greek
Alphabet: A (Alpha); B (Beta); G (Gamma); D (Delta) and E (Epsilon).
These 5 letters represent the initial letters of the text: "Alexander
the king, the descendent of the gods, erected the city".
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Alpha was the royal district where the royal palaces, the main Temple,
the museum, the libraries, and the gardens were built,
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Beta was the district of the Greek aristocracy.
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Gamma was dedicated to the settlement of the Greek commoners.
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Delta was the district of the foreign minorities such as the Syrians,
the Persians, and the Jews.
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Epsilon was the district for the native Egyptians.
Drinking water was supplied by a canal starting from the western Canopic
branch of the Nile, at a point called "Shedia" about 27 km to the south
of Alexandria. The water was stored in Cisterns; some of which remain
into modern times.
At the beginning of the Roman period, about 30 BC, a new city was built
here by the Romans, bearing the name of "Nicopolis" which means the city
of Victory, in order to commemorate the victory of Octavian over Mark
Anthony in Aktium in 31 BC. Most of it was destroyed or vanished for
several reasons, including disturbances, civil wars, revolts, natural
disasters, subsoil water and unplanned urbanization etc.
Among those fabulous monuments: mentioned by ancient Greek books, are
the Enclosure Walls and the Gates of the City, the Lighthouse, the Great
Library, the Royal Necropolis including the Tomb of Alexander and the
Museums.
 Today the remaining monuments of ancient Alexandria are different
cemeteries scattered in many various locations, some of which date back
to the Ptolemaic period: El-Shatby, Moustafa Kamel, El-Anfoushy, and El-Wardain.
Others date back to the Roman period: the tombs of Kom El-Shouqafa
(called the Catacombs), the tomb of Tigran, Pompeii’s pillar, Tomb of
Silvago and the cemetery of El-Qabbary which was recently discovered.
There are other important monuments in the city that date back to
various periods, such as the Serapium, the Roman Theatre, the Temple of
El-Ras El-Souda, Citadel of Quaitbay, the Jewellery Museum, Mosque of
El-Naby Daniel, Mosque of El-Moursi Abou El-Abbas and the Memorial of
the unknown soldier
At
Abu
Qir, a small fishing town, you can sunbath, fish, swim and eat fresh
seafood. To the west of the city try the resorts of Agami or Hannoville.
The
Northern Coast" is the Egyptian North Western gate stretching 525 Km on
the Mediterranean east to Sallum on the Libyan boarder. In spite of
miles of white sand beaches and azure sea, Egypt's Med is still
undeveloped and relatively unpopulated. There are fine beaches all along
the coast from Alexandria to Mersa Matrouh, including the resort of Sidi
Abdel Rahman, a secluded bay with clear waters and a selection of villas
and hotels. At Mersa Matrouh itself, the natural bay and long white
beach make for good sunbathing and swimming in calm transparent waters.
Hired bicycles, carettas or open- sided tuf-tuf buses will take you to
other good bathing spots nearby including the outstar beach at Al-Abyad
and Ageebah cove, surrounded by beautiful scenery. As well as beaches
there are other attractions in the Mersa Matrouh area: Cleopatra's Bath,
a rock-hewn whirlpool bath off- shore which was supposedly used by
Antony and Cleopatra, a ruined temple fort built by Ramses II, an early
Coptic chapel and "Rommel's Hideout", a cave where the general planned
his military campaigns and which has now been tumed into a military
museum.
Nearby, "Marina- Alameen" lies on the beach, about 100 Km from
Alexandria. Its
surface is nearly 5000 feddans. Apart from the beach, it consists of
housing and public service
units. Golf, horseriding and other sport facilities and courtyards are
also there. In fact, "Marina-Alameen" is exceptional in both natural and
historical respects. It is endowed
with natural deep lakes, as well as large forests. Moreover, it is rich
in both Greek and
Roman monuments. Being the World War II stage, an allied soldiers
cemetery is found
there. On the other hand, sea-linked lakes are designed for water
renewal, shipping and
fishery purposes.
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