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Published: April 29th 2007
Pompey's Pillar
A sphinx stands below the misnamed Pompey's Pillar, a column actually built for the Roman emperor Diocletian after he put down a rebellion in Egypt. Due to Alex's moist climate, there's not much in the way of ruins here, and this is about as exciting as it gets...
Tom Griffith
Alexandrian souq
Alexandrian seafront Just when I thought Egypt couldn't throw any more surprises at me, I found Alexandria. Sitting at the opposite end of the Nile from Aswan, Al-Iskandariyah (as it is known to the locals) couldn't be more different from the conservative, steamy, Nubian south. It is almost as if the Mediterranean sea breeze has carried over something of Europe to the place; from the French-style coffee-shops and seafood restaurants, to the charming architecture and rattling old trams. It is an intensely likeable city, exuding an air of shabby sophistication. Everyone seems more cosmopolitan, more free and easy - the older men all seem to be dressed to the nines in smart (yet gracefully dated) suits, and many of the women get around fully made-up, and without headscarves. Even those that do wear the hejab appear positively naked next to their southern compatriots. The people and the place appear to be very self-assured - like they
know that Alexandria is Egypt's finest city - and Alexandrians are a genuinely friendly bunch.
Alex has always been a city of romance and history. It was founded back in 331 BC by Alexander the Great himself, after his conquest of Ancient Egypt. It became
Alexandria corniche
View of the Mediterranean from Alexandria's Eastern Harbour the capital of the southern Mediterranean, and was the base for the Graeco-Roman-era pharaohs, most notably Cleopatra. It was here that she had her tragic affair with Marc Anthony. Back then Alex was a thriving centre of culture and learning, housing both the Pharos lighthouse (one of the old Seven Wonders) and the Great Library. It hit hard times when the Arabs arrived in Egypt and made Cairo their capital, but in recent centuries it has experienced something of a renaissance. Popular with writers and artists during the 20th century, it has sought to reestablish itself as a centre of learning. One bold move in this direction was the opening of the new Biblioteca Alexandrina in 2002, a worthy replacement for the Great Library of antiquity, strikingly designed by a Norwegian firm to represent the shape of the rising sun. Beautifully realised in terms of construction, the library suffers from a lack of resources (this is Egypt, after all). Despite having shelf space for eight million books, stocks are only at around ten percent of that volume. It is a great place for some peace and quiet and a good read, though.
Despite its distinctly European, cosmopolitan feel, once
Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi
Alexandria's largest mosque, dedicated to a local patron of fishermen. Wandering by the mosque on a Friday, the place was like a funfair - hordes of kids and beggars, stalls selling candy-floss and nuts, herds of fat-arsed sheep, and families out for the day of prayer. you retreat into the backstreets you soon recall that you are in Egypt. Alex is full of bustling
souks (markets), where the muddy streets are lined with stalls selling the usual array of poultry, soft cheese, plastic oddments, dogs, rotting veggies, furniture, nuts, and a disconcerting amount of offal, usually nauseatingly massive hunks of cow liver. Perhaps more distressing are the 'butcher' stalls, which bear a striking resemblance to pet shops back home: here, (live) baby goats, rabbits, pigeons and chooks sit in open pens, blissfully unaware that they are to become tomorrow's shish kebab.
I decided to spend my last few days in the country up here, keen to escape the southern heat and itching to see anything
but another ancient temple. Because Alex is so modern by Egyptian standards (hey its only 2300 years old), and because the climate is damper than other places in the country, there is a real lack of ancient ruins, despite the rich history of the area. The remains of the Pharos lighthouse lie under the ocean, Alexander the Great's tomb has long disappeared, and there is nothing much for the modern visitor except a granite column called 'Pompey's Pillar', and a
Ahwa on the corner
A cute little coffeeshop in the Islamic quarter of Alexandria small Roman amphitheatre.
Alex has been a wonderful way to wind down from the rigours of Egyptian travel. I have managed to get a hotel room overlooking the harbour, and within walking distance there is a cafe full of blokes in Brazilian soccer shirts serving good coffee, and a liquor store. So I'm pretty set. The novelist E.M Forster famously said, "the best way to know Alexandria is to wander aimlessly", and so I have been doing just that, as well as catching some awful movies, reading books in the soothingly peaceful halls of the new Biblioteca, sampling the sheesha and snacks, and generally just taking it easy. Alex is certainly an easier place to do such a thing than chaotic Cairo.
And so my five weeks in Egypt have drawn to a close. I leave with a slightly heavy heart, as the country has worked its spell on me. Despite being riven with political and economic problems, the charm and wonder of Egypt is always evident. Trying to think about the positives and negatives of the place, I was hard pressed coming up with many of the latter. Putting together a Top Ten was a lot easier.
Alex and Alex
Silhouette of a bust of Alexander the Great, the founder of Alexandria way back in 331 BC And so: here it is!
Tom's Top Ten of Egypt
1. The Egyptians themselves. Her people are Egypt's greatest asset - warm, friendly, welcoming, confident, funny, and always quick with a smile, a handshake, and a glass of tea. Even those who are more annoying - yes, I'm looking at you, scarf-sellers of Aswan - are easily disarmed with a smile and a greeting, and up for a bit of a chinwag. (Exception to the rule: the cop I watched smacking a teenager around the head last night).
2. Diving the Red Sea. I know, not really a prime cultural experience, but wonderful nonetheless.
3. The pyramids. Huge, enigmatic, bizarre, pointy. Words can't describe them.
4. Cairo. Wow, what a city - twenty million people living on top of each other, crazy traffic, bustling markets and the Nile through the middle of it all. The air is so filthy that it is the equivalent to smoking twenty cigarettes a day but, by Horus, it is worth it.
5. Sailing in a felucca down the Nile. Plying the peaceful waters of the world's greatest river, with nothing more taxing to do but eat, sleep and listen
Biblioteca Alexandrina
Part of the roof and fancy pool of the new Biblioteca. The library is Alex's attempt to rekindle its reputation as a centre of learning. It has room for 8 million books but only half a mill on the shelves - because, nice library or not, Egypt is dirt poor. to me playing my bloody guitar.
6. The food and drink. From dirt-cheap felafel and fresh salads, to mint tea and just-squeezed OJ, Egypt is great for your guts. As long as you don't drink the water...
7. Sheesha and shaay. When it all gets too hot and noisy, drop into a coffeeshop, have a glass of tea, and smoke some apple tobacco. Not quite as mind-altering as sinking beers back home, but a very relaxing way to experience Egypt.
8. Alexandria. Good coffee, good folks, and beautiful views over the Mediterranean.
9. Al-Qasr. A small village in the middle of Dakhla Oasis in the Sahara, this place gives you a different perspective on the country. The lovely Homda will welcome you into his hotel (the only affordable one in town) and you won't want to leave the desert.
10. The camels. They just look so funy when they get up and walk, don't they? Plus they taste alright too...
Just so I can't be accused of total pro-Egyptian bias, here are my Top Four gripes (I couldn't think of any more):
Tom's Bottom Four of Egypt
1. Tourist prices. Sometimes they're official
Boy from Alex
A local kid who wanted his photo taken next to the ocean (think the 25x entry price for the Egyptian Museum), and sometimes they're not (menus in Aswan that add a pound or two to everything on the English menu - those Arabic numerals have come in very useful). I understand the concept, and I sympathise somewhat - but it gets ridiculous when I am paying 2500%!t(MISSING)he price just because of my skin colour. We call it racism back home.
2. Admission prices. I know, I don't want to harp on like some cheapskate (even though taht's exactly what I am, so no smarmy comments, please), but when you are charging the average daily wage for someone to see the mummies, or the Pyramids, the least you could do is use the money in a transparent, useful way. How about using some of the 50 pounds to pay some poor kids to clean up all the water bottles, cigarette butts and plastic bags littering the desert sands around the base of Khufu's pyramid?
3. Touts, hawkers, and rip-off merchants. If I
want a taxi/horse-carriage/camel/T-shirt/soft drink/bottle of water/souvenir/bracelet/scarf/hashish/hotel room/pack of tobacco/sheesha pipe/felucca ride/to get high/meal/cup of tea, I will ask for it, okay?
4. Shaay, shaay, shaay. I do
Alex in the evening
A couple take in the sea breeze along Alexandria's corniche like a cuppa, and I know it is used as a social lubricant in Egypt, but a glass of super-sweet black tea just has nothing on a cold beer when you've been in the desert for a few days. It's not really a complaint, more a whinge because I haven't been to the pub for ages.
***
Insh'allah, my next post will be from the opposite end of North Africa...
Africa Country Count: 1
Egypt Overland Kilometre Count: 5850km
Africa Overland Kilometre Count: 5850km
Next Country: Morocco
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Bernie
non-member comment
Diving into the Marrakesh Express
Hey Tom. Why aren't you utilising your new found diving prowess to discover Alexandria's real treasures? Isn't Cleo's palace still down there? And are you riding on the Marakesh express? Be careful smelling the gardens in innocent young girls' hair! Cheers, Bernie