The setting for the famed tumultuous relationship between Cleopatra and Marc Antony, the city of Alexandria, Egypt, has an ambiance that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern. This is what has earned the city the nickname of “The Pearl of the Mediterranean.” Although it is located only about 140 miles from Cairo, this makes it distinctly different from its neighboring cities.
Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great — hence the name — in the year 331 BC and became the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt. Its status was well represented by its legendary landmark, the Pharos Lighthouse. The famed lighthouse is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
However, unlike many of the other great architectural wonderments of Egypt, the lighthouse no longer stands. It is thought to have been destroyed by an earthquake.
Constructed at the beginning of the third century BC over a period of about 12 years, the lighthouse was completed in 283 BC, and is said to have been a famous tourist attraction from the very beginning. The lighthouse stood 300 feet above the sea, therefore offering a view unlike any other in the ancient world.
It is said that its light shone 100 miles out into the sea, and it must have surely been a very strong building for it survived nearly 2 millennia, standing through large tidal waves and violent coastal storms.
Although today the lighthouse no longer remains, there is no lack of things to do and see in Alexandria. At every turn you will find remnants of the city’s glorious past as well as its more recent 20th-century European influence, which gave the city a cosmopolitan flair and made it synonymous with decadence and lavishness.
One of the city’s most popular attractions is its Roman ruins, including the Roman Theater, which is also known as Kom Al-Dikka. It took more than 30 years to excavate this astonishingly well-preserved theater, which was used during Ptolemaic times.
Evidence suggests that the space was used for everything from musical performances to wrestling contests. Today, visitors can admire the mosaic flooring, marble columns, and marble seats that sat up to 800 spectators.
Another of Alexandria’s most memorable monuments are the Catacombs of Kom es-Shoqafa, whose Arabic name means “Mound of Shards.” The catacombs are well known for their spooky quality and may send a few shivers down your spine. Many visitors say that these tombs alone are worth the trip to Alexandria. They represent the last existing major construction for the sake of the ancient Egyptian religion.
The main chambers of the catacombs include the vestibule and the central tomb chamber. They are lit by a single light that casts an eerie green glow. You’ll see statues of serpents wearing the crowns of upper and lower Egypt, the funeral deities of ancient Egypt, including Anubis and Horus, as well as Greco-Roman figures such as Medusa heads. Overall, the décor is unlike anything that you will find elsewhere.
The city of Alexandria has a variety of wonderful modern structures for you to visit as well. Make sure to go to the new library as well as the Alexandria National Museum, which is filled with a number of amazing ancient Egyptian artifacts that have been dredged from the seabed.
You can also meander through the old Jewish community in the Suq district and visit Alexandria’s one remaining synagogue, the Eliahu Hanabi Synagague, which houses all of the treasures of the city’s former seven synagogues.
At the end of the day, you’ll surely enjoy a visit to The Corniche, where crystal blue waters meet with rows of beach huts on stilts and casinos.
By visiting both the ancient structures and modern attractions of Alexandria, you will experience firsthand the city’s charming Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, European, and Greco-Roman influences. It is a combination that makes Alexandria unlike any other city in the world.
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