HYDERABAD: My journey to Alexandria was brimming with much excitement and anticipation, a result of all that I read about the city with a rich history. Alexandria was once one of the greatest cities, second only to Rome in size and wealth, and while it changed hands from Rome to Byzantine and finally Persia, the city stayed the capital of Egypt for a millennium. Alexandria’s reign came to an end when the Arabs conquered Egypt in 641 and decided to found a new capital to the south, in Cairo.
One of the great hidden secrets of Egypt, and the main city of the White Mediterranean, Alexandria is situated between a strip of wonderful blue skies and impeccable beaches. It was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, and housed the palace and mausoleum of the last Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Alexandria boasts of culture, history, sea and the attractions of a great and influential city: the city has long been an inspiration to writers and artists.
Catacombs of Kom el- Shoqafa
Donkeys rank with archeologists in making discoveries in Egypt - a donkey fell through a hole in the ground and thus was discovered the largest Roman burial site in Egypt: the Catacombs of Kom el- Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.I climbed down the circular staircase (99 steps), to see the tombs, statues and objects of Pharaonic funeral cult with Hellenistic and Early Imperial Roman influences. While it is so fascinatingly interesting to look and learn about all the thought, science and philosophy behind, it left me wondering about the lengths to which people went, and the efforts they put in to preserve a lifeless body for eternity.
Built 35 metres down into solid rock, there is a shaft whose original purpose was a kind of ‘dumb waiter’ for corpses being lowered to their final resting place. Through a tightish squeeze I emerged into the striking Hall of Caracalla, the Roman Emperor who massacred a large number of Alexandrian youths. Some of them perhaps were laid to rest in the Catacombs, guarded by murals that depict two terrific bearded serpents. Surrounding the central tomb is a broad passage lined with cavities in two rows with room for over 300 mummies. There was a pool of water and I had to tread carefullyon the slabs, and try not to slip into the netherworld!!
Pompey’s Pillar
Pompey’s Pillar is a Roman triumphal column in Alexandria, that soars 25 metres above the limestone ridge on which it stands; beneath it and all around lie partially excavated pits. It was the largest of its kind and the only known free-standing column in Roman Egypt which was not composed of drums. Erroneously dated to the time of Pompey, the Corinthian column was actually built in 297 AD, .
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
King Ptolemy I (3rd century), the founder of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (the largest and the most famous in its time), believed in supremacy in learning and culture. The Ptolemies collected books from many cultures, had them translated into Greek and acquired original and most valuable collections. The present building with its futuristic disc like structure is covered in scripts and letters from almost all the languages in the world, a fitting exterior for a place that epitomises world culture in the form of the written word. The holes in the inner walls of the Library are to absorb noise and they also represent the holes which were used to preserve scrolls in the ancient Library. I took a conducted tour of the library and was pleased to find our beloved Ganghiji’s statue prominently displayed in the massive hall. I sat in silence and poured over books on Cleopatra (my favourite subject!). Hadeer, a pleasant librarian with a winning smile, helped me with the books I was searching for.
Citadel of Qaitbay
Once considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast, the Qaitbay Citadel formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century AD. It was erected on the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As I went around clicking pictures, I met some people from Saudi Arabia. When I said I was from India, the girl jokingly broke into a jig, Bollywood style. I swelled with pride at my heritage!
(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; blogs at www.vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)