Most of our passengers were leaving for the three hour drive to see the pyramids. Since we’ll be back in this area within the week, we decided to concentrate on Alexandria and do the pyramids next week. The weather was very cool and pleasant. Alexandria faces the Mediterranean Sea so there are large promenades along the waterfront with beach clubs and sun umbrellas. You immediately notice that all the beachfront high-rises look like they went through a war. They all need painting and seem to be missing lots of their stucco or plaster. It was a Saturday, so we did not run into the normal chaotic traffic.
We had hired a private English-speaking guide along with an air-conditioned Mercedes with driver to take us around the city. Our first stop was a photo opportunity at Fort Qait Bay which was built on the foundations of one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, the Pharos lighthouse. The fort is located out on a jetty in the East Harbor. Lots of locals were there doing their fishing. With the delightful sea breezes, it was the first time on our trip that it was a joy to be out and about seeing history. Unless you are really interested in world history, the fort does not hold much interest except for a photo.
Our next stop was another photo opportunity at Montazah Palace. This was the summer palace of King Farouk before his abdication. It is now occupied by President Mubarak when he is in town. It is located way out on the eastern edge of the town in a gorgeous park-like setting. The palace sits on a small promontory facing the sea. Egyptians can buy a day ticket and picnic on the grounds when the palace is not being used. From the looks of the palace compared to the rest of the city, it was obviously good to be king.
Next was the Catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa. Photos were not allowed inside the caves. This was very interesting and unique. You descended into the crypts via a stone spiral staircase that surrounds a cylinder where the bodies were lowered. You were able to see a royal crypt evidenced by ornate stone carvings depicting Isis and Anubis. Local people were buried around the royal crypt in rows and rows of three high openings. There was a large room where the family would congregate for a wake-type ceremony.
We then went to the National Museum. As you can imagine, Egypt is not short on antiquities. Our guide had told us it was permissible to take pictures and video. Jeff was filming a sarcophagus when an irate man with a holstered pistol ran over. Apparently, last week the rules had changed and no more filming was allowed. It was apparent in any language that the gentleman wanted to take possession of the camera. Jeff put the camera in his pocket and we somehow convinced the man that we were not going to film anymore and that we absolutely were not going to surrender the camcorder. Anyway, while the museum had some interesting artifacts I would say if you had to leave something off your tour, this would be it.
Next we went to the highlight of our tour, the Alexandria Library. What an amazing space! The books are housed in a triangular shaped building. Outside light is angled so that it never directly hits the books. There is lots of blue and green stained glass to allow for the best type of light for reading. One wall of the library has what appear to be elongated holes holding rolls of papyrus to honor the old Great Library of Alexandria. The holes are actually a sound-baffling system. Each of the angled windows is shaped like eyes and appears to have eyelids. There are over 1,200 desks each with a computer station to access the library’s database. One of the projects they are working on will electronically capture web pages before they expire so that we don’t lose web content. The sixty six columns in the shape of papyrus scrolls holding up the ceiling are actually a fire prevention system. Each area between the columns can be sealed off by fire screens that descend down each column. We had always wanted to see this great building and we weren’t disappointed.
Before taking us back to the ship, we convinced our driver to take us to some antique shops. With the translating help of our guide, Jeff was able to score another horse for his growing collection. I got in some interesting photos of the local area.
We definitely plan on coming back to this city in the future primarily to spend more in-depth time at the library.
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