Statue of Alexander the Great in Town Square in center of Alexandria |
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Pompey's Pillar, the column in background, was installed to honor Roman Emperor Diocletian |
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Catacombs in Alexandria, the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, dates to 2nd Century AD |
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Waterfront of Alexandria along Mediterranean shoreline. Seawater covers sunk ancient city |
Umuibe,
The coastal outpost which has metamorphosed into the City of Alexandria was founded, c.331 BC, by Alexander the Great. It is the second largest city in Egypt with a population of 5 million. It currently handles up to 80% of the country's maritime imports and is situated at the western end of the Nile Delta. For almost a thousand years, Alexandria was the Egyptian capital city until the Moslem conquest of Egypt in 641 AD when the country's administration was shifted to Cairo. Both in history and at present, City of Alexandria served and still serves as the cultural extension of Europe on the African continent. The architectural design of the city's public monuments and venues reflect influences of the Greeks and Romans who had their chances to rule the land of Egypt from the 4th Century BC.
Pompey's Pillar and the Catacombs are important historical destinations of Alexandria which still contain remnants of the domineering presence of Greco-Roman influence in the waning period of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization. In the Catacombs, which acted as a burial ground for important Greeks and later Romans, graphically illustrates what experts have called "Egyptianization" of European colonizers of that era. According to wall hieroglyphs and rock carvings, it was clear that the Greeks and Romans not only perceived themselves as Egyptians but also had abandoned their erstwhile key cultural practices for those of Ancient Egypt. Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh of Egypt and his reign commenced the era of Greek rule known as the Ptolemaic period. Philae Temple on an island near Aswan, in Upper Nile, has many wall carvings and writings marking the reign of Ptolemaic Egyptian kings like Ptolemy VI and Alexander the Great. The Greeks adopted mummification of their dead in place of cremation which had been a well established practice in Hellenistic culture of the time. The Catacombs' subterranean chambers contain sarcophagi in which mummified bodies of Greek and Roman residents of ancient Alexandria were entombed Egyptian-style. These Europeans obviously practiced ancient Egyptians' religious beliefs.
Pompey's Pillar is an ancient Roman outpost which still contains an 80 foot granite column installed at the location to honor Emperor Diocletian who was responsible for conquest of Alexandria after extended siege. The site contains granite sphinxes, a Nilometer and ancient Roman public bath etc. The Alexandria Museum, which is situated close to city center, has exhibits that covered all segments of Egyptian history up till the era of Ottoman Turks rule. The built-up waterfront of Alexandria sits in a bay which was created since a section of ancient Alexandria was submerged sequel to tectonic activity along the fault line traversing the area. Maritime archeologists have found many buildings, monuments and other artifacts still well preserved underwater throughout the bay. It is speculated that palaces, temples and tombs built by some Ptolemaic kings of Egypt, including Alexander the Great and even Cleopatra, may be in this submerged part of ancient city of Alexandria.
Then comes the grand daddy of them all; the Bibliotheca Alexandrina a.k.a the Library of Alexandria (rebuilt through a global effort and opened in 2002). Account of this magnificent and fascinating destination shall be provided in due course.
Okenwa.
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