Alexandria

We got an earlier start this morning. Our guide and driver picked us up and then we drove to Alexandria, which took about 2 hours. Our first stop was the catacombs of Kom El Shokafa and was built by a nobal man named Alexander (not Alexander the Great). We went down 99 steps around the well where they would lower the bodies into the tomb. Once we got down there it was cool and humid, and kinda creepy. We were shown the main tomb where Alexander and his family was presumably buried, and then also the public side tombs as well where there were lots of spots for bodies and vases of ashes (which they call locoli- the spaces for the vases of ashes). There were no bodies in there anymore and haven't been for a long time. Sometimes the Mediterranean Sea gets into the tomb and washes things away, or perhaps it was robbed. Yasmine also pointed out and described the unique artwork in there as well. It was unique because it was a combination of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art all mashed together. It would have Egyptian gods depicted in ways that would never happen in Egyptian art. It seemed maybe Alexander saw an Egyptian tomb and really liked it so he decided to build one for himself but didn't get it quite right. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, so you'll have to visit to see it!

In the tomb there was also a dining room since it was customary for people to eat there after visiting with the dead. Then would eat out of jars and then after they were done they would toss and break the jars to get rid of evil spirits. This resulted in a mountain of broken jars at the surface of the tombs which gave the place its name.  

Yasmine also told us a story about the club that used to be right outside the tombs. It was during the reign of King Caracalla of Rome who was perceived to be a very crazy and cruel man who dressed in strange ways and killed his brother to be in power. When he visited Alexandria the townspeople dressed up on of the crazy locals to dress like the king, presumably to show him what he looked like. But this angered the king. For revenge he invited everyone to a festival in the club outside of the tombs and when everyone was there he locked the door and slaughtered them all. From that point on the club was no longer a club but became part of the tombs as well. We were able to see the human and animals bones that remained there, although we have no idea how many people perished there. It's also unknown what ultimately happened to King Caracalla as he disappeared.

Outside of the main catacombs we were also able to see the Tigran Catacomb, which had been moved there. It was another example of very unusual artwork as it was also a mix between Egyptian and Greek symbols and gods. There were no names or cartoushes associated with the tomb though so we don't even know who built it. 

After we left the catacombs we went to visit the Roman amphitheater. Rome ruled Egypt from about 31 BC to 641 AD, so almost 700 years. During that time they built the amphitheater. It was initially intended to be used as a small theater for music performances. Throughout the years it was altered to fit other needs, such as a place for the public to meet and discuss current issues. It seemed to be built with classic Roman architecture so that was neat, and they are still excavating and finding new areas even today. 

Then we drove through Alexandria and stopped at the Stanley bridge to take some pictures. This was the original road of Alexandria and where the city grew from. From there we were taken to a lovely restaurant called the Fish Market and it overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. We were treated to full meal including Egyptian bread including several sauces (including a garlic sauce which was delicious), salad, and pickled beets to start. Then we each had a fish dish; I had the fried fish filet while Matt had the grilled fish. Both were really good. I especially liked the light batter and spices on my fish. It was also served with traditional Egyptian rice which was very flavorful. 

After lunch we drove over to the Qaitbay Fortress. It is a citadel and was built to protect Alexandria against the Turkish attack. It was built on the site of the original Alexandria lighthouse. We got out to take lots of pictures with the fortress and the sea. While we were there lots of locals wanted to take pictures with us, which was the first time we encountered this and at first we thought they were trying to sell us something. Yasmine said this was because we were blonde and exotic. We also got to experience some rare summer light rain while we were here in Alexandria. At first we weren't sure if it was rain or spray from the sea!

Our last stop in the city was the Biblioteca Alexandria (Library of Alexandria). There used to be two ancient libraries of Alexandria which had long been destroyed, but this new one was built more recently and opened in 2002. The architecture was really unique and designed to only let in sunlight but not rays as to not disturb the readers. It also lets in blue and green light which represents the earth and sky and is relaxing to the eyes. We learned about how the library is adapting all of the books to be available electronically and online so that's really cool. They also explained the different museums and exhibitions that are in the library and we visited one about President Anwar Sadat. It had a lot of his belongings and information about his life. He was a great Egyptian president and after many years of war he signed a famous peace treaty in 1973 which earned him and the Israeli Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize, making him (President Sadat) the first Muslim Nobel laureate. He was president for 11 years before he was killed in office in 1981 by Islamic radicals. His funeral was attended by three former US presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon. 

This was the end of our Alexandria trip and we drove back to Cairo, ever grateful for our wonderful driver Sayed as he navigated the absolutely crazy traffic. There are literally no rules on the road in Egypt and I'm so glad we aren't trying to drive ourselves around! And also for Yasmine who has been able to share so much interesting history with us about the incredible places we're visiting!

After dinner at the hotel I decided to try some hookah (or "shisha" as they call it here). When in Rome! It was really nice as we sat out on the patio by the pool.