Wadi El- Natron

Wadi El- Natron

Wadi El- Natron is located 100 km to the north west of Cairo, it is a natural depression in the western desert. Now it is consisting of salt lakes and salt flats laying in the desert.

Wadi el Natorn was very important to the ancient Egyptian since it was where they extracted the Natrun salt. Indeed and become more important during the early era of Christianity in Egypt. Today it is the centre of many monasteries dating back to the fourth century AD.

These monasteries are: 

-The Monastery of Deir abu makar ( st. Makarous)

-The Monastery of Deir Anba bishoy ( St bishoi)

-The Monastery of Deir el Surian

-The Monastery of Deir EL Baramous

Deir Abu Makar (St. Makarous)

It is located 4 km of the Alexandria desert road, it consists today of  manyDier Abu maker remains of a much greater site. The  importance of this place today rises from the fact that here  St Makarios  who was the son of An Egyptian priest who lived here in 330 AD,  he became the  spiritual leader  of the Christian hermits and monks in the area, he was  buried in the monastery , and later about 9 Patriarchs were buried in the same monastery.

The site of monastery  is consisting of several churches, frequently  destroyed and currently  being rebuilt , the main site consist of the cell of chrism and the fluid said to be used to embalm Jesus Christ. The monastery still contains religious painting and frescos that goes back to the 5 century Ad. The monastery is not open for visitors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deir Anba Bishoy (St. Bishoy)

One of the mot important monasteries today in Wadi El- Natroun is Dier Anba Bishoi ( Bischoi) it was named after the Patron Saint St. Bishoi who immigrated to the site and lived in here in solitude. Dier  Anba  bishoi

Then monastery was restored several times after it has been destroyed at the hands of the barbers. and Bedouins.  It has 5 churches the main one is the St Bishoi church which goes as early to the 9 century Ad.  This church today is only used during the summertime.

To the east of this church lies another one known as the church of Al- Adra (the virgin), but this one is only  used during the winter month.   


At the second flower of the monastery which goes back to the 12 century Ad, there is the church of  angel.  Also there is the charge of St. George which is not used at all. The monastery contains the remains of St. Bishoi, and Ephraim the Assyrian, and Paul of Tomah. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deir El Surian (The Syrian Monestary)

It is located to the north west of  St Bishou monastery almost 400 meters away.  Women are not allowed into this monastery. The monastery goes back the 6th century AD, Dier AL Syrianthe monastery was  built by some of the orthodox monks for the monastery of Bishouy who had a dispute with other monks in the monastery about the status of the virgin Mary. They called it the theocratic ( Mother of god)

Later the monastery was abounded and then it was  sold to group of  Syrian  monks. The monastery contains  It has a an olive press, large farm attached to it and a library

The monastery consisting of the following churches:

1- The Church of El -Adra (church of the Virgin) which is considered the main church. Which is used during the summer month  

2- Church of Sitt Mariam ( lady Mary), they also call it the  cave church.  It stores the relics of St. John Kame the black who died in 656AD

3-The Church of the forty martyrs

4-The Church of  Hinnes and Marutha, who bought this church for the Syrian monks.

5-  In the second flower of the monastery  lie the churches of St. Michael. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deir El Baramous 

This  monastery is the  furthest of all , it is located at the  extremeDier EL Barmous   north west  east of Wadi EL Natroun and almost 14 km from the main entrance road to the valley. 

The name Deir EL Baramous means, the monastery of the Romans.  It was named so since the area traditionally was famous for being the spot where two Roman priests, fled the Christian persecution during the roman times, have lived here and established this monastery

The monastery like other was badly destroyed and rebuilt and fortified. It has many churches such as:

1- The church of El- Adra.

2- Church of Anba Tadrous.

3- Church of  St John the Baptist.

4- Chapel of Mari Gerges.

5- Church of angel Michael with dome covered hykal

Read More

The Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria

The Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria in Kom El-Dekka

The Roman Amphitheatre is one of the most popular monuments located in the city of Alexandria, the second most important city in Egypt, after Cairo, the capital of the country.


While the amphitheatres were quite spread during the reign of the Romans in different countries like Greece, Italy, and Turkey over a large empire with many examples of these structures still present in many regions around Europe and the Middle East, the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria is the only one of its type in Egypt.

The Meaning of The Word Kom El Dekka

The word Kom El Dekka, in Arabic, means the hill of rubble or the hill of the benches, and it was named that way when a famous historian, El Neweiry, passed by this area in the beginning of the 20th century.


El Neweiry saw the many piles of rubble and sand that were formed due to the digging of the Mahmoudiya Canal at the end of the 19th century, that linked Alexandria to the River Nile, and these piles looked exactly like some huge benches and he was the one who gave the area its recent famous name.

Discovering of The Roman Amphitheatre

The Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria, which is considered to be one of the most important Roman architectural achievements in Egypt, was discovered by mere coincidence in the year 1960.

When the workers went to remove a pile of dust and sand in 1960 in order to clear the land and construct a governmental building, they found some solid iron columns while digging into the ground and this made them know for certain that there is an architectural entity below the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the excavation work began in the location of Kom El Dekka and it was carried out by the Greco Roman Museum and the Polish Excavation Mission in Egypt sponsored by the University of Warsaw. Shortly afterwards, the Excavation works revealed one of the most important discoveries in Egypt in the 20th century.

The Usage of the Roman Amphitheatre in Different Periods of Time

The Roman Amphitheatre stayed in service and was used to host different artistic events like musical concerts and different sorts of events up till the 7th century.

This fact was proven due to the architectural elements present in the theatre which show that it was used during three different periods; the Roman, the Byzantine, and the Early Islamic era.

The amphitheatre was used in several purposes during its long history and passing by different periods of time. It was used as an odeum where musical shows were performed during the Roman period. The theatre, at the time, had all the elements to host perfect performance like the dome that once stood over the stage and the section of the orchestra.

On the other hand, in the Byzantine era, it was used as a conference hall where important meetings, like public assemblies and governmental summits used to take place.

The Roman Amphitheatre was most probably neglected during the early Islamic period and onwards until it was discovered during the middle of the 20th century to become one of the most marvelous historical sites of the city of Alexandria

The Description of the Amphitheatre

The Roman Amphitheatre we see today in Alexandria was constructed in the 4th century AD and it was a common feature of the Greco Roman period. Amphitheatres were special roofed theatres that were built to host music ceremonies and poet competitions during the reign of the Romans in Egypt.

The Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria is featured with its marble audiences section which is symmetrical with extended wing and could host up 600 spectators.

The audience section of the Roman Amphitheatre has a diameter of about 33 meters and it consists of 13 rows made of European white marble with the uppermost part being a portico made out of Granite columns that were brought from Aswan and some of them are still standing until today.

The thirteen rows of the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria were numbered with Roman digits and letters to regulate the seating of the audience in different occasions.

There were also five compartments that were constructed at the top of the audience section and were used to host important figures and wealthy tradesmen during performances.

These compartments used to have ceilings with domes that were based upon large columns made of granite to protect the audience from the sun and the rain. Moreover, these domes were used to magnify the sound of the music and the chants during different performances.

Unfortunately, all these structures were destroyed during the earthquake that hit Alexandria in the 6th century AD and resulted in the damage of many important structures at the time, like the famous Pharaohs Light House that once stood in the position of the Qaitbey Fort today.

The steps and the rows of the Roman Amphitheatre are based upon a thick white limestone wall and another wall surrounds it as well. These two walls were connected together through a number of arches where the outer wall function to support the inner wall, a common feature of the Roman architecture from the 2nd to the 4th century.


In the middle of the structure, there is the section of the orchestra where the musical performances used to take place. This section is supported with two large marble columns and has some of the finest Roman mosaics on its floor.

Comparing the Roman Amphitheater with other similar structures

Contemporary researches that made some comparisons between the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria and other similar structures that were discovered in Italy, Greece, and the Theatre of Garash in Tunisia have concluded many interesting facts.

The first fact that was proved out of these researches is that the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria was not constructed originally to be a theatre hosting performances and artistic events

This type of theatres was usually designed in the shape of the letter "C" to allow all the spectators, sitting all around the audience section, to watch the performances from any angle.


Moreover, the small size of the structure, that used to host up to 600 people as a maximum, in comparison with the large number of inhabitants of the city of Alexandria during the Roman period proves that this structure was never constructed to be a theatre and it was rather used for meetings of important figures and officials or for private performances with a limited number of audience.

The Villa of the Birds and the Roman Baths

Situated to the North of the Roman theatre, there are large mud brick structures and these are ruins of the Roman baths that were constructed near the amphitheatre in the period from the 2nd to the 4th century AD.

Located to the East of the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria, recent excavation missions have unearthed a Roman villa that dates back to the period of Roman Emperor, Hadrian, who ruled Egypt and a large empire during the 2nd century AD.

The archeologists who discovered this villa called it; "the Villa of the Birds" because of the marvelous mosaic floor in the main room of the structure which display many birds in different shapes.

Other mosaic ornaments in the Villa of the Birds have different geometric motifs making the villa a distinctive monument to be visited or explored in Egypt.

The Villa of the Birds is the most wonderful example of private houses built in Alexandria during the Roman period. Being finely preserved, it gives the guest a good idea of how these residences looked like centuries ago when they were first constructed.


Being under the protection of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the American Research Center in Egypt, the Villa of the Birds is among the most important monuments that were recently discovered in Egypt.

Read More

The Library of Alexandria

Alexandria and its ancient library:

The city of Alexandria was established as the capital of Egypt in 332 BC and this ancient city remained as the capital of Egypt for around one thousand years until the Muslims opened Egypt and changed the capital to the Fustat, the first Islamic capital in Egypt.

The library of Alexandria had many names because of its greatness and the number and variety of books it contained. It was named "the royal library of Alexandria, the Grand Library, or the great library of Alexandria. The library acted as a major center for science and culture for many centuries. 

The ancient library was built due to the orders of Ptolemy the second in the third century BC and it was said that it contained 700,000 books and it was the greatest library in the world at that time. This is besides the fact that many great scientists studied in the library like Archimedes

The library of Alexandria became famous world wide because it was the first public governmental library in history. There were many libraries in the times of the pharos but it was exclusive for the priests of the temples and the royal family. The library contained the science, civilization, and books of two remarkable periods: The Pharonic and the Greek. 

The two civilizations of the west and east met in this great library through books and lectures that the library hosted and it was considered the first attempt for the modern concept of globalization.

It was obligatory that any scholar who studies in the library of Alexandria has to leave a copy of his writings in the library. Maybe this was why the library was rich with books, researches, and studies that was contemporary at the time. This is besides the books of older periods. The responsible for the library freed them selves from discrimination of all sorts in order to collect all the sciences and ideas of the whole world in one great location.

The burning of the library

Most historians believe that Julius Cesar burned 101 ships that were landing on the Mediterranean Sea shore in front of Alexandria in the year 48 BC. This was after little Ptolemy, the brother of Cleopatra, went to fight Cesar thinking that he is helping the queen to fight against him. This great fire reached the library and caused a huge damage to the building of the library and its books.

The history also recorded when the Roman emperor Thyosyos ordered his man to destroy the library. However, some historians claim that the library stood still till the year 640 AD when the Moslems burned it under the orders of Amr Ibn Al Aas, the Moslem leader who conquered Egypt at the time. Some other scholars believe that when Amr entered Alexandria the library was no longer there and he has nothing to do with its damage and that the library was totally destroyed in the period of Julius Cesar.

The Modern Library

The first initiative to rebuild the library of Alexandria goes back to the year 1974. However, no factual steps took place except in the late 80s.

The first step in the building of the modern library was the declaration of the Egyptian president that he intends to rebuild the library with the aid of the UNESCO the new library of Alexandria was launched and the dream to reestablish the library once more was shared among all the people of Egypt and the whole world. The library was officially opened on the 17th of October 2002 in the location of the ancient library.

Hosny Mubarak then established the public authority of the library of Alexandria and made an international architectural designing competition and the prize was sixty thousand American dollars which was won by Snohetta, the Norwegian architectural design grand company.

The Design of the Library

The design of the modern library of Alexandria consisted of four underground stores and six upper stores. The special shape of the modern library of Alexandria is considered a special architectural germ.

The modern library of Alexandria is located in al Shatby in front of Al selsela beach.

The oval shape of library from outside that is a symbol of the continuity of life as the sun comes out of the sea and goes from the highest point till the lowest point overlooking the sea. The library is sounded by a great wall that was made out of Aswan Granite and it contains writing and inscriptions in 120 languages

The library is 10 stores height which have an oval shape cover with a radius of 60 meters. The library is divided into reading sections which is 14.4 × 9.6 meters in size. The library was designed to last for two centuries but there are fears that this period might be exaggerated because of its closeness to the sea.

The objective of the new library is the same objective of the old library: to act as a public research library and to support the people of the Arab world and the Middle East to retain their old position as scholars and researchers in different fields of science. 

The library of Alexandria is considered the first digital library in the whole world and it contains a place to include 8 million books, six specialized libraries, three museums, research centers, two permanent galleries, six halls to host art exhibitions, an internet archive, audio and visual library, a special library for blind people, a library for children, a library for teenagers, a microfilm library, the library of the rare books and a conference center.

The library of Alexandria contains in brief:

1- The history of the library and the city of Alexandria and the Egyptian history as a whole

2- The cultures of the Arab world, Africa, and the Mediterranean countries 

3- The culture, ideas, and civilization of the whole world Locattion

Library Entrance Tickets

Local Guiding

The library offers guiding services with a lot of languages. Group visits can be organized before hand. to Reservee call this number 002-034839999 ext:1574

Tickets for Egyptians:

Adults: 4 pounds

Students: 2 pounds

School students: 1 pound

All inclusive tickets: 8 pounds

For Foreigners

Adults: 10 pounds

Students: 5 pounds

School students: 5 pounds

All inclusive tickets: 45 pounds

Note: there are other additional tickets to enter the other inner museums inside the library and to enter the sky dome. Tickets are sold at the entrance of these show rooms insdie the libary.

Working Hours

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 in the morning till 7 in the afternoon. Friday and Saturday from 3 in the afternoon till 7

The library is closed on Tuesday!

Read More

The National Museum of Alexandria

The National Museum of Alexandria

The museum is located in the Horeya Street and. The building of the museum was the residence of a former wood trading business man, Asa'ad Basily, who constructed his villa which was built over an area of 3480 meters in the Italian style. The palace was a popular gathering place for many of the high level people in the 30s and 40s of the last century.

Basily lived in this house until 1953 and then he sold it to the American embassy for 53 thousand pounds. Until the supreme council of antiquities bought it for 13 million pounds in 1996 and then it was transmitted into a museum by the beginning of the third millennium.


The museum was first open to public in September 2002 and the museum displays more than 1800 items from different eras: Pharonic, Ptolemaic which flourished greatly in Alexandria, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic.

The first floor of the museum contains the Pharonic items including a lot of statues of different ancient Egyptian rulers and gods and very interesting portraits of Menkaure, Ikhnaton, and Hatshepsut.

There are also some replicates of the tombs that were discovered in the Valley of the Kings. These tombs include Canoptic jars and many other interesting items.

The middle floor of the museum contains the antiquities of the Greco Roman period which includes statues of Greek ladies and an amazing statue of the god Serapis, granite statue of Caracala. There are also some scientific studies that were made in the Greco Roman period concerning the human body.

The last floor of the museum displays the items that belong to the Coptic and Islamic civilizations which reflects how prosperous were these two periods. The collection includes 162 Islamic coins, candle holders, and many other stuff.

The Coptic section includes a lot of everyday life items made out of bronze, copper, and silver. There is also some interesting icons that demonstrates religious scenes of the Christ and the last super. This is beside a lot of cotton and textiles products that have fascinating with plan and animals ornaments.

Among the most important items of the National Museum of Alexandria, there is the famous statue of the ancient Egyptian writer, some pots that were found around the pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara.

There are also some displays from the intermediate Pharonic period that reflects how the arts of this period became more realistic.

Afterwards, there is the section of the family of Mohamed Ali that includes a lot of jewelries made out of silver and gold that belonged to the royal family.

The most interesting section in the Alexandria National Museum is the section that displays antiquities that were found under the sea in Alexandria. The museum also displays live pictures of how these items were pulled out of the sea. This section includes a black bronze statue of Isis, some portraits and statues of Greek gods which includes an interesting statue of the head of Alexander the Great and another for Venus, the goddess of love.

The museum gives a total comprehensive illustration of not only the Alexandrian history but the history of Egypt. A visit to the National Museum of Alexandria is a must for anyone who is interested in the Egyptian antiquities and history

- The museum is open from 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon

Note that cameras are not allowed inside!

Read More

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa

An over wiew of the Catacombs

Situated just to the west of Pompy's Pillar, the Catacombs of Kom El Shuqafa is the largest and most important burial site dating back to the Greco Roman period in Egypt.

Kom El Shoqafa, meaning the hill of treasures in the Arabic language, was unearthed by coincidence in the beginning of the 20th century.

Being the most important Greco Roman necropolis in Egypt, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa have a mixture of Roman, Hellenistic, Pharaonic, and ancient Egyptian decorative art, elements that were common at this period in Alexandria.

Dating back to the 2nd century AD, this necropolis was dug inside the rock to a depth of 35 meters, 115 feet, and it consists of three levels, all located under the ground level. However, due to the flooding that occurred in this area, the lowest level in now inaccessible.

About Ancient Alexandria

The city of Alexandria was originally established by Alexander the Great, the most famous Greek King and army leader, in 332 BC and soon became the cultural and commercial center of the Mediterranean Sea region.

The city of Alexandria in Egypt is among another 34 more cities that were named after the great Greek leader and one of the most famous conquers in history, Alexander the Great

Ancient Alexandria was located to the West of the West branch of the River Nile, near the ancient Egyptian village of Rakotis and the thin strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the lagoon of vast area, which is now called Lake Mariut situated to the West North of modern Day Alexandria.

The new city of Alexandria, in the 4th century BC, which was architected by Deinokrates, was featured for the fact that the Greek and the Pharaonic cultures lived side by side and even mingled together in some monuments like the Catacombs of Kom El Shuqafa in particular.

This mingling between the Greco Roman and the ancient Egyptian cultures has resulted in a new culture that was called the Alexandrian culture and it was vastly spread all over the regions on the Mediterranean Sea.

The city greatly flourished during the Ptolemaic period, named after its founder Ptolemy I, who took control of Alexandria and many other cities after the death of Alexander the Great in the beginning of the 4th century BC.

With time passing by, Alexandria, nicknamed as the Athens of Africa, became the official capital of Egypt and the most important commercial and cultural hub in the Middle East.


Alexandria retained its position and remained as the capital of Egypt until the death of Cleopatra and then shortly afterwards, the Romans took control of the city, and of Egypt in general, to add the country to an already large and expanding empire. 

The Royal Cemetery of Kom El Shouqafa

The Catacombs (meaning underground tunnels) lie in the district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria. The area was called Kom El-Shouqafa or a pile of shards. 
The cemetery dates back to the 1st century A.D and was used until the 4th century A.D. It was discovered in 1900 when by pure chance, a donkey drawn cart fell into a pit, which led to the discovery. 
The Catacombs in Alexandria are so called because the design was very similar to the Christian Catacombs of Rome. The alexandrian catacombs was most likely a private tomb, later converted to a public cemetery and It consists of 3 levels cut into the bed rock, a staircase, a rotunda, the triclinium or a banquette hall, a vestibule, an antechamber and the burial chamber with three recesses on it; in each recess there is a sarcophagus.


As well, the Catacombs contains a large number of Luculi or grooves cut in the rock, where coffins are stored.

For long time the 2nd level of the tomb had been closed for visitors becasue it was submerged in underground water but after decreasing the level of the subsoil water in 1995, the 2nd level was opened to visitors, but the lowest level is still submerged. The entrance leads to a spiral staircase of 99 steps that goes around a shaft, which was used to lower the body of the deceased, by means of ropes, to prevent any damages to it. Some slits were cut into the sides of the shaft to allow the daylight through to the staircase that was used by the visitors. The staircase leads to a vestibule with two niches on both sides. The top of each niche is in the shape of a shell, while the inferior part contains a half round bench, cut into the rock, which was used by the visitors to take some rest after descending the stairs of the tomb.

The vestibule leads to a circular hall called the "rotunda". In the centre of this hall a shaft was cut leading to the 2nd storey of the tomb and surrounded by a small enclosure wall called the "parapet", on top of which is a dome, supported by 6 pillars. Between the pillars there were some figures of human heads, some of which were discovered and transferred to the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. To the left of the rotunda, is a vestibule, which leads to a chamber, which was also cut into the rock. Its ceiling is supported by 4 pillars, and it contains 3 benches, again cut in the rock, and takes the shape of the letter U. This chamber was called the "Triclinium". Most probably, the room was dedicated for visitors, where they would have dined.

Before accessing the main chamber there are 2 corridors, one in the east and the other in the west, each one leading to a large number of Luculi. After you descend to the hall that passes the Rotunda there is a small hall in front. In this vestibule, we see to the east a statue of a man inside a niche; while to the west there is a statue of a woman inside a niche. Both statues were sculpted in the Egyptian way, with some features of Greek art. 2 composite columns, containing a mixture of Egyptian and Greco-Roman elements, support the façade of this hall. Among the Egyptian elements; is the winged sun disk, the Falcon God Horus and the Uraeaus or the cobra, while the Greco-Roman elements are represented in the pediment, at top of the chamber.

The façade of the main burial chamber is decorated with some Greek elements, such as the shield of the Goddess Athena, on top of which is the head of Medusa, and as we know, according to the ancient Greek myths, Medusa was able to petrify anyone who looked into her eyes. The representation of Medusa here was to protect the tomb.

Under Medusa is a huge serpent with a double crown. Once we enter the burial chamber, which was completely cut into the rock, we see 3 large recesses, each one containing a sarcophagus. The burial chamber has a vaulted roof supported by 4 square pillars whose capitals take the shape of Papyrus. 

The sarcophagus and its lid are cut completely from one block of rock. The body of the deceased was placed into the sarcophagus through an opening in the back wall, and then it was blocked after burying the body with stones. The sarcophagus is decorated with flowers, the head of Medusa, god Dionysus and other mythical gods. There is a representation of the deceased in a lying position. The most important scene on the front wall above the sarcophagus represents a mummy lying on a funerary bed.

Next to this bed, the God Anubis is holding in his left hand a jar; it is supposed to contain some liquids that were used during mummification, while his right hand is touching the mummy. God Anubis is wearing a Roman dress and on top of his head there is the sun disk with a cobra on each side.

Underneath the table there is a representation of the three canopic jars for the viscera; originally there were supposed to be four jars, which represented the 4 sons of Horus; Habi, Amasty, Dwamoutf, and Qbh-snwf. Most likely the artist did not find enough space to represent the 4th jar "Dwamoutf", which take the shape of a jackal or Anubis, because the body of Anubis is occupying this space. Anubis in this case represents the two gods.

Next to this, the God Thut, the Egyptian God of knowledge and wisdom, is standing wearing the double crown, holding the sceptre with one hand and a jar with the other. Near the end of the lion shaped table, the God Horus is standing wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The remaining scenes represent a lady standing; above her head there is a sun disk and she is raising her hands in the prayer position. In front of the lady is a priest, wearing a long garment, giving the lotus flower, and a jar, to the lady. 

The right recess of the burial chamber contains nearly the same design and elements. It contains a sarcophagus with the same decorations. The most important scene on the right recess represents a figure of an Emperor or a ruler who is wearing a short kilt. He is putting the double crown on his head, holding a necklace with both hands, presenting it to the sacred bull Serapis. Behind Serapis, is a Goddess stretching her wings, maybe representing the Goddess Isis.

There is another scene representing a mummy holding a big sceptre with the God Anubis standing in front of her. There is also a representation of an altar between Anubis and the mummy, from which incense smoke is rising. There is also a scene depicting an Emperor, who is offering the feather of Maat to a God, probably Petah (or Ptah). Between them there is an altar, which takes the shape of the lotus flower.

Read More

Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone

The city of Rosetta (Rashid) is situated on the western bank of the branch of the Nile called "Rashid", and is located 65km northeast of Alexandria.

It is thought that a Temple for Amon was built during the New Kingdom Period. In the Greco-Roman Period the city was called Balbotine and the Nile branch then was known as "the Balbotine Branch"

In the Islamic period, Rosetta was still known by this name, but it was less important than Alexandria. The Sultan Qaitbay built a fortress there, surrounded by ramparts for defensive purposes; the Sultan Al Ghouri later built a wall around the city.

After the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century, and after the decline of Alexandria, Rosetta became the principal port of the northern coast until the 19th century, but retained its importance serving the trade between Egypt, Turkey and other countries. Many Wikalahs and merchant houses were constructed.

Rosetta is considered as a large open-air museum for Islamic architecture. The great number of Islamic monuments found here does not exist in any other city, except for Cairo. Unfortunately most of these unique monuments are neglected, modern buildings surround them, and the unplanned urbanization also affects them badly, causing much damage. Therefore it is necessary for a great national effort to be made to save them, in order to revive the historical character of the city.

Today Rosetta’s worldwide fame is because of the finding of the “Rosetta Stone” during the French occupation of Egypt. In 1799, while extending a fortress near Rosetta, a young French officer named Pierre-Francois Bouchard found a block of black basalt stone. It measured 3ft 9in long, 2ft 4.5 in wide, and 11in thick, and it contained three distinct bands of writing. The most incomplete was the top band containing hieroglyphics; the middle band was in an Egyptian script called Demotic and the bottom one was in Ancient Greek. He took the stone to the scholars and they realized that it was a royal decree that basically stated that it was to be written in the 3 languages used in Egypt at the time.

Upon Napoleon's defeat, the stone had become the property of the English, under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria (1801), as well as other artefacts that had been found by the French. The stone was taken to England and copies were made so that other people could attempt to translate it. Scholars began to focus on the Demotic script in the middle band, because it was more complete, and it looked more like letters than the hieroglyphic pictures in the upper band. It was essentially a shorthand version of hieroglyphics that had evolved from an earlier shorthand version of Egyptian called hieratic script. Thomas Young (1773-1829), an English physicist, was the first to show that some of the hieroglyphs in the top band were the sounds of a royal name - Ptolemy. Then the French scholar Jean-François Champollion (1790-1832) realized that the hieroglyphs were actually the sound of the Egyptian language and therefore laid the foundations of our present day knowledge of the Ancient Egyptian language and culture.


The houses of Rosetta

Each house consists of 3 or 4 floors, with multi-level, wooden corbel ceilings for added strength. They were built of moulded, grouted bricks, and in the façade, for decoration purposes, these bricks were alternatively painted red and black. Also the Mashrapiyas and windows, of a different type of turned wood whether Sahrili or Maymouni, also decorate the façade.

The ground floor usually contains the “caravansary” or storehouse, the stable, a Sabil (or fountain), and the cistern.

The 2nd floor was reserved for men. It often has a separate door and a courtyard surrounded by a number of rooms. The 3rd floor was reserved for women called Al-Hadir (the place of sleeping); it consists of a main hall (iwan) surrounded by several rooms, and a private bathroom.

These houses often include a room on the 3rd floor called the “Al-Aghany” room (room of songs), in which the women of the house sit, listening and watching the entertainment, out of sight of the men. This room contains cupboards in one of its walls, with Klaw Khowarnaqates and partitions of turned wood. These wooden cupboards are often inlayed with ivory and mother of pearl.  In some houses, the walls of the Al-Aghani room were covered with tiles with floral decorations in yellow, red, and green bearing an Andalusi effect, as in the houses of Mouharam an Olwan. Arab Killy House (the National Museum of Rosetta)

This is one of the most famous houses in Rosetta, and the biggest. It dates back to the 18th century (XII A.H) and was the residential house of Arab Killy who was an Ottoman governor of the city.

It consists of 4 floors:
1-The ground floor, which includes:
-A storehouse with cross-vaulted ceiling
-A cistern
-A “Sabil” (or fountain)
 2-The 2nd floor, reserved for the men, which includes:
-A courtyard, surrounded by a number of rooms with windows of iron grills, below holes of Maaqali turning
 3-The 3rd floor, the domain of the women, which includes:
-A courtyard, surrounded by a number of rooms with windows of iron grills

-The Al-Aghany (see above), this room contains a beautiful cupboard, inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Read More

Pompey's Pillar

The Memorial of Diocletian (Pompey's Pillar)

The so-called "Pompey Pillar" is the biggest memorial column in Egypt. It is a huge column of red granite, its total height is about 28 m with a diameter at the base of 2.7 m, and towards the capital at the top it tapers to 2.3 m.

On the upper part at the western side is an inscription in Greek, which reads:

"To the most just Emperor, tutelary of Alexandria Diocletian, the invincible, Postumus, the Prefect of Egypt (has erected this monument)".

The Roman ruler of Egypt, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, erected this memorial column between 284-305A.D in honour of the Roman Emperor, as a sign of gratitude. A serious revolt in the city took place and Diocletian came himself, ordering the city to be besieged. After 8 months of resistance, the city finally surrendered. As a result of the siege, there was famine in the city; therefore the Emperor ordered that a portion of the corn, which was sent to Rome annually, be given to the people of Alexandria. He exempted them from paying taxes during these hard times. For that they erected, in his honour, this memorial column. In the middle ages the Crusaders believed, mistakenly, that the ashes, or the remains, of the great Roman general Pompey were in a pot at the top of the column. Thus today it is called "Pompey's Pillar".
Around the commemorative Column of Diocletian there are some monuments that can be seen. On the backside, there is the remains of a Serapium, or a temple of the God Serapis, now badly damaged. It was built during the reigns of Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III, but was damaged due to the revolts of the Jewish population in Alexandria, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (89-118 A.D). It was rebuilt again during the reign of Hadrian (117-137 A.D). It was likely was destroyed, once more, after the appearance of Christianity. It consisted mainly of a high platform accessed by a staircase of 100 steps.

At the side of the platform there was a basin, which was used for purification. There were 2 galleries at the back of the temple, cut completely into the rock.

In the 1st gallery a black statue of basalt, dating back to the reign of Hadrian, was discovered. It represents the God Serapis, in a shape of a bull, and it is now exhibited in the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. The 2nd gallery is known mistakenly as the Daughter Library, but it seems that it was an Anubidiun, or a burial for the mummies of Anubis, which was considered until the a reign of Ptolemy IV, a member of the Pantheon of Alexandria.

Read More

The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria

The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria

The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast. It formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century A.D.

Qaitbay Citadel

The Citadel is situated at the entrance of the eastern harbour on the eastern point of the Pharos Island. It was erected on the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse continued to function until the time of the Arab conquest, then several disasters occurred and the shape of the lighthouse was changed to some extent, but it still continued to function. Restoration began in the period of Ahmed Ibn Tulun (about 880 A.D). During the 11th century an earthquake occurred, causing damage to the octagonal part. The bottom survived, but it could only serve as a watchtower, and a small Mosque was built on the top. In the 14th century there was a very destructive earthquake and the whole building was completely destroyed.

About 1480 A.D, the Mameluke Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay fortified the place as part of his coastal defensive edifices against the Turks, who were threatening Egypt at that time. He built the castle and placed a Mosque inside it. The Citadel continued to function during most of the Mameluke period, the Ottoman period and the Modern period, but after the British bombardment of the city of Alexandria in 1883, it was kept out of the spotlight. It became neglected until the 20th century, when it was restored several times by the Egyptian Supreme Counsel of Antiquities.

The founder of the Citadel of Qaitbay is Sultan Al-Ashraf Abou Anasr Saif El-Din Qaitbay El-Jerkasy Al-Zahiry (1468-1496 A.D) who was born about 1423 A.D (826 H). He was a Mamluke who had come to Egypt as a young man, less than 20 years old. Bought by Al-Ashraf Bersbay, he remained among his attendants until Al-Ashraf Bersbay died. Then the Sultan Djaqmaq bought Qaitbay, and later gave him his freedom. Qaitbay then went on to occupy various posts. He became the Chief of the Army (Atabec Al-Askar) during the rule of the Sultan Tamar bugha. When the Sultan was dethroned, Qaitbay was appointed as a Sultan who was titled Almalek Al-Ashraf on Monday 26th Ragab, 872 H. (1468 A.D). He was one of the most important and prominent Mameluke Sultans, ruling for about 29 years. He was a brave king, who tried to initiate a new era with the Ottomans by exchanging embassies and gifts. He was fond of travel and made many prominent journeys.

Qaitbay was so fond of art and architecture that he created an important post among the administrative system of the state; it was the Edifices Mason (Shady Al-Ama'er). He built many beneficial constructions in Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. In Egypt there are about 70 renovated edifices attributed to him, among them are Mosques, Madrasas, Agencies, Fountain houses (Sabils), Kuttabs, houses, military edifices like the Citadels in Alexandria and Rosetta (Nowadays the city of Rashid). These Citadels were built to protect the north of Egypt, mainly against the Ottomans, whose power was increasing in the Mediterranean.

Qagmas Al-Eshaqy, The Edifices Mason, was the architect of the Citadel. Before his arrival in Egypt he was a Mameluke of Djakmaq in Syria. During the rule of Qaitbay he became the edifices mason, and then the Viceroy of Alexandria. He was appointed governor of Syria (Damascus), built a Mosque outside the gate of Rashid (Bab Rashid) as well as a Cenotaph and a Khan. He also renovated the Mosque of El-Sawary outside the gate of Sadrah (Bab Sadrah).

Qagmas was intelligent and modest, as well as the overseer of many constructions during the time of Qaitbay. In 882 H. (1477 A.D) the Sultan Qaitbay visited the site of the old lighthouse in Alexandria and ordered a fortress to be built on its foundations. The construction lasted about 2 years, and it is said that Qaitbay spent more than a hundred thousand Dinars for the work on the Citadel.

Ibn Ayas mentioned that building of this fort started in the month of Rabi Alawal 882 H. He said that the Sultan Qaitbay travelled to Alexandria, accompanied with some other Mameluke princes, to visit the site of the old lighthouse and during this visit he ordered the building of the Citadel.

In the month of Shaban 884 H, the Sultan Qaitbay travelled again to Alexandria when the construction was finished. He provided the fort with a brave legion of soldiers and various weapons. He also, as Ibn Ayas mentioned, dedicated several waqfs from which he financed the construction works as well as the salaries of the soldiers.

Throughout the Mameluke period, and due to its strategic location, the Citadel was well maintained by all the rulers who came after Qaitbay.

The Sultan Qansoh El-Ghoury gave the Citadel special attention. He visited it several times and increased the strength of the garrison, providing it with various weapons and equipment. It included a large prison made for the princes and the state-men whom the Sultan kept away from his favour for some reason. In the episodes of the year 920 H, the Sultan El-Ghoury travelled to Alexandria with other princes. They went to the Citadel of Qaitbay where he watched some manoeuvres and military training on the defensive weapons of the Citadel of that era. When he felt the approach of the Ottoman threat, he issued a military decree to forbid weapons to be taken out of the Citadel, he even announced that the death penalty would be the punishment to those who try to steal anything from the Citadel, and he ordered the inscription of this decree on a marble slate fixed to the door leading the court. It says" 

Bism Ellah El-Rahman El-Rahim

"A decree by the order of our master, the noble rank, King Al-Ashraf Abou El-Naser Qansoh El-Ghoury, May God eternalise his reign, that no body should take Makahel weapon, gun powder, tools, or any other thing from the noble tower in Alexandria: and any one of the tower party, whether Mameluke, Slaves or Zarad Kashia, who breaks this (decree) and leaves the tower with something will be hanged at the gate of the tower, deserving the curse of God." 

Dated Rabei Alawal 907 H.

After the Ottoman Turks had conquered Egypt, even they cared for this unique Citadel. They used it for shelter, as they had done with the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo and the Citadels of Damieta, Rosetta, Al Borollos and El-Arish. They kept it in good condition and stationed it with infantry, artillery, a company of drummers and trumpeters, masons and carpenters.

As the Ottoman military became weak, the Citadel began to lose its military importance. In 1798 A.D, during the French expedition of Egypt, it fell into the hands of the French troops, mainly because of the weakness of the Citadel garrison, and the power of the French modern weapons at that time. Inside, the French found some crusader weapons, which dated back to the campaign of Louis IX. Maybe it was a spoil after the battle and capture of El-Mansoura!

When Mohammed Ali became the ruler of Egypt in 1805, he renovated the old Citadel, restoring and repairing its outer ramparts, and he provided the stronghold with the most modern weapons of the period, particularly the littoral cannons. We can consider the reign of Mohamed Ali as being another golden era for the Citadel.

The Citadel retained the interest of Mohammed Ali's successors until the year 1882 when the Orabi revolution took place The British fleet bombarded Alexandria violently on 11 July 1882 and damaged a large part of the city, especially in the area of the Citadel. This attack cracked the fortress, causing great damage. The north and western facades were severely damaged as a result of cannon explosions, aimed directly at the structure. The western facade was completely destroyed, leaving large gaps in it.

Unfortunately, the Citadel then remained neglected, until 1904 when the Ministry of Defence restored the Upper floors. King Farouk wanted to turn the Citadel into a royal Rest house so he ordered a rapid renovation on it.

After the revolution of 1952 the Egyptian Naval troops turned the building to a Maritime Museum. The biggest restoration work dates back to 1984, when the Egyptian Antiquities Organization made ambitious plans to restore the fort.

Read More

The Montaza Gardens and Palaces

The Montaza Gardens and Palaces

The Montaza Complex is located at the Eastern edge of the city of Alexandria on the north coast of Egypt. The complex, which size ranges around 360 acre, overseas a gulf that was called Al Montaza Gulf.

The complex contains five beaches for swimming: Aida, Cleopatra, Vanessa, Semiramis, and the private beach of Helnan Palestine Hotel.


All sorts of sea activity can be done in Montaza. One can ride a sea boat and take a ride around the complex or you can go waterskiing as well, diving, snorkeling, or even just chill out in front of the sea.

The history of the complex

In the year 1892, Abbas Helmy II, the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, used to like riding horses and donkeys on the shores and in the neighborhoods of Alexandria with some of his friends like Ahmed Shafiq Pasha. They used to start their rides from Sidi Bisher, a neighborhood in the west of the city of Alexandria today and then they move to different places of the jewel of the Mediterranean.

In one summer night, Helmy ordered his men to prepare 80 donkeys for his ride in 

Alexandria. This is besides the Khedive Music band that consisted of 48 music players and their instruments. When they reached Sidi Bisher, a group of Bedouins heard the music and when they knew that the Khedive is among the ride they came and greeted him and followed him around.

The Khedive Helmy II loved an area near Sidi Bisher because of the scenes of the sea there and because of the quite and fascinating atmosphere of this location. He even went again to view this area more clearly and he went to a specific spot that is located between two eminences and has a small island to its North, and from this moment Helmy decided to have this spot as his summer residence and decided to build a palace and some gardens there.

On the top of one of these eminences, there were old canons that go back to the reign of Mohamed Ali who put them there to protect the North Coast of Egypt and the city of Alexandria. These canons are still at the same spot till today and Helmy built the Salamlek Palace in front of it.

The other eminence's top contained a center for coast guards and the Khedive bought it form the government and built the Haramlek Palace there.

Helmy II also bought the house of Sinadino, a rich Alexandrian tradesman and added the land to his complex and he bought a lot of lands from people living in the area to expand the space of his summer resort. The Khedive followed the construction of the two palaces himself and he named the whole complex, the Montazah, or the garden, a name that was suggested to him by Mahmoud Shokry Pasha, the head of the Turkish Divan in Egypt.

After the death of Abbas Helmy II, the royal family continued taking care of the Montazah complex until the reign of the last king of Egypt, Farouk I. then, the Egyptian revolution of 1952 took place and the Palace was owned by the government which opened the gardens for public and the Salamlek Palace was transformed into a museum until it was added to the presidential palaces which serve as a hosting place for the president's visitors.

The Garden of the Montaza

The garden of Al Montazah which is 3000 meters wide contains a huge selection of trees and plants and some of them are quite rare. Some of the tropical plants are still in good shape although they have been planted more than 75 years ago. The plant collection in Montazah includes: Catania, huge boots, Zamia, Carlota, and special types of palms. This is besides the big size plants like Anthurium, Hokiry, Araliaceae, Victoria, and Ropilia.

The Helnan Palestine Hotel

This is the only hotel which was built inside one of the royal palaces that its ownership was transformed to the government after the Egyptian revolution in 1952. It stands just in front of the modern light house of Al Montazah.

The hotel was built due to the orders of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser to host the first Arab Summit which was attended by all the Arab president and kings of the time. Afterwards, the hotel became the residence of most of the kings, queens, presidents, and important figures who visit Egypt. The hotel even hosted the visitors of Egypt at the event of the grand opening of the new Library of Alexandria. The list included, the French president jack Shirak, Sofia the Queen of Spain, and the Queen Rania the wife of the king of Jordon. The hotel is the most favorite summer spot for some of Egypt's artists and authors as well.

The hotel contains 233 rooms and all of them have sea or garden views. It also has 20 suites, two royal suites, and a villa which takes the whole space of the sixth floor of the hotel and it is suitable for large families and groups. The villa contains 6 rooms, special private kitchen, and a big reception hall.

The Helnan Palestine Hotel is famous for its various restaurants. The "Estacoza Restaurant', located directly on the sea, offers delicious fresh seafood dishes that like "the sea food platter". There is also the "Alexandrina restaurant' that serves international dishes and has an open buffet dinner all days of the week. There are Asian and Italian restaurants for specialized dishes. The "Zodiac Restaurant" offers soft and hot drinks, yummy ice creams and desert. 

The Salamlek Palace and Hotel

The Salamlek hotel provides its visitors with the luxurious style of the life of kings and queens. The hotel was originally built by Abbas Helmy II as the hunting lounge for him and his Austrian girlfriend who became his wife afterwards and changed her name to be Gawidan Hanem.

The name Haramlek in the Turkish language means: the place where men meet, Haramlek is the opposite of Salamlek, the place where women stay. In the reign of King Farouk, the palace was used as his special office and meeting hall.

The Palace was designed by Dmitri Fabersious, one of the most famous architects at the time. It was designed using a lot of rich decorations and it contained an artificial forest at the time and it was full of animals that the Khedive and his companions used to go and hunt.

The garden of the Palace has Italian canons that King Ahmed Fouad brought from Europe to defend the Palace against any attack that might come from the sea.

The palace was used a military hospital in the World War I where British soldiers used to be transferred there to receive treatment. After the revolution in 1952, the Haramlek Palace was transformed into a hotel and it was managed by Sphinx Tourism Company. The San Giovanni Company came afterwards and made a lot of restorations and renovations to the hotel.

When you first enter the main hall of the hotel you find yourself in the Khedive Salon with its luxurious furniture and it contains a collection of photographs of the Khedive with different important figures. You will definitely spend some time at the reception to be able to choose the best suite as the hotel has 14 special suites: "Mawlana Al Moheeb" Suite that contains 5 wide rooms and a special royal garden view, "Sahebat Al Essma" with its huge three rooms and wide balcony, " Dawlat Al Ra'ees" with two rooms and a wide balcony, or "Afandina" with three rooms and a big balcony.

The most fascinating suite in the hotel is the Crystal suite, or the queen royal suite. It was named that way because all of its items were made out of blue glass and crystal.

The Haramlek Palace

The Haramlek Palace was built by King Ahmed Foaud in 1925 when he ordered his Italian architect, firotche, to construct it to be the summer residence of the Royal Family of Egypt at the time.

The Palace has a distinctive design that combines different types of styles with the Byzantine style dominant. This is besides the Gothic, Classic, and off course Islamic styles of architecture. The word Haramlek is a Turkish architecture term that used to describe the place where women stay and it was forbidden for anyone to enter this special ladies area.

The Haramlek Palace contains a lot of French antiquities and it was decorated richly in the Baroque and Rococo styles that consist of amazing ornaments of plants and geometric designs.

The Palace consists of a huge open air hall in the middle of it with all the rooms and suites surrounding it. The palace has three floors. The first floor consists of many rooms and halls and the most important among them is office of the king, the billiards hall, and the dinning lounge. The second floor used to host the chaperones and servants of the kings and queens, while the third and last floor hosted the suites of the king and the queen with a huge balcony in between. This floor also has the baby prince suite which was designed out of cork in order to prevent the sleeping baby from being disturbed because of the sound of footsteps.

In the reign of King Farouk, the palace was renewed and restored. King Farouk wanted to dig a crypt that goes from the palace directly to the sea in order for him to use it in case of any attack taking place at the palace. However, he was not able to complete it because of the Egyptian revolution in 1952.

Read More