Alexandria Background

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km from Cairo. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolised by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world. But ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed he found a sparsely populated fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt's commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalised by writers such as E.M. Forster and from Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture; Lawrence Durrell described it as "the capital city of Asiatic Europe, if such a thing could exist". Today, traces of all these pasts remain. Visitors can eat seafood caught by local fishermen, take a tram to view Roman remains or drink coffee in European-style patisseries. A waterfront city, Alex (as it is popularly known) runs along the Mediterranean for 20 km but never goes for inland; a walk along a magnificent Corniche sweeps round the curve of the Eastern Harbour and takes you right through the city center. Now, Alexandria is a year-round beach resort: in winter the sun still shines along the white sand coast while yachts race in the harbour, in summer sunlovers seek out the cooling sea breezes.
Whether you come for the past or the present, for history or just a holiday, when you visit Alexandria you'll see more that one city.