Alexandria

Place visited in February 2023. From this proposal, me and my family visited two components – ‘Huge monuments and structures’ and ‘Ancient necropolises’ At the beginning we visited Pompey's Pillar with its surroundings (ruins of Serapeion). The pillar is gigantic, measuring almost 27 meters and stands out even now outside the buildings in the city center. In the area there are numerous statues of Greek and Roman provenance.

The number one of our visit to Alexandria was certainly the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa – a huge underground cemetery with beautifully decorated tombs, placed on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The catacombs are multi-level and contain many side corridors. The necropolis consists of a series of tombs tunnelled in 2nd century AD and used until 4th century. They represent a mix of Egyptian, Greek and Roman traditions and styles.

Apart from these sights, Alexandria did not make a good impression on us. We wanted to wander around the city and see the Biblioteca Alexandrina building, but after a long stand in the crap in giant traffic jams, we didn't feel like it. By the way – I don't know why Egypt put a modern New Library building as part of the proposal – it does not fit at all with the other ancient monuments and when assessed by ICOMOS (if it ever happens) it is unlikely to hold.

Alexandria's long and colourful history is what makes it such an interesting and diverse city. The remains from the Greco-Roman era are quite evident in the underground necropolises, the Roman theatre and nearby excavations, and artifacts brought from beneath the harbour also on display. The plan of the city was changed radically by an earthquake which toppled the Pharos lighthouse and submerged much of the city creating the harbour. The Ottomans used the stone from the lighthouse to build much of the Qait Bey citadel. Modern architecture is represented by the palaces built for King Farouk in the Montazah Gardens and the ultra-modern library complex completed in 2002.