More than an Alexandria

Alexandria, a word evoking a host of meaningful events, and reminds us of heroic characters of Egypt; originated in remote history, and its foundation dates back to the legendary leader, Alexander the Great, who selected the site and instructed to establish around. After his sudden death, the Ptolemists who succeeded him to the throne of Egypt carried out and completed the building of such wonderful city.

Alexandria, ever since, is bound in name and history to many other small and big cities called Alexandria either because Alexander the Great set foot in them, or because they were named after this ancient heroic warrior.

44 cities
Today, in the 20th century, there are forty four cities and villages all over the world called Alexandria.

Alexandria cities and villages were represented in an unparalleled magnificent gathering in the 2nd Alexandria World Festival 1996 in Egypt's Alexandria. They celebrated their sharing of the same root, and their pride of being named after Alexander the Great.

Alexandria, bride of the Mediterranean, is not just an Egyptian city located on the shore of this wonder sea, it is more than a commercial port or tourist harbor.

It, however, has cultural, historical symbols which are of great and meaningful denotations.

On such city, the great Egyptian civilization mingled with the Greek and Roman ones in 332 BC. It was founded by Alexander the Great and designed by architect, Cratiese.

This pretty city was the capital city of Egypt over the Roman and Ptolemic eras.

Alex World Festival
Alexandria was putting on its best, presenting a giant cultural and artistic event, 2nd Alex World Festival 1996.

Such festival took place under patronage of Mrs. Mubarak and ministers of tourism and culture. Also, the Egyptian National Bank along with Egypt's Tourism Authority shared in preparing and presenting this meeting held as of 18 to 28 September, 1996.

Such an event fell within a new vision towards media, propaganda, marketing, and tourism promotion.

Alex. Festival hosted 40 Alexandrias and villages of 25 respective countries, aiming mainly at deepening the sense of affiliation among the ranks of youth, placing Alexandria city at the very forefront of tourist places all over the world. It, in the meantime, discussed local issues, exchanged technical expertise and opened new markets before the Egyptian products in the world markets.

During the Festival, an agreement to establish a world organization comprising the cities and villages which name are Alex was proposed. Such organization is due to take Egypt's Alex as a headquarters. Like all international organizations, this one had all privileges and immunities.

Historical flavour
Alexandria, while playing the role of harmonizer among the Mediterranean countries, is the most ancient and greatest historical city all over the world; as it was able to attract the different civilizations, Roman, Greek, etc. Such city witnessed the most triumphant battles, and the sincerest love stories, foremost among which the well-known love story between the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, and a Roman General Mark Antony.

Such a bright place managed to implant roots in the deep history since Alexander the Great has assigned the architect, Cratiese, to founding a new city to be named after him. That new city linked a bridge between a small village of a distinguished site, Rakoda, and a small Island Marousi. Alexander gave the new city of his own name kingdom. That city served as a maritime harbor which is near to Alexander the Great's kingdom and a melting pot for both Greek culture along its civilization.

Alexandria is a sign of peace, fraternity and amity among peoples where equal rights are maintained.

It had many various cultures, arts, and museums, to name but a few: The Greek Museum, The Roman Museum, Museum of Hussain Sobhi, and Mohamed Said Museum for Plastic Arts, in addition to tourist and ancient sites.

Alex. is the place where Sheikh Sayed Darwish was born. He is one of the popular musicians who managed, through his songs and music, to be the sound expression of sufferings experienced by the Egyptian people and had repercussions throughout the Arab world.

Crossroads
Alex is a cradle of civilizations, that spot where continents meet and the center where South and North have rendezvous. It disseminated sciences, intellectual trends over the whole world for uncountable years.

Alex represents the bridge between past and present, a window to look out future through panoramic vision.

Revival & potentialities
Alex library, however, is one of the kind. So, a redissemination will occur again in expression of sincere efforts exerted by time-honoured people. Therefore, such library has distinguished features. It is an essential part of the International Communication Network that comprises the huge chain of world's libraries. It, also, will be a connecting link among respective civilizations and countries of the Mediterranean, Europe, South, North, East, West.

Furthermore, Alexandria has an International University for the African Development. This university is an Egyptian radiation centre in Africa.

The old court will be refurbished and restored to be a centre spotlighting new scenes and knowledge that date back to Ancient Egypt. This court would be a hub for the modern uprise.

Alex, too, is a very big industrial area and important harbour in the Middle East.

The Mediterranean pure blue water has the view of many wonderful cities that are tourist-attractive; Maraqia, Marbella, Marina, Sidi-Carair.
Many attributes
Many had witnessed such culture. So, it was the most famous old one experienced by mankind. Alexandria of Egypt is the most ancient Alex [ the Mother Alex ]. As it is the Bride of Mediterranean Sea, the City of Beauty, Arts and Literature.

It hosted the other cities titled Alexandria, from all over the world, with amity and harmony, so as to show the best of those countries peoples.

Alexander the Great in brief
- The King of Maccedonia from 356 to 323 BC.
- Fought the Persians on the side of the Nicosi River defeating them twice in 334 BC.
- In 332 BC, he conquered Egypt when the Persian ruler [Wali] gave up. He was crowned a Pharaoh on Menph city.
- Professed the nation kingdom and founded the city of Alex.
- In 330 BC, he went deeply through the Persian empire to India.
- In 323 BC, he was beaten by illness and died at 33-year prime of youth. Throughout his life, he made many victories, so that he established and maintained a huge empire from Adractic to India.
- He is a prominent Leader in the history, thanks mainly to the Greek culture and civilization which was disseminated pulling throughout crucial junctures.

Great Alexander, son of Greek King Philip Maccedoni, arrived Egypt in 332 BC. He was after the Persians, the then de facto enemy. He managed, however, to defeat them with the help of the Egyptians. They did so because he respected their religions; as he did not force them to quit their professed creed. The Egyptians crowned Alexander the Great a Pharaoh on the whole country.

New capital
Assuming power, the first thing he thought of was to find a capital city of the country. Such city was to bring about stability and to support government.

In addition, the new city would serve as a trade centre where the trade exchange between Greeks and East was being developed.
It, also, could be a stronghold against the hazards coming from the Mediterranean Sea.

Alexander the Great choose an Ancient Egyptian small town, Raquda, locted on the distance between the present Qaitbey Citadel and Ras Al-Tien Palace. He selected it to be the site where the new capital city would be founded.

Alexander assigned the architect - Cratiese - to planning and establishing such city in 332 BC. It was completely accomplished by 331; It was named Alexandria after Alexander the Great.

Alexandria was tailored and founded exactly like the then big Greek cities. Its streets crossed each others typically as a chess board.

Batlimous, Lagos son, paid a special attention to the city of Alexandria in 306 BC, after Alexander the Great died in 323. He declared Alex to be the capital city of his own kingdom. He and his successors - the last was Cleopatra the seventh - brought to Alex many features of architect, cultural and economic revival. It became a wonderful architecture among the old world's cities. Batlimous established two harbours in Alex on the shore of Mediterranean Sea, the big port to the East and "nice back home" port. He, also, erected Alexandria's Pharos [light house] which is one of the seven wonders of the world. Such a light house was to guide the ships passing along the coast of Alex.

All sorts of facilities
He erected a stronghold around the city. That stronghold is supported by strong towers in order to defend Alexandria against any threats.

Alex was supplied by water - potable water - through a fine system of channels and reservoirs. Alex population habituated the various parts of the pretty city. The peaceful coexistence prevailed over the city inhabited by different nationalities: Egyptians, Maccedonians and Persians.

In 331 BC the Roman Emperor, Octapheus[August], defeated Cleopatra and her ally Mark Antony in Octuom's sea battle. Subsequently, Egypt became part and parcel of the Roman Empire.

The Romans kept Alex the capital of Egypt. They furthered its status that was gained under Petlomy rule. Emperor August took Alex as a base for a half of his army and a headquarters for his government in Egypt. Romans encouraged the notion of private property. Under Romans, the big agricultural, industrial properties were unprecedently realized. Such properties were named then " Al-Wessia".

Ship-building, glass, paper and textile industries flourished at that time. Some of those industries were not known except in Alex at that time.

Alex became the biggest harbor that exports food stuff to Rome and the largest market in the world, where East and West exchanged trade.

The Egyptian Navy led the Roman Navies on both Mediterranean and Red Seas.

Romans had mapped out several architectural models; some exist till nowadays. They paid special attention to sciences, education and culture.

A well- known scientist, the Astronomist, Batlimous, laid down the basics and fundamentals of science of map drawing. Another scientist of the same caliber is the Philosopher Doctor, Jainous, who derived the very important theories in the field of Anatomy and the functions of the body parts.

Under Romans, the Christian creed prevailed due to efforts exerted by Saint Mark. He is the founder of the Egyptian Morqusi Church in Alex.

Religious tolerance
Such an age ended by issuing Melan decree of 313 BC, approving the religious tolerance especially in Alexandria.

Through the peasants age, the importance of Alexandria was being highlighted in the religious meetings; as archibishops played an essential role in defending the Christian creed and dogma.

The Egyptian Church reached later all churches all over the world, when Romans had managed to disseminate their creed around.

The Art of wall decoration, specially walls of churches dominated over that period of time. Some of those too brightful decorations are still on the walls of Alex' churches.

Several fights, however, between Romans and Persians to hold Alex had exhausted both of them; giving vast room for Arabs to advent to Egypt in 621 AD having Alex witness Islamic era.

Christians of Alex welcomed Arab advent, backed them up to defeat the then Romans who were fortified by the city.

The Roman sent a maritime fleet and colluders joined it, enabling each other to enter the city in the reign of Caliph Osman Ibn Affan who sent military campaign under leader Amr Ibn Al-ass who managed to regain the city.
Arabism great movement, however, was launched in Alex; as Alex started to surrender its western habits, manners and rituals.

Age of flourishment
As for Fatimid era, Alex became the Navy base of Fatimid State and first trade centre that harbours ships of both east and west. Several industries have thrived, great buildings such as schools, mosques and palaces were erected. Going in line, cultural revival was spread, as one could safely say the most thriving era of Alex was that of Fatimid era.

At the outset of the Ayobian state era, Saladdin recognized that Alex is strategic place for Egypt so he sposored such city, building fortifications and renewing the fleet.

He was right, the city then became the capital of defeating Al-Frinja whom were sent by the King of Cicily to occupy the city. As a matter of fact, in this era they managed to maintain what has been accomplished in Fatimid epoch.

In the mid-17th century, the Mameluke State emerged in Egypt at the very end of Saladdin Al-Ayobi era. Alex at that time witnessed great revival at all walks of life; as it underwent industrial breakthrough along with cultural sweeping here and there.

Abounding in everything
This, however, had reflected on the city's image which became abounding in great hotels, schools, castles and palaces. Trade also thrived to great measures.

Over centuries and along civilizations, Alex was and will remain the cradle of peace, beauty and serenity.