Chapter I: Preface

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THIS book consists of two parts: a History and a Guide.

The “History” attempts (after the fashion of a pageant) to marshal the activities of Alexandria during the two thousand two hundred and fifty years of her existence. Starting with the heroic figure of Alexander the Great, it inspects the dynasty of the Ptolemies, and in particular the career of the last of them, Cleopatra; an account of Ptolemaic literature and science follows, and closes this splendid period, to which I have given the title of “Greco-Egyptian.” The second period, called “Christian”, begins with the rule of Rome, and traces the fortunes of Christianity, first as a persecuted and then as a persecuting power: all is lost in 641, when the Patriarch Cyrus betrays Alexandria to the Arabs. An interlude comes next—“The Spiritual City”—which meditates upon Alexandrian philosophy and religion, both Pagan and Christian: it seemed better to segregate these subjects, partly because they interrupt the main historical procession, partly because many readers are not interested in them. History is resumed in the “Arab Period,” which is of no importance though it lasts over 1,000 years—from Amr to Napoleon. With Napoleon begins the “Modern Period,” the main feature of which is the building of the city we now see under the auspices of Mohammed Ali; and the pageant concludes, as well as it may, with an account of the events of 1882, and with surmises as to future municipal developments.

The “History” is written in short sections, and at the end of each section are references to the second part—the “Guide”. _On these references the chief utility of the book depends_, so the reader is begged to take special note of them: they may help him to link the present and the past. Suppose, for instance, he has read in the History about the Pharos: at the end of the section he will find references to Fort Kait Bey where the Pharos stood, to Abousir where there is a miniature replica of it, and to the Coin Room in the Museum, where it appears on the moneys of Domitian and Hadrian. Or again, suppose that the tragic fate of Hypatia has touched him: at the end will be references to the Caesareum, where Hypatia was murdered, and to the Wady Natrun, where the monks who murdered her generally resided. Or the British victories of 1801: he will be referred to the country over which our troops marched, to the Abercrombie Monument at Sidi Gaber, and to a tombstone in the courtyard of the Greek Patriarchate. The “sights” of Alexandria are in themselves not interesting, but they fascinate when we approach them through the past, and this is what I have tried to do by the double arrangement of History and Guide.

The “Guide” calls for no introduction. It is written from the practical standpoint, and is intended to be used on the spot. Maps and plans accompany it. The city is divided into sections, the visitor in every case starting from the Square. Other sections deal with the environs, and with the surrounding country as far as Rosetta on the east and Abousir on the west. In transliterating Arabic names I have preferred the French system: there are three English systems, each backed by a rival government department, so the French seems the safer course, and if I have not kept to it rigidly, I am only following, though at a respectful distance, the example of the Alexandria Municipality. Here and there some History has crept into the Guide—notably in the case of Aboukir, whose fortunes, though dependent on Alexandria’s, present features of their own.

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AUTHORITIES.

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There is, so far as I know, no monograph on Alexandria, and though the present little book makes no claim to original research, it has drawn together much information that was hitherto scattered. The following works, among others, have been consulted; those marked with an asterisk are published locally.

(A). HISTORY:—

Ptolemaic Period:—_Bouché-Leclercq, Histoire des Lagides_. A scholarly and delightful work. 4 vols.

Ptolemaic Literature:—_A. Couat, La Poésie Alexandrine_; well written. _Theocritus_, translated A. Lang.

Christian Period:—No satisfactory work. _S. Sharpe, History of Egypt until the Arab Conquest, vol. 2_ may be consulted; also _Gibbon_, chs. 21 and 47. _Mrs. Butcher, The Story of the Church in Egypt_ is full of information, but uncritical and diffuse.

Arab Conquest:—_A. J. Butler, The Arab Conquest of Egypt_. A monograph of the highest merit, brilliantly written and practically reconstructing the episode.

Jewish Thought:—_E. Herriot, Philon le Juif._

Neo-Platonism:—Various works. There is a lucid introduction to Plotinus in _S. McKenna, Translation of the Enneads_, vol. 1; this admirable translation is still in progress. _Porphyry’s Letter to Marcella_ (translated, A. Gardner) is also interesting.

Christian Theology:—See under “Christian period.” The Fathers can be read in the _Ante-Nicene Christian Library_.

Arab period:—Too obscure to possess a history.

Napoleonic Wars:—_Mahan, Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution_, chs. 9 and 10. _R. T_. _Wilson, History of the British Expedition to Egypt_. See also below, under Aboukir.

General Modern History:—_D. A. Cameron, Egypt in the Nineteenth Century_. A well-written book by the late Consul General at Alexandria; contains good account of Mohammed Ali. The works of Lord Cromer, W. S. Blunt and Sir V. Chirol are also useful.

Events of 1882:—_C. Royle, The Egyptian Campaigns_.

One or two novels and plays dealing with the History may here be mentioned. The career of Cleopatra has inspired two noble tragedies, Shakespeare’s _Antony and Cleopatra_, and Dryden’s _All for Love_; extracts from them are given on p. 214. Dryden’s masterpiece should be better known; it is most moving, admirably constructed, and contains some magnificent scenes. A novel by Pierre Loüys, _Aphrodite_, also treats of the period, but in a scented Parisian way.—Anatole France, _Thais_, pictures life in the 4th cent. A.D.; the details are both vivid and accurate, and build up a perfect work of art.—For the early 5th cent. there is Charles Kingsley’s _Hypatia_, a rousing yarn about the final contest between Paganism and Christianity; Kingsley is always readable, but his bluff burly mind was incapable of understanding Alexandria.—Two good novels by Marmaduke Pickthall, _Said the Fisherman_ and _Children of the Nile_ touch upon events in the modern period.

* * * * *

(B). GUIDE.:—

*_E. Breccia, Alexandrea ad Aegyptum._ In French: English translation announced. Deals mainly with Classical Antiquities. Two sections—the first dealing with the remains in the city and environs, the second with the Greco-Roman Museum, of which Professor Breccia is the distinguished Curator. I am under much obligation to this fine scholarly book, especially in the following sections:—Greco-Roman Museum, Catacombs of Anfouchi and Kom es Chogafa, Serapeum, Abousir.

Prehistoric Harbour:—*_E. Jondet, Les Ports submergés de l’ancienne Isle de Pharos_. A monograph by the discoverer. Magnificent Maps.

Pharos and Fort Kait Bey:—_H. Thiersch, Pharos, Antike, Islam Und Occident_. A standard monograph, but exhibiting the defects as well as the merits of German Scholarship.

Canopus and Aboukir:—*_J. Faivre, Canopus, Menouthis, Aboukir_. Published in French and English. *_R. D. Downes, A History of Canopus._ These excellent pamphlets supplement one another, the first dealing with the literary evidence, the second with the typography.

Rosetta:—*_Max Herz Bey, Les Mosquées de Rosette_ (various articles in the _Comptes Rendus_ of the Comité de Conservation des Monuments Arabes).

St. Menas:—*_C. M. Kaufmann, La Decouverte des Sanctuaires de Menas_. By the Excavator.

Natrun Monasteries:—_A. J. Butler, Ancient Coptic Churches_.

* * * * *

Many friends have also helped me, among whom I would particularly thank the following:—Mr. George Antonius for his assistance with those interesting but little known buildings, the Alexandria Mosques; Mr. M. S. Briggs for his help in the Rosetta section; Dr. A. J. Butler for permission to reproduce two plans of the Natrun Churches; Mr. C. P. Cavafy for permission to publish one of his poems, and Mr. G. Valassopoulo for translating the same; the Rev. R. D. Downes for his help at Aboukir; Mr. R. A. Furness for his verse translations from Callimachus and other Greek poets; M. E. Jondet, Director of Ports and Lights, for taking me to see his fascinating discovery, the Prehistoric Harbour, and for placing at my disposal his unrivalled collection of Maps and Views, two of which I have reproduced; and above all Mr. G. H. Ludolf, to whose suggestion this book is due, and without whose help it would never have been completed. I shall never forget the kindness that I have received at Alexandria, and in no wise endorse the verdict of my predecessor the poet Gelal ed Din ben Mokram who monstrously asserts that:—

The visitor to Alexandria receives nothing in the way of hospitality
Except some water and an account of Pompey’s Pillar.
Those who wish to treat him very well go so far as to offer some
fresh air
And to tell him where the Lighthouse is.
They also instruct him about the sea and its waves,
Adding a description of the large Greek boats.
The visitor need not aspire to receive any bread,
For to a request of this sort there is no reply.

Circumstances which I could not control have delayed the publication of the book, but, with the help of friends, I have tried to bring the “Guide” up to date as far as possible.

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CONTENTS.

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Page

Preface i
Authorities iii

PART I: HISTORY.

SECTION I: GRECO-EGYPTIAN PERIOD.

The Land and the Waters 5
Pharos, Rhakotis, Canopus 6
Alexander the Great 8
The Foundation Plan 9
The First Three Ptolemies 11
The Ptolemaic City 16
The Later Ptolemies 21
Cleopatra 23
Ptolemaic Culture: 28
Literature 29
Scholarship 34
Art 35
Philosophy 36
Science 36

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SECTION II: CHRISTIAN PERIOD.

The Rule of Rome 44
The Christian Community 45
Arius and Athanasius 47
The Rule of the Monks 50
The Arab Conquest 52

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SECTION III: THE SPIRITUAL CITY.

Introduction 60
The Jews 62
Neo-Platonism 64
Christianity: 69
Introduction 69
Gnosticism 71
Orthodoxy 72
Arianism 75
Monophysism 76
Monothelism 76
Conclusion: Islam 77

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SECTION IV: ARAB PERIOD.

The Arab Town 80
The Turkish Town 82

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SECTION V: MODERN PERIOD.

Napoleon 86
Mohammed Ali 88
The Modern City 90
The Bombardment of Alexandria 93
Conclusion 97

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The God abandons Antony 98

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PART II: GUIDE.

SECTION I:
FROM THE SQUARE TO RUE ROSETTE.

The Square 102
Statue of Mohammed Ali 102
Banco di Roma 103
Rue Rosette 104
Mosque of the Prophet Daniel 104
St. Saba 106
Greco-Roman Museum 107

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SECTION II:
FROM THE SQUARE TO RAS-EL TIN.

Chorbagi Mosque 124
Terbana Mosque 125
Abou el Abbas Mosque 126
Anfouchi Tombs 126
Ras-el-Tin Palace 129
Prehistoric Harbour 130

Fort Kait Bey (The Pharos) 133

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SECTION III: FROM THE SQUARE TO THE SOUTHERN QUARTERS.

Place St. Catherine 142
Attarine Mosque 143
Old Protestant Cemetery 144
“Pompey’s Pillar” and Temple of Serapis 144
Kom es Chogafa Catacombs 148
Mahmoudieh Canal 151

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SECTION IV: FROM THE SQUARE TO NOUZHA.

Municipal Gardens 154
Antique Tomb (Pompey’s?) 155
French War Memorial 156
Nouzha Gardens 156
Antoniadis Gardens 157
Antique Tomb 157

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SECTION V: FROM THE SQUARE TO RAMLEH.

Caesareum and Cleopatra’s Needles (site of) 161
Abercrombie Monument 165
Abou el Nawatir 165
San Stefano Casino 166
Spouting Rocks 166

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SECTION VI: FROM THE SQUARE TO MEX.

Mex 171
Fort Agame 171

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SECTION VII: ABOUKIR AND ROSETTA.

Montazah 175
Aboukir 176
Canopus 180
Baths of “Cleopatra” 183
Edku 184
Rosetta 185

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SECTION VIII: THE LYBIAN DESERT.

Abousir 191
Burg el Arab 194
St. Menas 195
Wady Natrun 200
Natrun Monasteries 204

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APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I: The Modern Religious Communities 211

APPENDIX II: The Death of Cleopatra 214

APPENDIX III: The Uncanonical Gospels of Egypt 217
(extracts)