Alexandria City Cultural walk

Alexandria is a city speaks Art, wandering  its streets  requires from you to keep your head up while you walk around, in order to picture with your eyes a remarkable artistic touch has brushed this city especially its architecture.

Since the time of its foundation, the history wrote pages about the exceptional role it played in various fields of arts, a leading center of creativity that how it was titled by both early and contemporary historians.

Alexandria gained special attention from The Mohammed Ali's dynasty (1805-1950), Mohammed Ali had adopted a construction project and the city has witnessed a huge development in architecture, an innovatory and new basis have been applied.

There were efforts to modernize Egypt. Mohamed Ali and later his son Ismail called in foreign experts to develop the country’s infrastructure and civil administration. Italian experts played a major role in that process, especially towards Alexandria to convert it to a modern city, allowing foreign influence to revive its past heritage with a modern touch.

There is a great influence of the Alexandrian history on its built environment; it was marked with architectural elements and ornamental Motifs inspired by diverse cultures lived on its land, being represented in arty

Figures and symbols such protective heads or heroes from ancient Egyptian & Greek mythology, and more were coming out of religious symbols whether Christian or Islamic.

Some of these examples of unique Alexandrian architecture would be noted in :

Misr Train station (Alexandria),Mahtet Misr in Arabic,the train station façade are fronted with columns which are decorated with a sculpted head in a pharaonic style and is flanked by a branch of Lotus plants .Construction year: 1915-1925

Architects: (Italians) Antonio Lasciac & Leonidas Iconomopolou .

A walking along Fouad avenue will lead you to Sayed Darwich theatre,it's The Alexandria Opera House which was constructed in 1918 during the reign of Sultan Fuad I and named "Mohamed Ali Theatre"‌. The original owner was Badr El Din Kerdany , A Lebanese resident who had appointed French architect Georges Baroque to do the design. In 1962 the theatre was renamed "Sayed Darwish Theatre"‌ in honour of this pioneer of Arab music.

The design of the theatre was inspired with the outstanding European Opera houses (Austria and France), ornamented with the neo-classical style .

In search of a royal art, The Kiosk or Tea villa is the best object, it locates in the garden of Al Montazah which is about 3000 meters wide, Montaza was a popular spot for the royal palaces. The area that once belonged to Mohamed Ali’s family .This villa was the favorite spot for former King Farouk to have his 5 o'clock tea and meeting the elite of Egyptian society at that time .The building is fronted on 2 sides by life-size statues, representing good-looking women, resembling the Classic Greek art, even the portico of the villa is formed in a shape of Greek temple.

Back to city center, where a genuine piece of architecture stands high in Sultan Hassan Street, It's Mohamed Fieter 's Building; one of few buildings still remain  in city center reflecting the luxurious and rich architecture. It belongs to a wealthy Alexandrian family.

At the highest part of the building, there are two colossal statues on both edges, wearing warrior costumes and holding swords, as a symbol of guarding the edifice. Also a remarkable sculpted crown is at the center which carries the initial of the building owner.

Tracing the influence of spiritual beliefs is essential in a city has been always known for embracing the divine religions.My eyes were caught by an administrative building has a unique decorative element that represents St.Mark in a form of a lion, with a winged body and human head, holding a bible in his hands.

St. Mark is the author of 'Gopsel of Mark", he was one of the seventy that Christ appointed to spread his teachings. He came to Alexandria in 61 A.C and stayed for about seven years. He is considered the founder of the church in Alexandria And also the first martyr by pagans who were angry of spreading the message of Christianity.

In Coptic art, he was incarnated as a lion, it was one of his miracles that during a hunt journey with his father, he was attacked by two wild lions, but defeated them by saying prayers that once he finished the lions were departed in fear .

Another unique sculpted façade ,is of the Church of St.Catherine , The present church locates in Manshiya small square –Alexandria, it was built in 1850 by Fr.Serafino Da Baceno and reconstructed in 1920 by Mario Avena .It's a model of Chiesa di S. Maria dei Servi  Toscana in Italy .St.Catherine was a Christian virgin and a popular early martyr, In Alexandria; she rebuked the Roman emperor Maxentius for his persecution of Christians and converted the philosophers he had ordered to debate with her. The emperor condemned her to be broken on the wheel, but, by a miracle, the wheel collapsed.She was afterward beheaded. Saint Catherine's body is said to have been discovered on Mount Sinai in about 800. The Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai dates from 527 A.C was founded and became a pilgrimage spot.

Domes of Sidi Yaqut Mosque

In the oldest district of the city, A pearl of Islamic architecture is sparkling, the last king of Mohamed Ali's family; King Farouk (1937.-1952), had sought to make Alexandria the Jewel of the Mediterranean but with preserving its Arabic glory. There, he built a wide square known as "Midan el Masaged", or the "Square of Mosques". The Mosque of Abu el Abbas el Mursi was the focal point and center of this square, and it is surrounded by five other mosques, among which is that of al-Busiri and Sidi Yaqut al- 'Arshi.

During (1928 &1935) the mosque was reconstructed and restored by the government in a beautiful Arabian style. The Italian-born architects: Eugenio Valzania & Mario Rossi undertook the mission of supervising this reconstruction    

 

  

Fouad Avenue is considered to be the heart of the city, and also where a large number of the thirties and forties century buildings stand. A course of buildings distinguish the development of world architecture, it's a study case can't be found anyplace else. Especially this unusual mausoleum of Saint (Sheik)to be centered between domestic buildings ,with colored walls in red and yellow ,like a petite blossoming  rose in middle of blocks .

'a Little Venice in Alexandria', is the best title to be given to this well executed construction , In 1929 a municipal prize for best façade has been given to this building ,which stands on the cornice –Eastern port, combining simple architectural characteristics with  artistic mosaic walls.

Alexandria is a city that  has a hidden treasure , full of stories can be told through its construction, which put us back in time to breeze the brilliance of past, It's a city would never vanish or let grime covers its beauty .

 written by :

Nermine Sami Abd El Fattah

Freelancer Tour guide & Archaeologist

special Thanks to Eman H. Zidan
for Article editing and publishing in:

ARCHAEOLOGY TIMES MAGAZINE