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Everyday Life in Alexandria

 

Alexandria is a very interesting city, nestling on the Mediterranean Sea. Once among the greatest cities of the Mediterranean world and a centre of Hellenic scholarship and science. Alexandria was the capital of Egypt from its founding by Alexander the Great in 332 BC to the 7th century at the arrival of the Arabs.

In the past, Alexandria was vibrant, flourishing,  entertaining and it has very strong harmony among its inhabitants. Under the Ptolemies, a line of Greek kings, Alexandria soon sprang into eminence, and, accumulating culture and wealth, became the most powerful metropolis of the Orient. Serving as the port of Europe, it attracted the lucrative trade of India and Arabia. Its markets were enriched with the gorgeous silks and fabrics from the bazaars of the Orient. 

Design and murals on one of the walls in Alexandria
Rush hour in front of a school, parents were there to pick up their children
Trams tracks are engulfed by the different types of traffic
City centre of Alexandria, even in November it was hot there
A motorcycle turned truck - it is not only carrying three people but also plenty of load
This guy had trouble with his car so he started to push it backwards in the middle of a busy road
A tram in Alexandria
Cranes for sale/hire - their buckets were raised above the street level with people and traffic passing below it
Traffic on a road - pollution was a big problem in the city
Pollution is visible in this photo
A modern building in Alexandria
Alexandria Shooting Club which is located beside the Citadel of Qaitbay
Old and rusty bicycle for rent - probably some kids will hire and have a go at them
A guy is preparing his fishing line while cats are waiting for the "catch of the day"

 

Ptolemy adds legitimacy to his rule in Egypt by acquiring Alexander’s body. He intercepts the embalmed corpse on its way to burial, brings it to Egypt and places it in a golden coffin in Alexandria. The library, begun under Ptolemy I (305-285 BC) was completed by Ptolemy II (285-246 BC. 

Following Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, his right-hand man, Marcus Antonius (MarkAntony) became Cleopatra’s consort and left Rome for Alexandria. The city became his base of operations over the next thirteen years until he and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian Caesar at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. 

Marine life shells, skeletons and dried animals on sale
Now matter where you go, there is always some memorabilia linked to the Pharaonic era
More memorabilia on sale, close to the Citadel of Qaitbay
Murals on a wall beside the Alexandria Harbour
A lot of work was put into this wall to create the beautiful combination of the colours
Another photo of the wall
Photo on a wall which separates the road from the harbour
Rusty boats and dirt beside the harbour
Fishing nets on the east harbour
Boats moored in the eastern harbour - other one is called the western harbour
both harbours handle the three quarter of the Egypt's foreign trade
Alexandria has lots of the apartment buildings - one of the reasons could be that land is very pricey there
This building has the french architectural style
Some of the typical tall buildings of Alexandria
Palm trees close to the Mosque Square - overlooking the eastern harbour

 

Alexandria’s temples, its’ library and light house will remain one of the famous sights for many years, until they were partially destroyed in riots in the 3rd century AD by the Christian mobs. Today, Alexandria is a cosmopolitan city like any other modern city on the coast of the Mediterranean. It has its’ own problems, one of them is a  pollution. It effects people and historical buildings in the city. 

Here tram was moving with open door and few guys ran and jumped inside - easy is that
A horse driven carriage moving load
A dried fountain where a cat and her kitten are searching for food
National General Court of Alexandria
Mural of a horse driven carriage
Murals on a wall and a carriage was parked in front of it
These murals were very colourful
Here it shows the old photographs of Alexandria among a large mural
This building had few fast food outlets and it was a favourite spot for the locals
KFC chain in Alexandria - traffic on that road was chaotic
The eastern harbour of Alexandria at night
Alexandria harbour in the morning - moon was visible on a clear morning and fresh breeze was blowing
It was getting brighter by the minute
I enjoyed this morning spent at the balcony, overlooking the harbour and the Citadel of Qaitbay