About the Area

"The Northern Coast" is the Egyptian North Western gate stretching 525 Km on
the Mediterranean east to Sallum on the Libyan boarder.
This was a rain-dependent agricultural land in the Roman era. Having good faith in
the prosperous future of this region, the government spares no effort to develop it.
Many comprehensive planning studies have been conducted. Many luxurious
tourist spots have been built. In 1978, the process was unleashed.
In spite of miles of white sand beaches and azure sea, Egypt's Med is still
undeveloped and relatively unpopulated. There are fine beaches all along the coast
from Alexandria to Mersa Matrouh, including the resort of Sidi Abdel Rahman, a
secluded bay with clear waters and a selection of villas and hotels. At Mersa
Matrouh itself, the natural bay and long white beach make for good sunbathing and
swimming in calm transparent waters. Hired bicycles, carettas or open- sided tuf-
tuf buses will take you to other good bathing spots nearby including the outstar
beach at Al-Abyad and Ageebah cove, surrounded by beautiful scenery. As well as
beaches there are other attractions in the Mersa Matrouh area: Cleopatra's Bath, a
rock-hewn whirlpool bath off- shore which was supposedly used by Antony and
Cleopatra, a ruined temple fort built by Ramses II, an early Coptic chapel and
"Rommel's Hideout", a cave where the general planned his military campaigns and
which has now been tumed into a military museum.
At Abu Qir, a small fishing town, you can sunbath, fish, swim and eat fresh
seafood. To the west of the city try the resorts of Agami or Hannoville.

Attractive integrated tourist villages are there, including beaches, houses, public
service units. Moreover, 121 private locations are under study, besides the three
models executed by the Ministry of construction, i.e. "Marakia", "Marabella" and
"Marina" resorts.

Due to its marble-like nature, "Marakia" was originally known as "Marmarina" in

the old times. The name is extracted from the Arabic word "marmar" which means
marble. Clear sea and pure sand are its two main characteristics. It is 240 feddans
& consists of three main parts; namely, beach, housing units and public service
units. The beach is 1500 meters long; its downstream surface is 100 meters.
A pedestrain road separates it from the housing units. This stretches 400 meters,
and consists of five-region on -shore 1945 units; 1267 cabins, 72 villas and 31
houses. The public service units are in both the middle of the village and at its
main entrance, including administrative, emergency, communication, commercial,
and entertainment services. Restaurants, cinema and an open theater. At the village
entrance, a 800-person capacity mosque has been built. Large surfaces were
devoted for sportive courtyards and public gardens. That is not all, there are further
expansions.

One may imagine "Marina" by the meaning of its name: the beautiful sea. It is 15
Km from "Marakia", 750 meters long on the beach and its downstream surface is
800 meters. Its total surface is about 143 feddans. Many service units are
constructed on the beach. The housing unit consists of 34 villas, 264 flats and 672
cabins. A center for administrative, commercial, medical, religious and
entertainment services is found in the middle of the village.

Nearby, "Marina- Alameen" lies on the beach, about 100 Km from Alexandria. Its
surface is nearly 5000 feddans. Apart from the beach, it consists of housing and
public service units. Golf, horseriding and other sport facilities and courtyards are
also there. In fact, "Marina-Alameen" is exceptional in both natural and historical
respects. It is endowed with natural deep lakes, as well as large forests. Moreover,
it is rich in both Greek and Roman monuments. Being the World War II stage, an
allied soldiers cemetery is found there. On the other hand, sea-linked lakes are
designed for water renewal, shipping and fishery purposes.
And then there is Alexandria (Alex) itself. Pick any given holiday and try to find
someone you need to see in Cairo. They will be in Alex, which is not only a
playground for people around the world, but of the Egyptians themselves.
Population Total 3,341,000

About Alexandria:
Alexandria, the coastal gem of Egypt, is located on the Mediterranean coast, about
220 kilometers from Cairo, and is second only to the capital in size. This beautiful
city is rich in history, as it has been a major seaport since ancient times, with the
ancient Egyptians trading with Greeks and Romans from this very convenient
point. Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was the capital of Egypt for
nearly one thousand years, and saw the rule of the Ptolemies, including the most
famous Ptolemy of all, Cleopatra. Some of the most famous structures have also
been located in Alexandria, such as the Pharos lighthouse, which fell to ruins after
an earthquake in the 14th century destroyed it, as well as the ancient Library of
Alexandria, the largest ancient library in the world, which was also destroyed by
several fires, and the catacombs of Kom El-Shuqaffa. Alexandria's many sites
detail its significance throughout history, and is definitely a must-see on any trip to
Egypt.
The City of Alexandria
The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the
Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle
Eastern ; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country
although it is actually only 225 km. from Cairo

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital
of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by Pharos,
the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The
setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony,
Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world. But ancient
Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated
fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt's
commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalized by
writers such as E-M- Forster and Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece,
Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce,
cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture.

Alexandria is a city to explore at random. It's as important to enjoy the atmosphere

as it is to see the sights.
Old Alexandria
Dinocrates built the Heptastadion, the causeway between Pharos and the mainland.
This divided the harbors into the Western and Eastern. The Eastern harbor was
really where the old harbor from the Middle Ages was located.

Of modern Alexandria, the oldest section is along the causeway which links what
was once Pharos island with the mainland and includes the districts of Gumrok (the
oldest dating to about the 16th century and known as the customs district) Anfushi,
and Ras el-Tin (Cape of Figs). The latter two districts date to about the period of
Mohammed Ali (1805-49). Collectively, these districts are known to westerners as
the Turkish Quarter. They have had a number of ups and downs over the years,
particularly due to the plague during the 17th century. The area forms somewhat of
a T-shape, dividing the Eastern Harbor from the Western Harbor.

This section of Alexandria is known to us more from books then what we may
actually see in the area. Where the Pharos Lighthouse once stood, is now occupied
by the Fort of Quit Bay (1) out on the area that circles up around the top of Eastern
Harbor forming the eastern section of the top of the T. Heading south from the Fort
of Quit Bay, we come to the stunning Abu El-Abbas Mosque (2). West of this is
the Anfushi Tombs (3), some of the oldest in Alexandria and well worth a visit.
 Central Alexandria
The Underwater Discoveries
Relatively new discoveries in the Eastern Harbor involve two different sites.
Around Fort Qaitbey the site has unearthed hundreds of objects, including what
experts believe are the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the ancient
wonders of the world In the south east part of the harbor archaeologists have
apparently found the Royal Quarters, including granite columns and fabulous
statues, including one of Isis and a sphinx with a head thought to be that of
Cleopatra's father. There may vary well be an underwater exhibit in the future.

Heading towards the mainland past the Abu El-Abbas Mosque and connecting with
Shari Faransa street leads to the Suq district. Just before entering the district one
finds the interesting little Terbana Mosque (4). In the Suq district (5), one finds
Alexandria's only surviving wakalas, which is a part of the El-Shorbagi Mosque
complex founded in 1757. This was also the area where Alexandria's Jewish
community lived, but most have now migrated to Israel. Different areas have
specialized in different goods and one may find all manner of products from
jewelry to Medicinal plants (Suq El-Magharba) to Bedouin clothing (Suq El-
Libia).

Continuing down Faransa one passes Midan Tahrir (6) and the street turns into
Salah Salem, and finally connects with Al-Horreya.

However, Midan Tahrir, popularly called Manshiya, has considerable history. The
areas was once home to Diplomats and known as Place Des Consuls, but after the
statue of Mohammed Ali was placed here in 1873 the name was changed to Midan
Mohammed Ali. In 1882, it was bombarded by the British and all but destroyed.
The Alexandria Stock Exchange was once located here, and it was from the midan
that Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

The street named Al-Horreya (Tariq abd el-Nasser) which transverses the area
from east to west was in ancient times the Canopic Way with the Gate of the Sun at
the eastern end and the Gate of the Moon at the western end. At that time, there
were probably columns lining the road. The main north to south street, now Sharia
el-Nebi Daniel, ran from the East Harbor all the way to Lake Harbor on Lake
Mariout.

Just south of the intersection of Al Horreya and el-Nebi Daniel was the site
traditionally thought to be the burial place of Alexander the Great, but that has not
been located, and may in fact be beneath the Mosque of Nebi Daniel (7) or in a
nearby Greek necropolis. The famous Alexandria Library was probably nearby.
However, the only real antiquities site that can be viewed in the area is Kom el-
Dikka (8), a small Roman theater that has been excavated. Nearby is also a bath
house of the era. To the east is the Antiques District where dealers sell antiquities,
books, old weapons and furniture. Here is also the Attarine Mosque, which was
once a church dedicated to Athanasius.

Further south along the tramway is Pompey's pillar and nearby the Catacombs of
Kom ash-Shuqqafa .

Wondering along el-Nebi Daniel are several other attrations, including the French
Cultural Center, and nearby the Eliahu Hanabi Synagague (11), which is the only
active synagogue in Alexandria and houses the combined treasures of the seven
former Alexandrian synagogues.

Back to the north on el-Nebi Daniel, next to the harbor where Ramla station is now
located at Midan Saad Zaghlul was the location of the Caesareum . This was a
magnificent temple begun by Cleopatra for her lover Antony and subsequently
completed by their enemy Octavian, though none of this remains.in situ. Nearby is
the well known Cecil Hotel, built in 1930, Smerset Maugham stayed here, as did
Winston Churchill, and the British Secret Service one maintained a suite for their
operations.

Midan Saad Zaghlul is the entertainment heart and nerve center of Alexandria.
here, as terminals and train stations provide a backdrop for cinemas, restaurants
and night spots. It was the setting of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and
the famous Alexandria coffee houses. The square is dominated by an impressive
monument dedicated to Saad Zaghlul, a former national leader.

The Greek Quarter and Bab Rosetta District

Back on Al Horreya heading east, as we pass the Graeco-Roman Museum (a
notable museum well worth a visit) we move into the Greek Quarter of Alexandria,
one of the most beautiful residential districts. The wonderful old villas include the
massive Miclavez building, which is opposite the Town Hall and nearby the Adda
Complex built in 1929. This is where the wealthy Greeks lived at the turn of the
century, and the streets are still named after the Ptolemic, Pharaonic, Abbasid and
Fatimid rulers. Further east is the Greek Orthodox patriarchate andthe Church of
St. Saba.
Further east, Al Horreya opens into a beautiful green area known as the Shallalat
Gardens, which was once the fortification of Bab Rosetta. But in 1905, Alexandria
created a garden area here with waterfalls and the only Alexandria cistern which
can be viewed. This cistern is an example of those which once dotted Alexandria
providing fresh water to her inhabitants.

The Corniche
The Corniche is doted with Casinos built on stilts and rows of beach huts. The
avenue here did not always exists, for until the 20th century, the areas remained
fortified by a five mile long wall with towers which had protected the city since the
13th Century. In the early 1900s, a strip of land with a width of about 100 years
was reclaimed from the sea, and the area became popular with beach goers. That is
no longer the case, but it remains a lively area of Alexandria.

On the western end of the Corniche near Silsila where the New Alexandria Library
is being constructed is the Shatby Tombs which are said to be the oldest in
Alexandria. Nearer the San Stefano area across the tram tracks is also the Royal
Jewelry Museum.

The Mahmudiya Canal

A walk along the Mahmudiya Canal brings one face to face with the working class
and industrial districts of Alexandria, and is pleasant along the old paved road
bordered by the canal and sycamore trees. South of the Greek district along the
canal is the Antoniadis Gardens, which seep with history. Here, the poet
Callimachus lived and taught, and in 640 AD, Pompilius prvented the King of
Syria from capturing Alexandria. But less than a year later, Amr Ibn el-As camped
here, before taking the city. The well known Water Traffic Circle is also in the
area.

Here one finds the Zoological Gardens, the small Museum of Natural History and
the Fine Arts Museum in the Moharrem Bey area, and a Rose Garden. The
beautiful public gardens extend into the surrounding area where the Antoniadis
Palace is located, and there is even a nearby Roman tomb.
 Alexandria - Egypt

Alexandria, the city created by Alexander the Great in 333BCE and with a history
very different from any of the other cities in Egypt. When this famous Macedonian
(the Greek state, not the former Yugoslav country) was en route to visit the Oracle
Temple of Amun at the Siwa oasis he stopped overnight at the village of "Re-qdt”
(its Greek name is “Racotis”) between the Mediterranean Sea and the Lake of
Mariott (its location today is the area of Tel Bab Sadrah or Karmouz). Alexander
decided that this was to be the spot where a great city would be built and charged
one of his architects, Dinocratis, to build it.

He continued on to Siwa, to consult the oracle about his destiny and then left Egypt
to fight the Persians in Asia. Sadly it is not known what the Oracle told Alexander,
but it is generally believed that he was told he was to be a great leader. After his
triumphal campaigns, Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC without ever
seeing the city that bears his name: in fact it was not until the reigns of Ptolemy I,
(Soter - the Saviour), and his successor Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) that the building
of the city was completed and it became the main capital.
 Dinocratis planned the city in squares, like a chessboard with two main streets
interlaced vertically and horizontally extending from east to west as well as from
north to south. Alexandria had 5 districts, each one named after a letter of the first
five letters in the Greek Alphabet: A (Alpha); B (Beta); G (Gamma); D (Delta) and
E (Epsilon). These 5 letters represent the initial letters of the text: "Alexander the
king, the descendent of the gods, erected the city".

 Alpha was the royal district where the royal palaces, the main Temple, the
museum, the libraries, and the gardens were built,
 Beta was the district of the Greek aristocracy.
 Gamma was dedicated to the settlement of the Greek commoners.
 Delta was the district of the foreign minorities such as the Syrians, the Persians,
and the Jews. Epsilon was the district for the native Egyptians.

Drinking water was supplied by a canal starting from the western Canopic branch
of the Nile, at a point called "Shedia" about 27 km to the south of Alexandria. The
water was stored in Cisterns; some of which remain into modern times.

At the beginning of the Roman period, about 30 BC, a new city was built here by
the Romans, bearing the name of "Nicopolis" which means the city of Victory, in
order to commemorate the victory of Octavian over Mark Anthony in Aktium in 31
BC. Most of it was destroyed or vanished for several reasons, including
disturbances, civil wars, revolts, natural disasters, subsoil water and unplanned
urbanization etc.

Among the fabulous monuments mentioned by ancient Greek books are the
Enclosure Walls and the Gates of the City, the Lighthouse, the Great Library, the
Royal Necropolis including the Tomb of Alexander and the Museums. Today the
remaining monuments of ancient Alexandria are different cemeteries scattered in
many various locations, some of which date back to the Ptolemaic period: El-
Shatby, Moustafa Kamel, El-Anfoushy, and El-Wardain. Others date back to the
Roman period: the tombs of Kom El-Shouqafa (the Catacombs), the tomb of
Tigran, Pompeii’s pillar, Tomb of Silvago and the cemetery of El-Qabbary which
was only recently discovered. There are other important monuments in the city that
date back to various periods, such as the Serapium, the Roman Theatre, the Temple
of El-Ras El-Souda, Citadel of Quaitbay, the Jewellery Museum, Mosque of El-
Naby Daniel, Mosque of El-Moursi Abou El-Abbas and the Memorial of the
unknown soldier.

Alexandria is situated on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, 179Km (111 miles)

north of Cairo. It is Egypt’s second largest city, behind Cairo, but is sadly
overlooked by tourists. It is accessible by many ways:

By flight:
Alexandria International Airport or El Nouzha Airport is located 7Km (4 miles)
southeast of the city centre. It offers services to domestic destinations within Egypt
and cities across the Arab world. EgyptAir is the largest airline at the airport,
operating over 50 weekly domestic and regional flights.
The future of El Nouzha was in doubt with the opening of Borg El Arab Airport,
however in early 2010 the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation announced major
plans to overhaul the airport and its facilities to ensure its future as one of the two
commercial airports for Alexandria and Nile Delta region. The airport will be
closed to commercial operations by late 2011 for major renovation and all traffic
transferred to Borg El Arab
Airport, Alexandria’s second airport. The renovation project is expected to cost
US$120 million which will include lengthening the main runway (04/22) by an
additional 750m and the construction of a new passenger terminal to replace the
existing ageing facility. The airport will be closed down for two years to
implement the expansion project and development.

By train:
Alexandria is the northern terminus for the line which runs through Cairo to
Aswan and the service to Cairo is extremely good. Services are also available to
Marsa Matruh, via El-Alamein, and Port Said.
By road
Alexandria has a huge road network connecting it with towns to the east, the west,
and south towards Cairo, including the myriad of towns in the Delta region. Cairo
is reached by 2 main highways: The Desert Road and the Agricultural Road. Both
are very busy with the former being 6-8 lanes wide.
By Cruise
Alexandria has a major seaport which is a popular stopping point for ocean going
cruises and many visitors experience Egypt by arriving here.