Alexandria

  About 220 kilometers from Cairo is Alexandria, accessible by road rail and air, founded by the Alexander the Great in 332 B.C, the city has lived through momentous, though to day little is left of its greatness except memories. Modern buildings crowd and cover antique ruins and the polyglot internationalism of the 19^th century Levantine port has all but faded away. Many cairenes spend part of their summer holidays in this attractive Mediterranean resort, or at the nearby beaches of Al Agami.

  You can easily visit Alexandria's sights in a day, or you can spend a couple of nights in one of the many hotels. Start at the Western end of the sweeping Corniche named 26 July Street it's the main waterfront thoroughfare and surrounds the eastern harbour. The coast road counties from the centre of the town all the way to Montazah Palace 8 Kilometers to the east. The Peninsula at the Corniche's Western end holds the former royal palace of Ras El-Tin.

  Just east of the Palace, part of the 15^th century Fort of Qait Bey, now serving as a naval Museum, stands on the alleged site of Alexandria's ancient pharos the elaborate lighthouse which was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Today there is nothing left of the lighthouse which flashed its warning in the age of the Ptolemies.

  South of the Qait Bey Fort just a block from the Corniche stands The Mosque of Abul Abbas (1767), Alexandria's most impressive. Continue to the centre of town to find Tahrir Square. Though this is the city's largest public square, It's less important o the tramway-riders, bus passengers and café-sitters than Saad Zaghloul Square a few blocks farther east Zaghloul Square is a Palace for all these activities, as well as being the bus terminus.

  Turn inland for a visit to the Greco-Roman Museum. Despite its name. It holds a good number of Pharaonic relics as well. Other Fascinating reminders of the city's Greek and Roman past are the Roman amphitheatre at Kom Ed-Dikka, unearthed in 1963, and the nearby catacombs date from the early years of the Christian era, and preserve an unusual mixture of Pharaonic and Romans styles. Nearby Pompey's Pillar has nothing to do with the redoubtable General Pompey. The 98-foot-high monument of rosy Aswan granite was erected for Emperor Diocletian in the 3^rd century A.D., considerably after Pompey's time. Continuing east, don't miss the Jelwellery Museum in Zizinia. Previously a royal palace, it now houses an impressive collection of the jewels of the corner royal family of Egypt.

  Alexandria's beaches start in the center of the town, but the best are those to the east at Maamoura, Montazah and Abukir. This last, at the site of Nelson's victory over Napoleon's fleet in 1798, is now famous for its seafood restaurants. West of Alexandria, the Mediterranean coast stretches some 500 kilometers to the Libyan frontier. There are several resorts along the way, all accessible by public transport.

  A particularly popular Egyptian resort, now practically an extension of Alexandria, is Al Agami. Beyond is EL-ALAMIEN, which took on immense importance during the savage battles of 1942. Here you'll find a museum and vast cemeteries of war-dead from both sides. SIDI ABDEL RAHMAN, 20 kilometers beyond the town, has a beautiful beach and a hotel. Even further west, 185 kilometers from El-Alamien, is MERSA MATRUH. This town busies itself with provincial government matters, desert commerce and Mediterranean fishing, but you can devote yourself to sun and sea.

  The desert road between Alexandria and Cairo has little traffic and offers the opportunity of visiting the Coptic monasteries in Wadi Natrun. After following the road 120 kilometers from Alexandria turn right at the Rest-House to reach the monasteries, 10 kilometers from the main road. High walls, great piety, and a simple, ascetic life are the things valued by the monks at the four monasteries of Dier Amba Bishoi, Dier es-Suryani. Dier Amba Baramos and Dier Abu Makar. This last was the most important of the ancient monasteries giving the Coptic church most of its early fathers. Monks have lived in seclusion here since the 4^th century. Recent Excavations have disclosed a skull-less-skelerton thought by some to be that of St. John the Baptist (his head is in the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus). Visitors are welcome to tour certain parts of the monasteries.