Alexandria was literally a breath of fresh air. We were happy to breath the cool ocean air after two weeks of sand, sun, and the stale air of three to four thousand year old buildings. It is relatively young having only been started by Alexander the Great around 300 B.C. It served has the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt and featured a light house that was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Its library was the most extensive until it burned down in 600 A.D. It was allegedly set on fire by Christians because of their dislike of the pagan documents by such writers as Plato, Aristotle and, Pythagoras. The churches distrust of science started long Galileo or the creationist evolutionary debate. They have rebuilt the library and it is a magnificent building. The wall is covered with writing from every written language known to man. The windows are shaped like the eye of Horus. The light house was knocked down by an earthquake, but the stones were used to rebuild castle at the end of the pier. The Islamic conquerors moved the capital to Cairo because of their dislike of the sea. Egyptians still don’t like living on the beach. They say it is cold and damp in the winter and the salt air ruins everything. Alexandria is considered the most European city in Egypt and in the nineteen century it was filled with villas and resorts and a life style that only exists in movies about the Victorians. The twentieth century is a story of slow and continuous decay, but it was a great place for sea food and our last days in Egypt were spent in its slightly weathered splendor.
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