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Jan 1, 1483
Sanctae Peregrinationes
Bernard de Breydenbach, a German cleric published this account of his travels through the Holy Land and Egypt. Of Alexandria he wrote, "On our introduction to the town, we were surprised at seeing everywhere nothing but lamentable ruins, we could not suppress our astonishment at seeing so miserable a town surrounded by such fine and strong walls." -
Jan 1, 1493
The Rosetta Gate
Here is a depiction of the Rosetta Gate from German printmaker Michael Wohlgemuth, who had never actually visited Alexandria. -
Jan 1, 1517
Ottoman takeover
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De Bibliothecis syntagma
Justus Lipsius wrote the first history of the Library of Alexandria (linked to the Musaeum). His work would influence 18th century French writers who frenchified the term. The Library and Musaeum did not function as contemporary museums do, and might be more appropriately compared to a modern university. -
Encyclopedie references Musaeum of Alexandria
MUSEE: Name of Place. Musaeum. It was formerly in the Palace of Alexandria, and occupied a quarter or even a third of the city. This area was called the Musée, because it was intended for the Muses and the Sciences. –Enclopedie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts, et des metiers 1734 (entry by Louis de Jaucourt) -
Frederic Lewis Norden
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Carsten Niebuhr Travels through Arabia and other countries in the East
See http://alexandria436.blogspot.ca for selected passages from his book. -
Encyclopaedia Britannica; or a Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Compiled on a New Plan. Vol. 1, 1st ed. 1771.
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Eliza Fay
Eliza Fay, a British traveler known for her Original Letters from India, visits Alexandria. Staying for a few days before continuing on to Cairo, Fay had this to say: "This once magnificent City, built by the most famous of all Conquerors, and adorned with the most exquisite productions of art, is now little more than a heap of ruins.” -
Another image of the Rosetta Gate
Louis-Francois Cassas accompanied the Compte de Choiseul-Gouffier on a trip to Constantinople and then continued on to Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. In Alexandria he drew the Rosetta Gate along with Cleopatra's Needle and Canopic Way. -
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His Grace to an Arab Family
Guillaume-François Colson -
Battle of the Pyramids
Antoine-Jean Gros -
Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II
This sarcophagus was collected by the Napoleonic Expedition to Egypt, and came to the British Museum in 1802 as a result of the Treaty of Alexandria. It was originally thought to belong to Alexander. -
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New York Times: The Ruined Egyptian City
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Cavafy: Give Back the Elgin Marbles
See the blog for the full text.
http://alexandria436.blogspot.ca/2013/10/give-back-eglin-marbles-by-cf-cavafy.html -
Graeco-Roman Museum opens
This image is of the Museum in 1895... -
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The God Abandons Antony C.P. Cavafy
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Alexandrea ad Aegyptum, Evaristo Breccia
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E.M. Forster's Alexandria: A History and Guide
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Marcus Garvey "Who and What is a Negro?"
"Every student of history, of impartial mind, knows that the Negro once ruled the world, when white men were savages and barbarians living in caes; that thousands of Negro professors at that time taught in the universities in Alexandria, then the seat of learning; that ancient Egypt gave the world civilization and that Greece and Rome have robbed Egypt of her arts and letters, and taken al the credit to themselves" -
A letter from Lawrence Durrell to Henry Miller about Alexandria
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Alexandria - a poem by Lawrence Durrell
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George James Stolen Legacy
"It is to be expected that the Library of Alexandria was immediately ransacked and looted by Alexander and his party, no doubt made up of Aristotle and others, who did not only carry off large quantities of scientific books: but also frequently returned to Alexandria for the purpose of research." -
Excavation of the Serapeum
Alan Rowe, director of Alexandria's Graeco-Roman Museum, led an excavation finally proving that the Serapeum lies below Pompey's Pillar.
The Serapeum is a temple built by Ptolemy III in honor of the Hellenistic-Egyptian god Serapis that was destroyed by Roman soldiers. -
Lawrence Durrell's Justine
In 1957, Durrell published Justine, the first of a tetralogy set in Alexandria during the Second World War. http://alexandria436.blogspot.ca/2013/10/durrells-alexandria-quartet.html -
Miramar, by Naguib Mahfouz
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Empereur swims with the statues
Empereur and his team began diving near the site of the long lost Pharos lighthouse, where they found an extensive trove of statues and columns. Underwater archaeological projects have been attracting quite a bit of attention since the 90s. -
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
It's never too late to glorify an ancient past to strengthen a nationalist narrative! The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened in 2002 as a commemoration of the mythical Musaeum of Alexandria. The Musaeum was founded in the 3rd century B.C.E. by the Ptolemies, and then disappeared around the 4th century C.E. -
Edward Said: "Cairo and Alexandria"
