Alexandria

Once again we traveled north on the Desert Road, to the beautiful port city of Alexandria. The city is named for Alexander the Great who occupied Egypt in 332 B.C and remained for a brief period of time.   His successors (The last of the Ptolemaic royalty was Queen Cleopatra who committed suicide in 32 B.C. when Egypt became part of the Roman Empire.)  had an enormous impact on Egyptian history. Under their reign, Alexandria became one of the premier academic centers in the world. It was, of course, most famous for its vast collection of extant scholarship in the largest library in the ancient world.

On our visit we went to the recently rebuilt Library of Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina).  We toured this beautiful facility and had a chance to glimpse some of the art work on display in various parts of the library. We were also able to visit the Catacombs of Kom es-Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar and the National Museum. A first rate collection of sculpture, tapestry, jewelry, coins, and other pieces from the ancient world.