Egypt Hot Destinations

The Building 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.

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.

This area along the coast about 15 miles east of Alexandrias old district along the Corniche is where many of the modern Alexandrian hotels are located, as well as one of the elegant heritage hotels. Khedive Abbas II built the Salamlik as a residence. Here also is the magnificent Montaza Palace.

The Mahmudiya Canal

A walk along the Mahmudiya Canal brings wone face to face with the working class and industrial districts of Alexandria, and is pleasent along the old paved road bordered by the canal and sycamore treets. 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 then a year later, Amr Ibn el-As camped here, before taking the city. The well known Water Traffic Circle is also in the area.

Back to Top

Marina is a tourist village located in the Northern Coast which stretches 525 Kilometers along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt east to Sallum on the Libyan border. There are actually a number of tourist villages along the northern coast, and more planned, though Marina has earned the reputation of being one of the most exclusive, traditionally catering to many of Egypt's rich and elite. It has been, in fact, considered mostly exclusively Egyptian, though that attitude seems to be opening up just a bit, and some tour operators rent villas in the area. These areas along Egypt's north coast may very well become more popular with foreign tourists as nearby Alexandria seems to be gaining considerable ground in the tourist market. Marina is very close to Alexandria, on the beach between that city and Al-Alemein .The Marina resort itself has a 750 meters long 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 almost 34 villas, 264 flats and 672 cabins as well as a center for administrative, commercial, medical, religious as well as entertainment services, all of which can be found in the middle of the village.

Marina was the brainchild of Abdallah Abdel-Aziz, head of the urban planning committee of the Scientific Research Academy and the retired chairman of the urban planning department at Ain Shams University's Faculty of Engineering. Abdel-Aziz planned the resort as an example of beautiful architecture and landscaping. "The element of beauty has been largely absent in architecture since 1952, when the government shifted focus to provide housing for the poor," he laments. "The result is an eclectic cement forest extending from Alexandria to Upper Egypt. Marina was my attempt to resurrect aesthetic architectural styles." Marina marks the beginning of the Luxury building boom in Egypt.

Inside the village, narrow roads lined with whitewashed chalets and villas lead down to the beach area, where manicured gardens and swimming pools add to the scenery's natural beauty. Droves of youngsters from nearby villages swarm onto the beach, flaunting the latest fashion in bathing costumes and sportswear. Some have decided to pass the time swimming, others are already dancing, munching on hot snacks, or just socializing, chattering over mobile phones and enjoying every bit of fun available.

Interestingly, Marina is one of the few places in Egypt that has built "specialized beaches". For example, there are now about six private beaches located at Marina that are specifically dedicated to youth, who apparently appreciate the effort. To those privileged young Egyptians, these Marina beaches have become very fashionable, where loud music, various water games and other luxuries abound.

Of course, by Egyptian standards, the beaches are not cheap. One must either own a villa, or pay between 20 and 30 L.E. for a day's visit.

“We come to spend almost all the weekends during the summer vacation here at Marina. These private beaches are great, they have really cool music and, you also meet a lot of friends around,” said Mary Hanna, a 19 year-old student. These private beaches guarantee that a certain class will enter the beaches. “If you are not one of the members or if you do not pay the fee, you don’t enter and this makes sure that the quality of service and cleanliness won’t change,” added Hanna.

“We found that the private, specialized beaches were very successful because more than half of our clients at Marina this year are teenagers, but we still had a problem to solve,” said Fouad. “Since we live in a Muslim country, we needed to find a way to give our more conservative ladies the opportunity to have fun, so this year we opened our two girls-only beaches which are called Chiquita, and Yashmak. These beaches have women staff, DJs, masseuses, coiffeurs. In fact, all of the personnel, from guards to administrators are women.

"It is a women's haven," said Dalia Samir, the beach manager. "We managed to employ women lifeguards, vendors, bouncers and ushers."

“It is really a beautiful place, I’ve been here for almost three weeks and I’m really enjoying it. I can’t recall the last time I felt comfortable swimming, but now I can just wear any swim suit I like and feel free. It’s not just that, you can actually swim here, get a massage, and do your hair then just enjoy the music,” said Manal Ali, 24.

To attract more women to Al- Yashmak, the organizers are trying to offer all the activities available at mixed beaches. "We provided them with sports facilities at Gold's Gym, and we are planning beach aerobics classes, not to mention sales booths for all sorts of beach paraphernalia," said Samir. Another idea is to set up a manicure and pedicure booth on the beach. "Girls can't find these services in Marina," she added, "And we have put up higher fences because some women asked us to do that."

The feeling of freedom may not be the only motive behind Al-Yashmak. Shyness is another strong motive for some women. Lying down on the beach, reading a book, and not worrying about men's opinions is what the beach offers some women. "I feel shy walking around in my swimsuit on the other beaches," said Dalia Ibrahim. "But here I feel I don't have to worry about that."

While Marian cannot be said to be a normal destination for foreign tourists, it will probably offer more and more opportunities as Egypt's north coast tourism grows over the coming years. There are also some nearby ruins, and other sightseeing in the area.

Back to Top

Mersa Matrouh lies 290 km. West of Alexandria and 222 km. from Sallum. The distance from Cairo to Matrouh is 524 km. It lies on a bay on the Mediterranean and is distinguished by its seven km. long beach, which-as all visitors have testified-is one of the most beautiful in the world.

The beach is famous for its white soft sands and calm transparent waters, for the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural wave-breaker, with a small opening to allow light vessels in.

This beach dates back to the days of Alexander, the Macedonian, when it was known as "Paraetonium" and also as "Amunia". It said that Alexander the Great stopped there during his historical expedition to pay tribute, and sacrifice, to the god Amun, at Siwa, so that he becomes Amun's son and his rule be a historical continuation of the pharaohs. There are ruins of a temple from the time of Rameses II (1200 B.C.) in Matrouh.

Monument and Tourist Sites

Egyptian Fleet Anchorage
Built the Ptolemies, the remains of the naval installations still stand west of the port.

Coptic Chapel
Built the early Coptic age, and contains several caves bearing inscriptions.

Rommel's Hideout
A cave, hewn in the rock, where Rommel drew up plans of his military operations. It has now been turned into a military museum.

Beaches

Ageebah Beach
About 28 km. west of Mersa Matrouh, it is distinguished by its numerous natural caves and enchanting scenery.

Al-Abyad Beach
About 20 km. west of Mersa Matrouh beauty surpasses that of Mersa Matrouh beach.

Marina Ruins-Alamein
An ancient city discovered in 1985, it comprises temples, tombs baths and nobles' houses, from the Graeco-Roman period. It is the largest archaeological city after Alexandria.

The British Cemetery: Thousands upon thousands of rock-hewn tombstones stand straight rows amidst a fenced garden.

The British Cemetery

The German Cemetery: It is a fortress like memorial that was built on a high overlooking the
sea.

The Italian Cemetery: It is a high tower fort standing on a high hill. The walls of the building are covered with marble.

Back to Top