Alexandria in Black and White: An Affair to Remember

Kenzy Fahmy

For the longest time Alexandria has been the ‘Bride of the Mediterranean’, and with a history like ours, the phrase ‘longest time’ takes on a whole new meaning. Since the time of its founding in 331 BCE, the coastal city has held an almost mythical and divine status among the cities of the world. It has served as the stage for some of history’s most important events, both creative and destructive, and has been the subject of love affairs too numerous to count.

Alexander the Great founded the city almost 2000 years ago, before which existed only small fishing villages and port cities that dated back to the 13th and 7th centuries BCE – Canopus and Heracleion still lie submerged off the coast of Alexandria and divers can now drift through the ancient ruins. Alexander wanted to build a Greek stronghold in Egypt after his defeat of the Persians, choosing the coast as an ideal location to build a link between Greece and the rest of Egypt. However the great Macedonian king would only remain there for a mere few months, choosing to continue his eastward conquests and leaving the city to his viceroy, Cleomenes, who oversaw further expansion of the new city. In less than a hundred years, Alexandria grew to be one of the largest cities in the world, second only to Rome.

Almost fifteen hundred years later, Alexandria was to play an important role in Napoleon’s Egypt expedition, falling under French control in 1799 after the infamous Battle of Abukir where it remained until the British intervened and won at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Muhammad Ali was tasked with rebuilding the city, further expanding it and returning it to its former glory, just as he had done with Cairo. The 19th century saw a major influx of Europeans who brought with them their architecture, fashion, and of course, knowledge and skills, changing the face of the city once more.

From its inception, Alexandria was an incredibly diverse city, its three largest communities being Egyptian, Greek and Jewish; a trait that wouldn’t change until only very recently. By the 20th century, the people of Alexandria were as varied as they come, with thousands of Greeks, Jews, Italians, French, Lebanese and Syrians making up its population, among other nationalities.

Throughout her history, the city has been profoundly loved by philosophers and scholars, writers, poets and artists that came from all over the world to take in all she has to offer. Few have landed on her shores without falling in love with her. Writers like Cavafy and Durrell, Mahfouz and al-Kharrat, have used Alexandria as inspiration and setting for some of their greatest works, recording for all eternity the passionate and all-consuming affairs they had with the city.

Alexandria has since changed drastically, as has most of the world, but she remains the subject of our affections still, and always. We all carry in us a profound nostalgia for the ancient city, cherished memories of summers spent on her shores and family gatherings, feasts of fresh seafood and gelati for dessert, walks on the Corniche with the salty sea breeze cooling our skin. It’s impossible to look at old photographs without feeling something stir deep within, without those precious memories reawakening. Alexandria was and always will be a city that is loved.