Sights

Siwa is often considered the most beautiful of Egypt’s oases. From atop the ruins of ancient Siwa you can look out on the quiet streets of Siwa town, which wind from the cluster of mud houses to luxuriant palm gardens. From here you can also see the Sahara: black gashes of rock to the north, waves of sand to the south, and the piercing blue desert sky all around. The weird geometric profiles of crumbling walls looming in the vicinity are the remains of the medieval fortress-town of Shali. Its encircling wall once protected the Siwans from marauding Berbers and Bedouin. As you descend to the paths leading back to the market you understand why the Siwans slowly abandoned their acropolis for the more spacious settlement at its base.

The descent began when Muhammad Ali conquered Siwa in 1820 and protected the inhabitants from attacks. The heavy rains, which occur once every five decades and apocalyptically melt traditional Siwan houses, encouraged migration to the new town. By 1930 the ancient city had become a virtual ghost town. Wandering among the haunting skeletons of these ancient abodes, the sojoumer will find inhabitants in random dwellings and old men turning unlikely corners on their way to unknown businesses. The most recent rains, in 1985, washed away much of Shali and most of the Siwan mud-dwellings, but, due to the rise of concrete buildings, the devastation was not total. The threat of history and tradition being literally washed away prompted the Canadian ambassador to put forth funds to construct a permanent version of the Traditional Siwan House, opposite the tourist office. The house serves as a museum of traditional Siwan garb, silver jewelry, and children’s toys. (Open Sat.-Thurs. lOam-noon and 10-1 lpm; winter Sat.-Thurs. lOam-noon and 7:30-8:30pm. Admission LEI.50.)

Accommodations and Food

Siwa can’t claim to offer a wide variety of accommodations, but you can find decent lodging. Most travelers prefer the new Cleopatra Hotel, south of the town square on the main road past the Shali fortress. Cleopatra has the most comfortable rooms within a radius of 290km. Mr. Muhammad Ahmed Khalid, who is fluent in English, awaits the daily bus from Marsa Matrouh, so as to escort disoriented visitors to his hotel. (Dorm beds LE5.60. Doubles with internal private bath LE18, with external private bath LE13. Breakfast LE392.) The government-run, three-story Hotel Arous al-Waha (Worth Bride Hotel), stands at the end of the road from Marsa Matrouh. Clean, simple rooms all have baths. If you find the rooms uncomfortably hot (very likely in the summer), you can drag your mattress out onto the gigantic, breezy terrace. (Singles LEI 5. Doubles LE20. Prices discounted 50% June-Sept.)

A bodacious budget bed at the Badawi Hotel, lkm south of the town center, across from the intelligence office, costs LE3. The hotel is managed by the owner’s energetic and competent 13-year-old son Badawi, with help from other siblings. Clean rooms, Turkish and Western toilets. Couples without proof of marriage must sleep separately. The Youssef Hotel, next door to the Al-Medina off the town square, has reasonably clean rooms and hot water (LE5 per bed). Those who hear the call of the date palms and pomegranate trees and feel more comfortable at sea-level should take a caretta to the Amun Hotel at Dakrur Mountain. (Doubles LE8.) And, for the piaster-pincher who spits in the face of hygiene, the large, decrepit Hotel Al-Medina and the cramped New Siwa Hotel, across from the military intelligence office, charge LE3 and LE2.50 for a dorm bed, respectively.

Orientation and Practical Information

Siwa Oasis is enfolded into a desert depression about 300km southwest of Marsa Matrouh, which is in turn 290km west of Alexandria. Siwa’s western edge comes within 50km of the closed Libyan border. The depression stretches for 82km west to east, and between three and 30km north to south, but most visitors concern themselves only with the town of Siwa and the nearby villages and ancient sites. You can see Siwa’s major “sights” in a day or two, but many tourists linger longer to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. ,

Five days to a week are needed to really get a feel for Siwa and the Siwans. Nine thousand people live in the town; 6000 more Siwans plus a few hundred Bedouin live in villages scattered elsewhere in the oasis. The paved road from Marsa Matrouh ends at the New Mosque. The main north-south road in town continues past the . mosque into the two squares of the town market. The ruined houses of ancient Siwa rise in eerie geometric form above the market on a rock acropolis, and the nar- row streets of Siwa town radiate from the market and the acropolis. The town is graced by a swath of palm trees on all but the southern side, which rolls gently into the desert.

Siwa Oasis

Almost completely isolated from the rest of Egypt, awash in infinite desert sands, Siwa has developed a unique culture and history. Amidst groves of date palms and cool natural springs, the Siwans have retained most of their ancient customs. But as visitors continue to flood the oasis, the traditional way of life has begun to succumb to the demands of kitschy tourism. Even so, like Alexander the Great, who made Siwa famous with his pilgrimage to the Oracle of Amon here in 332 BC, the modern visitor will be richly rewarded.

A bus from Marsa Matrouh takes you through a completely barren landscape on much the same path followed by Alexander’s camel caravan. Today a paved road cuts through the desert, a tendril of modernity, and the 300km trip takes only five hours. Siwa’s isolation has made it legendary in the annals of Egypt: ancient historians told tales of strange cities and mysterious kingdoms in the desert. Nature, however, defeated most attempts to ascertain the truth; in 500 BC a desert sandstorm blew an entire Persian army into smithereens. This suited the Siwans fine; they have always resented outsider interference in their lives, particularly those invaders who demand taxes.

Sights

Marsa Matrouh’s beaches will enchant you. but all the beaches are closed after sun- set. As part of a government effort to control drug trafficking, soldiers patrol the coast throughout the night.

Five km of soft sand rim Matrouh’s crescent-shaped bay, from the town’s small port on the east to Lido Beach on the west. As in Alexandria, some women here swim fully clothed; as in all of Egypt (except the Sinai), bikinis and revealing one-piece suits can incite apoplexy. The Beau Site Hotel has a private beach which is cleaner, less crowded, and more liberal (some belly button sightings reported) than the public beaches. There is no charge for non-guests, but they encourage you to rent an umbrella QLE5 per day), a chair (LE4 per day), a pedalo (LE20 per hr.), or a surf kayak (LE5 per hr.).

East of the port the shoreline arches into a peninsula that faces the town from across the bay. Hire a donkey cart, rent a bike, or hire a boat from the port to take you over to the peninsula, called Rommel’s Isle. The Rommel Museum contains a mediocre exhibit built into a series of nifty caves that Rommel once used as his headquarters during the North African campaign of World War II.

Food And Entertainment

The cheapest way for a group to eat in Marsa Matrouh is to shop en masse at the local market. Alexandria St. runneth over with grocery stores, vegetable stands, fruit markets, and bakeries. A number of inexpensive restaurants vie for customers.

Alexandria Tourist Restaurant (tel. 93 23 15), on the east side of Alexandria St., 2 blocks south of the Corniche. One of the best budget meals in town. Eat a full fish meal for LEI 0 beneath the benevolent smile of Col. Q. Open daily noon-midnight.

Panayatis Greek Restaurant (tel. 93 42 74), across the street from Alexandria Tourist Restaurant. Nothing particularly Greek about the food here (generous meal LE15). Serves Stella (LE3.85). Open daily lOam-midnight.

Accommodations

Hotel prices in Marsa Matrouh have skyrocketed in recent years. The tourist season lasts from the beginning of May through the end of October; die month of Ramadan also brings crowds to Marsa Matrouh. In the mild and generally sunny off-season many hotels either close entirely or slash their rates, and the luxurious new hotels along the comiche become affordable. For example, the government-run, two-star Arous al-Baha (tel. 93 44 19/20) on the comiche drops its full board requirements and prices between October and May (singles with Vi-board and bath LE53, doubles with V^-board and bath LE87; in winter, prices drop close to 50%).

Small, mega-cheap hotels can be found along and nearby Alexandria St., three or four blocks inland. Only Egyptians frequent these places, so many of them have no English signs, and some foreigners, especially women, might find a stay here unpleasant. Talk to the tourist office. Men with small budgets and open minds can rent a bed in a crowded room for LEI-2, but guard your belongings.

Orientation And Practical Information

You need to know only two streets to find your way around Marsa Matrouh: the lively corniche, which stretches the length of the bay, and busy Alexandria Street, which runs perpendicular to the corniche from the Marsa Matrouh Governate inland to the hill north of town. Most of the hotels and government offices are clustered along the corniche and the streets that run parallel to it. From the corniche inland, the most important are Galah Street, Tahrir Street, and Alma Rum Street. Restaurants and cafes glaze lower Alexandria St. Bur Sa’id Street and Zahr Galal Street run parallel to Alexandria At. to the east.

Tourist Office: On the corniche, 1 block west of Alexandria St. (tel. 93 31 92), next to the West Delta and Superjet bus stations. Not as efficient as its well-kept appearance suggests; they can give you a map of the area which does include major hotels and offices but lacks such piddling details as street names. Open Sat.-Thurs. 8am-2pm and 8-1 lpm.

Tourist Police: Next door to the Tourist Office (tel. 93 55 75). Open 24 hrs. Passport Office: 1 block north and a Vi-block east of the train station, just off Alexandria St. (tel. 93 53 51). Open Sat.-Thurs. 9am-2pm. City Council: Directly opposite the train station (tel. 93 52 66~). Issues obligatory camping permits. Open Sat.-Thurs. 9am-2pm.

Marsa Matrouh

Fanning out from the cobalt blue bay, this resort city looks as if it were built yester- day. Dozens of mold-and-pour concrete villas accommodate the thousands of Egyptians who annually fall victim to the universal human urge to reach the beach. The natural harbor here has served travelers, merchants, and soldiers from Alexander to Rommel; but now the majority of sea vessels in Matrouh are rented by the hour, and the only major military presence in town patronizes the holiday resorts maintained especially for Air Force and Navy officers. As Alexandria’s beaches become polluted and crowded, more and more expatriates and members of the Egyptian intelligentsia come to Marsa Matrouh for their summer holidays. Few tourists make it out here, but those who do are treated to die finest beaches in Egypt and a tepidly indulgent atmosphere.

AI - AI a m e i n

Al-Alamein, meaning “two worlds,” is best known for its role in World War n. A tiny village set in a broad, barren, desert plain, Al-Alamein is slightly too distant from the water to attract many tourists. But there was a time when AI-Alamein was infinitely less quiet, less out-of-the-way, and certainly less empty. In November 1942, the Allied forces under the command of the British Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery halted the advance of the Nazi Afrika Korps here. Al-Alamein had been pinpointed by the Nazis as the gateway to Alexandria and the key to control of the continent.

The Allied victory here marked the beginning of the end for the Axis Powers in North Africa and simultaneously crushed the mystique surrounding the “Desert Fox,” German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, whose force of Panzer tanks had previously proven invincible. The Battle of AI-Alamein was not only one of die war’s most important confrontations, but also one of the most violent: nearly 10,(XX) soldiers lost their lives and 70,000 were wounded.

On the east side of town toward Alexandria lies the British War Cemetery, the burial place of 7,367 men, 815 of whose headstones bear only the somber inscription “Known Unto God.” Ringed by purple flowers and set against the seemingly interminable desert, the excruciatingly tidy rows are enough to set almost anyone to pondering. The plaque and inscriptions within the shaded alcove explain the battle’s significance as well as the diverse backgrounds of the victims interred here. Maintained by the British War Graves Commission, the cemetery is free and almost always open.

Sidi Abd ar-Rahman

Sidi Abd ar-Rahman, 127km west of Alexandria and 162km from Marsa Matrouh, is a peaceful water and beach area slowly being engulfed by the expensive tourist villages that will soon line the road from Al-Agami to Marsa Matrouh. Some buses that go to Matrouh stop there en route (inquire with Superjet or West Delta in Alexan dria), but the most reliable way to get to the beach is by car. The town itself is far from the beach and has little to offer; the uncrowded because can make a pleasant day trip from Alexandria, if you don’t mind waiting until you get home to shower.

Between Alexandria & Marsa Matrouh

Four hundred km of the Egyptian coast are dominated by sea and sand. A detailed, scholarly map of Egypt will tell you that seven or eight towns line the coast between Sidi Abd ar-Rahman and Marsa Matrouh. What they don’t tell you is that the ratio of inhabitant to town approximates one, Marsa Matrouh, a low-key resort town, proffers enough variety of coastal scenery to content the most demanding beach bum. The coast around Al-A!amein witnessed Africa’s fiercest and most strategically significant World War II battles.

The most gleaming coastline segments between the two remain tantalizingly inaccessible to budget travelers, even though opportunities for free, secluded camping are virtually unlimited (simply check in with the nearest police or military office). Buses, trains, and service taxis make regular mns between Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh, but do not stop in the 290km that separate them. You must have a private car or risk long treks across the desert to reach the beach. You can pass the time on the bus contemplating the grandiose dream of the Qat-tara Depression Project.

Desperate to increase the area of arable land in their country, Egyptian planners have long dreamed of channeling water to the nutrient-rich but parched soils of the Western Desert’s Qattara Depression. Covering a region the size of the Delta and dipping 134m below sea level, the depression lies 100km inland. The idea is to take water from the Mediterranean Sea, desalinate it, and pipe it past Al-Alamein to create vast new tracts of farmland. During Nasser’s rule Soviet aid stimulated initial steps, but shifting political alliances and burgeoning costs checked this early optimism. Egypt still seeks enormous amounts of foreign aid for the project, but definite plans for a massive reworking of the desert landscape seem unlikely in the near future.

Al-Agami

For generations many of the wealthiest Egyptian vacationers in Alexandria have avoided the crowded city beaches by sunning at AJ-Agami, a resort town 20km west of Al-Manshiya. Long famous for its white sand and turquoise waters, Al-Agami lies where Alexandria nudges the Western Desert. The swimming may not be as nice as in Marsa Matrouh or sites further west, but it is the easiest place to reach from Alexandria, and has many amenities for prices that are higher than Alexandria’s but less than tourist prices. The town is quite busy in summer, so try to make reservations from Alexandria.

Ai-Agami is actually two towns in one: Bitash and Hannoville. Bitash is villas and more expensive hotels; Hannoville is apartment buildings and budget hotels (including the 3 listed below), as well as the drop-off point for public transportation. Coming from Alexandria, the entrances to the two towns are right turns off the highway; the roads which you turn onto are lined with various amenities and end at the beach. See the Alexandria transportation section for details. Minibuses from Misr Station to Hannoville will drop you near the New Admiral Hotel. A Banque Misr is on the Hannoville road (open daily 8:30am-2pm).

Sights

The Rosetta Museum, built by Mr. Arab Killy (a governor of Rosetta in the 18th century), features nothing of interest except perhaps the ridiculous life-size diorama of the Rashidan rendition of minutemen inflicting generous amounts of pain on invading British brigades, their plaster visages wearing improbable grimaces. (Museum open daily 8am-4pm. Admission LE5, students LE2.50, camera privileges LE] 0.) The 17th-century Zaghlouf Mosque is at the end of the main street running south from the train station; you can also take the scenic route: from the corniche, go inland past the museum and swing south through the souk, full of sweets and juice shops. Ignore the water and/or sewage filling it; you can walk all the way around and look in at the damaged, but basically intact archways and columns, and at the Arabic inscriptions on the outside. For many other traditional, colorful buildings, look along Port Said St., opposite the bus stop.

About 5km from Rosetta, die recently restored Fort of Qaytbay (not to be confused with the one in Alexandria) guards the strategic entrance to the Nile. (Open daily 9am-4pm, during Ramadan 9am-3pm. Admission LE6, students LE3.) Built in 1479 by Sultan Ashraf Abu Nasr Qaytbay to serve in the first line of defense against the Ottoman Turks and the Crusaders coming from the Delta, this structure used to overlook the surrounding land; now, due to soil and clay deposits from the Nile, the ground level is the same as that of the fortress. Fortification of this fortress by the French in 1799 prompted the importation of stone from Upper Egypt, and one of the French soldiers noticed writing on one of the stones.

Rashid (Rosetta)

About an hour and 15 minutes east of Abu Qir (lhr. east of Alexandria) stretches the northern edge of the Nile Delta. Immediately past the barrages the river divides in half, flowing into the Mediterranean at the two ports of Rashid (Rosetta) in the west and Dumyat (Damietta) in the east. The Rosetta Stone was. yes indeed, discovered near Rosetta. The port drips with Islamic architecture; scattered throughout the town are dozens of provincial Ottoman mosques and houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. The town is also famous for its dates (date season is Sept.-Oct.).

Orientation & Practical Information The best place from which to orient yourself in Rosetta is the Arab Killy House, also called the Rosetta Museum. Turn left from the bus stop and walk past tlie scores of noxious fish stands until you reach the corniche, then take another left and continue about 0.5km until you see a large howitzer on your left. This is Al-Hurriya Sq., and the Arab KiUy House is just behind the howitzer on the right. While the museum is basically a bust (see Sights), the staff is more helpful and speaks better English than that of the Misr Travel office across the street (tel. 80 79 85). Tourist police can be found in Al-Hurriya Sq.

Near Alexandria

Abu Qir

The fishing village of Abu Qir (commonly pronounced abu-EER) lies on a peninsula 5km past Montaza. The village remains rural not yet absorbed by Alexandria’s relentless eastward expansion. Abu Qir is famous as the site of Nelson’s 1798 naval victor)’ over Napoleon, as the former foiled the little Frenchman’s vision of Egyptian conquest. More important to the traveler. Abu Qir is a great place to sample Mediterranean seafood. The fare is far superior to what’s available in Alexandria, making it well worth the short evening excursion to dine here. You can reach Abu Qir from Misr Station by local bus #250, 251, or 260 or by minibus #729 (ever}’ Vihr. 7am-10pm, 50pt). Trains from Misr or Sidi Gaber Station (daily every ^hr., 6am-10pm, third class 45pt) or a local taxi from downtown (LE5-10) are easier means.

There are two options for eating fish (samak) in Abu Qir. If it’s daytime and funds are lacking, try eating on the beach; as you step off the train or bus, walk east to the waterfront until you reach a row of tables on the beach. Anglers will come in from the boats anchored offshore and cook the fish you select right at your table.

Entertainment

Alexandria’s most popular attractions are its beaches. Alarmingly popular, in fact; during the blazing summer months, Cairenes come here by the thousands. The masses are daunting: it’s possible to ride up and down the entire 18km coast without seeing a single square meter of free sand. Consider the effects of ever-increasing erosion and exceptionally disagreeable pollution (the net weight of the litter nearly exceeds that of the bathers), and you will doubtless opt to avoid this temptation to court melanoma. A rule of thumb: the more expensive a beach is, the less crowded it is.

Thus the free beaches along the corniche are the most crowded (and family-oriented-women bathe fully clothed or, occasional!}’, in modest maillots). Westernized Egyptians tend to congregate at the slightly less crowded beaches at Montaza and Ma’mura. Ma’mura, just east of Montaza, can be reached by a Montaza bus or train (see above under Sights). Another semi-private beach, San Stefano, lies a little bit east of the half-way point between Sa’ad Zaghloul Sq. and Montaza. Small changing rooms on the beach can be rented for LE5 per day; larger cabinebs go for LE20 per day. Take tram #1, 2, or 5 from Raml Station.

Sights

Very little remains of ancient Alexandria, as the modern city was built directly atop the old one. The excellent Greco-Roman Museum (tel. 482 5820) gives visitors an introduction to ancient Alexandria and its Hellenistic civilization. The cult of Serapis is well exhibited: look for handsome sculptures of Zeus and Apis and for the Greek youth Harpocrates, with his finger in his ear. The museum’s courtyard contains an intriguing crocodile temple attributed to the cult of Phepheros, as well as a mummified crocodile and other assorted relics from Egypt’s Greco-Roman past. To reach the museum walk south from the corniche along Sana Zaghloul St., rum left on Al-Hurriya St., and walk until the sign for the museum directs you to the left again. (Open Sat.-Thurs. 9am-ipm, Fri. 9am-noou and 2-4pm, during Ramadan and on holidays 9am-3pm. Admission LE8. students LE4, camera privileges LEIO.)

From the museum it’s an easy meander to the three major ancient sites, all of which lie within a few km of downtown. Just north of Misr Station is the beautifully preserved, white marble Roman Amphitheater, the only one of its kind ever found in Egypt. Behind the 13-tiered theater struggle the ruins of a Roman bath (to the left) and of a Roman villa and cistern (to the right). Self styled guides may offer to sneak you in for a fee, but it’s not worth it since almost everything of interest is visible from the theater. Walk down Nabi Danial St. from Sa’ad Zaghloul Sq. and take the second left after AI-Hurriya St.; the entrance will be on your left. (Open daily 9am-4pm, during Ramadan 10am-3pm. Admission LE3, students LEI.50.)

Food

It should come as no surprise that the cheapest food in Alexandria is at/uw/ and falafel stands throughout the city. Some of the most luscious offerings are found around the cloth market between Pompey’s Pillar and Misr Station and on the western side of the peninsula, where 50pt nets a well-endowed sandwich, salad, and taibina (recommended only for those with a tolerant palate, impermeable stomach, and little objection to flies). Otherwise, stick to restaurants. Al-Anfushi, also known as Old Alexandria, on the western side of the bay, is full of restaurants which Egyptians have gone to for generations (its old, old buildings provide a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate).

Take tram #15 from Raml Station and walk inland a few blocks. Bakkash is famous for its kufta and kabab, Kaddura for its grilled fish and shrimp. For a less genuine-Egyptian experience, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Wimpy have colonized the corniche, about 1 km east of downtown. Muhammad Ahmed Fuul, Rue Abd al-Ftah al-Hadari (tel. 483 3576), 2 blocks south of Sa’ad Zaghloul Sq. and 1 block west of Safia Zaghloul St. No English sign; gaudy, gold Arabic letters over the door. Some consider this the best fuul and falafel joint in Egypt. The food is amazing and nothing on the menu costs more than LEI .6(1. Try the scrumptious roz bi kbalta (rice mixed with meat, raisins, and nuts). Open daily 6anvl2:30am.

Accommodations

For those who want a (cheap) room with a view, there are several small hotels on the streets running south from the corniche near Raml Station Sq, The crowds are tolerable at LE5-10 per night, but the insects, ranging from tiny ticks and fleas to armor-plated, three-inch cockroaches, may be intolerable in some of these establishments. The places listed below are relatively clean and cheap, and all except the hostel and the Corail Hotel lie within walking distance of the two main squares. None have fans, unless noted; most Alexandrians depend on sea breezes for their air-conditioning.

Streets in Al-Manshiya Sq. bristle with budget hotels. Many Arab vacationers prefer to stay in the hotels near the corniche beaches, while short-term foreign visitors seem to favor accommodations near the center of town. Those who insist upon a beachside retreat should head out toward Montaza (18km) at least as far as Sidi Bishr (14km), where the amenities begin to balance the inconvenience of staying so far from the center of town. Serious piaster-pinchers can camp by the beach at Abu Qir for 5Opt (see Abu Qir below).

Practical Information

Tourist Office: Main office, Nabi Danial St. (tel. 80 76 11 or 80 79 85), at the southwest comer of Sa’ad Zaghloul Sq. English spoken fluently. Open daily 8am-6pm, in winter Samopm, during Ramadan 9am-4pm, holidays 8am-2pm. Branch offices at Misr Station (tel. 492 5985: open 8am-6pm, in winter 8am-5pm) and the Maritime Station (tel. 80 34 94; open 8am-5pm). Pick up a free copy of Alex-andria by Night and Day, which lists restaurants, hotels, travel agents, and a train schedule to Cairo. The map of central Alex is useless.

The Misr Station office can help you get an English train timetable for all of Egypt (LEI). Tourist Police: Montaza Palace (tel. 547 3814; direct line 80 96 11), Montaza. Branch office upstairs from the tourist office in Sa’ad Zaghloul Sq. (tel 80 76 11 or 80 79 85). Both open 24 hrs. Also branch in the amphitheater. Passport Office: 28 Tala’at Harb St. (tel. 482 78 73). Walk west on Sa’ad Zaghloul St. from Raml Station Sq. and bear left on Falaki St. when Sa’ad Zaghloul begins to curve toward the sea, Tala’at Harb St. will be your first left; the office is on the corner, on the western side of Tala’at Harb St. So annoying that a Quaker would take a shot at the staff. Open daily 8:30am-l :30pm and 7-9pm (evening hours for passport registration only).

Intercity - Transportation

Alexandria lies at the junction of lush Delta farmlands, the barren Western Desert, and the Mediterranean coast. Cairo is a 3W-hour drive to the southeast on either of two 225km roads. The desolate desert road passes through Giza and brushes Wadi an-Natrun, while the more scenic Delta road crosses both branches of the Nile and passes through the industrial city of Tanta.

Superjet Buses (tel. 482 4391) offer air conditioning, food, bathrooms, and annoyingly loud videotapes of Egyptian movies. Their ticket booth is in Raml Station Sq. Buses to Cairo (every teht., LE16) leave from Raml Station Sq., stopping at Cairo’s Giza Sq. and Tahrir Sq. There is also a daily bus to Marsa Matrouh (7:15am, LE21). Superjet also serves other Arab countries including Libya, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Make reservations 1-2 days in advance. The West Delta Bus Company (tel. 80 96 58) has two types of buses. Their regular buses run to several destinations within Egypt and are not air-conditioned, but the Golden Rockets, reserved for longer distances, offer the same services as Superjet.

Transportation -Within Alexandria

Your feet will serve you well in downtown Alexandria. The main squares, train station, and corniche all lie within walking distance on streets crammed with shops, cafes, and foodstands. A brisk half-hour walk will take you from old Pharos Island to the Shooting Club along the corniche-an especially enjoyable escapade at night.

Though Alexandria, like any port, has its share of hustlers and hawkers, the city is relatively safe. Pedestrians should feel comfortable day and night.

To visit outlying districts you’ll need to take a tram, bus, minibus, or taxi. Tram numbers are in Arabic only, but the numbers’ backgrounds are color-coded. They run frequently for only lOpt per ride. Raml Station is the main terminus. Hop on at any stop and pay on board, but know that the middle car of every tram is for women only; men, stay away. Tram routes split at the Alexandria Sporting Club: some go on to the beaches while some turn inland. Sidi Gaber is inland; Sidi Gaber ash-Sheikh is on the beach. There are also two Cleopatra stations, one inland and one on the beach. Unless otherwise noted, trams start at Raml Station.

Orientation

Ten- and 15-story buildings, towering along 20km of Mediterranean beachfront on a strip nowhere more than 3km wide, mingle with pre-1900 architecture and wrought-iron balconies. The city’s industrial, commercial, and residential sectors jockey for space along the main arteries parallel to the coast, while ancient Alexandria, on the now-pacific Eastern Harbor, remains the heart of the modem city. This downtown commercial district, called Al-Manshiya, Mahattat ar-Raml (Raml Station), or simply Al-Balad (the city), is the hub of Alexandria’s transportation network, nightlife, and tourist trade.

Just west of downtown lie Al-Goumrouk and Al-Anfushi, the colorful, grandiose residential neighborhoods of ancient Pharos Island. A tangle of gray factories and port facilities spoils the view along the Western Harbor. Immediately southeast of Al-Manshiya, the Quartier Grec encompasses Misr Railway Station, the city’s main depot, and numerous foreign consulates. South of Al-Manshiya and Misr Station the streets of Karmus overflow with students, workers, and many of Alexandria’s poorest residents. The corniche is Alexandria’s celebrated four-lane highway, pedestrian promenade, and sea wall. Montaza Palace, an 18km drive from Al-Manshiya, demarcates the city’s far eastern boundary. Note that the corniche is also called July 26 Road along the Eastern Harbor and Al-Geish Road between As-Silsilah breakwater and Montaza.

History

In 332 BC Alexander the Great was in good spirits, for that year the over-achieving young emperor had wrested Egypt from the Persians. After a triumphant but tasteful reception at Memphis, he set off for the Oracle of Amon in the distant Siwa Oasis to discover whether he was actually the offspring of divinity. On the way down the seacoast he happened upon a small fishing village facing a naniral harbor. Instantly enamored of the spot, he ordered a city to be built there. Exhibiting a charming Ramsesian modesty, he dedicated it to himself. Then, leaving architects behind to start construction, he left for Siwa and never came back.

Upon Alexander’s death nine years later, Egypt fell into the hands of his general Ptolemy Soter. Ptolemy glorified his former employer with his attention to the new city. Ptolemy even got carried away and hijacked Alexander’s corpse-which was on its way to Siwa, according to his last wishes-and interred it with great pomp under Alexandria’s main square. The body, its tomb, and the whole of the Ptolemaic city, are now buried somewhere under the downtown jungle.

Mediterranean Coast - Alexandria

Cleopatra doesn’t live here anymore. In fact, the wonders of Alexandria (Al-Iskanda-riya)-the ancient world’s greatest library, the monumental lighthouse, the tomb of Alexander the Great-are all gone. The famed Hellenistic city is literally buried under the new metropolis, whose greatest attraction is its seashore.

Although Alexandria shares the excessive dirt, crowding, noise, and poverty associated with Cairo, a different spirit pervades the city. Whereas summer in Cairo sears the streets and patience alike, in Alexandria it warms Europeans, Gulf Arabs, and Egyptians alike to the concepts of relaxation and celebration. During the day hundreds of thousands splash in the Mediterranean, while at night they stroll along the comiche and fritter away time at nightclubs and restaurants. If Al-Qahira is “The Conqueror,” then Al-Iskandariya is surely the spoils.