The decline in the cosmopolitan nature of Alexandria,although more profound in the year 1961 which witnessed the mass exodus of most non Hellenic communities,the Hellenic [Greek ] presence in Alexandria was still prominent and visible till at least the year 1975.Unfortunately,no photos are available for the city in the era [1961-1975].If anyone has any photos for Alexandria dating from [1961-1975],please post it to me to help in the documentation process.
The Greek population of Alexandria, Egypt, once numbered some 150,000. Traders, businessmen, philanthropists and artists were prominent activists among the cosmopolitan society of Alexandria. Although, the Hellenic community of Alexandria has dwindled today to a mere 800 -1000 individuals,the remaining small community is still playing a significant role in the welfare of the city.Among the still surviving Greek owned institutions,are some of the most famous and respective restaurants ,patisseries and coffeeshops that contribute to a great extent to the tourism business and the continued fame of the city
In part 6, photos of more landmarks from the still surviving Greek owned institutions are presented [Delices,Santa Lucia,Elite ,Zephyrion ].In addition,a detailed overview of the house and tomb of the famous Alexandrian Greek poet [Constantine Cavafy] is presented. Cavafy house is now a museum.Finally,some photos of rare trees from the cosmopolitan era [now confined to the Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science ,Alexandria University at Moharram Bek ] are presented. It was the outstanding personality of the director of the the Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science the Late Prof.Malak Rofael Rizk [died in 1999 ] that helped in the preservation of rare plant species in the city that have otherwise went extinct due to the demolishing of many villas with their gardens since the departure of their European owners].Most of the presented photos are from a valuable documentary website and so,the presented photos are copyright to
AAHA = Amicale Alexandrie Hier et Aujourd'hui : www.aaha.ch
PHOTOS D'ALEXANDRIE
Sandro Manzoni, chemin de Planta 31, 1223 Cologny, Suisse
I put the abbreviation [AAHA] beside the description of copyrighted photos that I adopted from the above site.The accompanying music is that of a rare Greek song from the 40s or 30s,titled. Mono Me Sena [Les Apaches d"Athens]
Giorgos Vidalis &orchestra [ODEON]. It is from my Late Uncles collection of 78rpm records .
The description of the photos are as follows:
1.Patisserie Delices [downtown Rue Saad Zaghlool]
2.Patisserie Delices [AAHA]
3.Patisserie Delices [AAHA]
4.Patisserie Delices [AAHA]
5.Patisserie Delices [AAHA]
6.Elite restaurant [downtown at Rue Safeyya Zaghlool] in the 90s [AAHA]
7.Elite restaurant in the 90s [AAHA]
8.Elite restaurant in 2006 after restoration [AAHA]
9.a.The owner of Elite,the Alexandrian Greek [Madame Christina] with the famous Egyptian artist and painter ,the Late Seif Wanly[ 1906-1979]. Born to a well-to-do Greek family in the Saba Pasha quarter, Mme Christina is a veteran Alexandrian. She bought the place in 1953.Among those who dined at her restaurant were Edith Piaf and Dalida .
9.b. A photo of Madame Christina with the chief waitor of her restaurant.Her son is now running the restaurant after she died recently.
10.Interior of Santa Lucia restaurant after its renovation in 2005 [downtown at Rue Safeyya Zaghlool opposite to Elite Restaurant]. Santa Lucia was first opened in 1932 by the late Panayoti Soulos, a Greek resident of Alexandria .
11.Casino el Chatby,this casino originally owned by a Greek (A. Coroneos), was once one of the most magnificent restaurants in Alexandria.However,their new owners have changed its name to [Monshaat Al Chatby],neglected it in the past years and allowed it undergo a quick decline.Unless renovated in every thing,its future is certainly doomed. .This gradual decline faced other formerly owned Greek restaurants as the Ibrahimeiah based ice creem and dairy products restaurant [Garbis] after the place was sold following the death of its Greek owner in the 1980s
12.Some scenes from the interior of the house [now turned into a museum] that the famous Alexandrian Greek poet Constantine Cavafy used to live in.
13.Tomb of Cavafy at the Cemeteries of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria [EKA] at Chatby [AAHA]
14.Close up of the tomb.[AAHA]
15. Three photos from the Botanical Garden of theFaculty of Science at Moharram Bek
. Oreopanax reticulatum [Araliaceae] , Podocarpus macrophyllus [Podocarpaceae], Raphiolepis umbellata [Rosaceae].
16.Two photos of the famous Greek owned sea food restaurant [Zephyrion] at the Abou Kir eastern suburb of the city . [AAHA]