Cosmopolitan Alexandria is a term that is usually applied for a period in the history of the egyptian city of alexandria lasting from [1860 -1961]. Large numbers of Greeks, Italians, French, English,Maltese, Armenians, Lebanese,Turks,Bulgarians,Jews ,etc,lived in harmony within each other and with the local people . Sadly enough,the cosmopolitan nature of the city was abruptly put to an end when Nasser issued the socialist laws of 1961,followed by the planned Arabinization of the names of streets and districts.Most European communities left Alexandria except for a still existing very small Greek community. However,European influence on the city can be still seen in Alexandria after 50 years from the end of the cosmopolitan era of the city
The presented photos are mostly taken from the following websites
weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/537/fe2.htm
: www.greece.org/alexandria/eka/background/main.htm
http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Alessandria.html
The sequence of the photos are as follows:
1.An old palace in Alexandria
2. Hypatia of Alexandria (355-415 CE)
3. An early twentieth century photo of downtown Alexandria
4. Coins dating from the Hellenistic era [Greco –Roman museum ]
5. A painting at the ceiling of an old building
6Statue of Nubar Pasha in Alexandria,Nubar Pasha was a Christian Armenian who became the first PM of Egypt during the reign of Kedeve Ismael in the late 19th century.
7. Ramla station 1950
8.A photo of my small laurel shrub that I originally obtained it as a cutting from an old tree at Chatby district.The tree was a very rare species of laurel from the Canary Islands [ Laurus azorica].It is widely believed that the tree was planted by the Italian Community before world war two.Unfortunately,the original tree was cut in 2003
9. Moresque buildings near Midan Sa'ad Zaghloul
10. Chamber of Commerce
11. Latin Cemetery: Entrance
12. Latin Cemetery: Chapel
13. Italian monument to Khedive Ismael (now monument to the Unknown Soldier)
14. Alexandria Old Stock Exchange
15. The palace and Gardens of Antoniades [Originally owned by the wealthy Greek family of Antoniades in the late 19th century and the dawn of the 20th century].
16.A restaurant ,originally owned by a Greek till 1961
17. The remaining photos show some buildings, schools,churches,monuments of the remaining extant Greek community of Alexandria
As for the accompanying music,it is that of the famous 1953 song [el negro zumbon] from the movie [Anna].The tune was a great hit among Alexandrians at that time.