Alexandria in Orange Moon Colours

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
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[ Posted On: 2007-03-25 ]

A historical itinerary of some of Alexandria's moments, monuments, and places; a search for Alexandria eternal greatness.

Was it in anticipation of tonight's red coloured moon eclipse?

Was it a sign of utmost eudemonia or an omen of disastrous future, as only Alexandrian Opheitai were able to foresee? Did Cleopatra see similar Orange Colour Moons setting over the Pharos island?

Seeing the moonset in the early hours of this Sabbath, I distinguished the moon's parts among the minarets of Abu 'l Abbas mosque that stands in the place of the southernmost edge of the today inexistent Pharos island; then, I turned to the eastermost confines of the Alexandrian coast and admired the rose petals of the Dawn...

Is there a reason to visit Alexandria today?

The city offers minimal joy to the archeolatrous traveler who is familiar with sizeable if not grandiose archeological remains like those of Siracusa, Athens, Ephesus, Napoli, Istanbul – Nova Roma, let alone Rome. Deserted cities of the Late Antiquity like Leptis Magna in Libya and Volubilis in Morocco fascinate our imagination far more than the few, modest remains of the City – Cosmos that eclipsed Rome in wealth, population, knowledge, science, art and noblesse at the moment Octavian saw Cleopatra's body laced with the immortalty bestowing snakes....

The modern city where so many Europeans, Asiatics and Africans shared trade, politics and une certaine facon de vivre cosmopolite for more than 150 years has died. Modern construction, cemented corniche, and miserable provincialism murdered Alexandria in the most abominable way; this is what you may think when walking for the first time in Alexandria ad Aegyptum today. And you will think right!

However, after spending some days in Cairo and the Delta, after scrolling down the Nile Valley, the world's largest cemetery by far, you should come back to Alexandria. Then yes, you will feel that the early thought was erroneous!

You did bid farewell to Alexandria but eternal Alexandria was not lost! It is here, and it is up to you to unearth it in its unbeatable grandiosity and exquisite noblesse.

You will probably start with the Catacombs of Kom al Shukafa where you will discover that between Ancient Egypt and Coptic Christianity there was a vast Space of Time full of Gnosticisms, and religious, ideological, philosphical and artistic systems of syncretism and renovation, reinterpretation and re-introspection. You will meet the cousins of the Opheitai, the members of the Ostanai sect (Persians – ek tes epigones), the Serapists, the Anubists, the Latter Day Isiac priests.

What is the difference between the Superior Horus of the Ancient Egyptians, the diachronic prototype of all Messiahs, Hor-pa-hered (Harpocrates) of the Ptolemies, and Jesus of the Manichaean Wise Elders who composed Pistis Sophia?

Probably, there is no difference at all! In the same way, there is no difference between the Biblical Messiah, Jesus-Christ of the Christian denominations, and Al Mahdi of the Islamic Hadith: the difference is in the perception – only! Which means the difference is only you!

In the same way, another would see my Orange Moon as Red-coloured, whereas an intruder would describe its colours as pale-yellowish! Divisions of mind, all ensuing from personal experience maximized and taken in extremis. It is not the Messiah who is different from religion to religion, it is what you project on the Messiah that makes another Messiah: a fake one, yours!

Then, you fight to death to defend not an ideal, as you think, but your personal experience the modest limits of which you do not dare see in a mirror, and cry!

But as the Orange Moon set beyond Abu 'l Abbas minarets, I saw the Eastern Harbour's western coastal line slightly altered, and the sea better demarcated. The Island of Pharos was easy to distinguish now, and so was Heptastadion, the bridge on the rocks, built in order to make the island easily accessible to the noble citizens of the world – of Alexandria, I mean. There was light in the atmosphere, although the Dawn had not yet lifted the Solar Disc over the skies of Alexandria. Then, I distinguished 72 people advancing towards the city!

I did not count them, yet I knew their number only too well; these were the Jewish Wise men, who had come upon King Ptolemy's invitation in order to translate the Hebrew Bible to Greek. They were 72, and they were expected to finalize the project in 72 days!

What is the most permanent characteristic of Alexandria?

Sexagesimal!

King Ptolemy II had offered them a noble mansion to stay on the Pharos island so that far from the city noise they be able to correctly translate the Canon of the Hebrew faith. He bestowed upon them distinct honours and valuable gifts, to make his consideration as clear as that of Alexander who had kneeled in front of the High Priest of Jerusalem. Every day, early in morning, the learned linguists were coming to the Palace to 'only' greet His Majesty, and then go back to work!

..... they must have walked from somewhere around today's Ras el Tin Palace up to the area around Raml station, and then gone back to keep translating until the sunset.

The most brilliant moment of Alexandria's history!

The moment Alexandria 'made' Rome and New Rome – Constantinople.

The moment Alexandria 'gave' Jerusalem its place in the World.

Not far from their house-scriptorium, you will visit the tombs of Anfushi, the very old district of Modern Alexandria. You will eat fish in Samak Mak, Fish Bono, and Abu Ashraf, the renowned taverns of the area.

The Ras el Tin Palace does not accept tourists, as there are no kings and no noblesse in today's Alexandria.

Then, you will proceed to the easternmost edge of the Island of Pharos, whereby you will visit the Qaytbey castle, remnant of the Mameluk times. It offers one of the most dramatic views over the Eastern Harbour, and as far as Sidi Beshr and Montaza, the eastermost suburbs of today's 7 million people Alexandria.

Nearby, you will visit the Aquarium and the Greek Club that offers Greek music, Greek food (tarama and horiatiki salad), and Greek views of Alexandria. In the balcony, you will read Flavius Josephus, Strabo, (Pseudo)-Callisthenes, and Pliny. At will!

What made this Pharos Island disappear is the overwhelming force of the Sea! By accumulating sand on both sides of the Heptastadium, the sea formed a solid land on which people started building houses in later periods.

Proceeding towards Raml Station from the Corniche, you can be sure that as soon as you are walking past Abu 'l Abbas mosque, you are not on 'terra firma' anymore!

This concerns particularly Manshiya where you will discover the 19th century buildings of European embassies, the notorious Place des Consuls, from where the colonial poison was spread throughout the country. At those days of European interference, Alexandria was not anymore 'ad Aegyptum'; it was Egypt itself!

When you reach the Windsor Palace Hotel and Cecil Hotel, Montgomery's headquarters during WW II, you can be sure that you are again on 'terra firma'. Meanwhile, your semi-historical promenade in the Corniche must certainly bring you to Fish Market, today's Alexandria's most cosmopolitan place and best restaurant. Here you will feel like in Positano - Napoli, in Tarabya - Istanbul, in Turkolimano - Athens, and in Cassis - Marseille! Try rose wine, Rubis d' Egypte, en degustant psaria (Greek word for little fried fish), gamberi (Italian word for shrimps), deniz and barbuni (Turkish words for dorades and redfish), bori, and samak Moussa (interesting interpretation of the sole's shape: this fish was cut in two parts, when Prophet Moses 'cut' the sea to let Hebrews escape from Egypt).

In all the area around Raml, you will enjoy 19th century architecture, and you will drink cappuccino in Delices (here you can also buy melomacarona, spanakopitta and other Greek specialties as the owner is Greek), in Trianon, in Brazil and in Sofianopoulo (in the latter only standing).

You will spend some time in Callithea, a small Greek tavern on the Corniche, next to the Italian consulate, drinking beer and watching out at the Corniche. Delicious calamaria will accompany your drink, while you will be admiring all sorts of nocturnal endeavours, meetings, preparations, anticipations, fascinations and expressions. As an inscription reads, the place is 'steki a la greca', which means its customers are addicted to it.

....As much as I am to Orange Moon Alexandria! I was out in the Corniche when I had seen it many times in the past, and so I will in the future. In today's Alexandria, what is left as noblesse and grandeur is your imagimation intemingled with the versatile vibrations of the soil, the freshness of the Mediterranean winds, your historical readings, and a soul's, 'inner', eyes. Thanks to them, you never risk to lose Alexandria!

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 49, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages..

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