Robin's Adventures

The unique treasures of an ancient civilization that is steeped in a rich history called out to us and our adventure to Egypt was arranged. We planned to visit the pyramids of Giza, explore tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, wander through ancient temples at Luxor, and cruise along the Nile River.

The second leg of our journey involved meeting up with some friends in Athens and then boarding a cruise ship to travel through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel. The entire trip proved to be a fun and exotic adventure.

Getting to Cairo took about 19 hours. There was 16 hours of air time plus a three hour layover in London.

We stayed overnight in Cairo at the Le Meridien Cairo Hotel before heading off to Alexandria the next morning.

The drive from Cairo to Alexandria took about three and a half hours. It was interesting to observe the various types of housing along the way. There were many old buildings that had seen better days and there were quite a few areas where new housing was being built. It both cases, large building compounds were the norm. We saw very few single family dwellings. In addition, satellite dishes were ubiquitous.

One of the more interesting sights along the way were the dovecotes, or pigeon houses. These towers provide homes for pigeons that are utilized for food and their droppings provide a source of fertilizer.

In Alexandra we stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel and enjoyed a wonderful view of the Mediterranean.

There was a noteworthy library in Alexandria in the third century BC that became a hub for important scrolls and records of the ancient world. More than that, it was a gathering place for scholars and a center of learning. Over time, however, the library was destroyed by war, fire, and some degree of plundering.

A new library, which opened in 2002, was built in Alexandria. The library, which is 11 stories tall, has shelf space for eight million books, as well as several specialized collections, four art galleries, four museums, a planetarium, and a conference center.

The building, which took seven years to build, was designed by a Norwegian architectural firm. The walls are made of granite carved with characters from 120 scripts. The roof over the 220,00 square foot reading room is a tilted glass paneled structure reminiscent of a sundial.

The Alexandria library contains more than just books. There were exhibits with art and various antiquities, a display of rare manuscripts, a museum dedicated to former president Anwar Sadat, and a large display of digital projects.

A large kiswa was on display in the main reading room. This is the cloth that is used to cover the stone building at the center of a holy mosque located in Mecca. A new kiswa is made each year and brought to Mecca in an elaborate procession. The procession also includes a mahmal, which is a tent-like structure that fits on the back of a camel. The mahmal has no passengers and is said to be symbolic of the political power of the sultans who sent it on this journey.

The Citadel of Qaitbay was built in the fifteenth century in order to defend the Egyptian coast. It was built on the former site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse was destroyed in the eleventh century by a massive earthquake.

The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, which is considered one of the seven wonders of the middle ages, was built in the second century. It was rediscovered in 1900 when a donkey fell into the access shaft.

The name, Kom El Shoqafa, translates from Arabic to Mound of Shards. It is so named because people visiting the tombs brought food and wine to consume during their visit but did not wish to carry the terra cotta pots back with them on their journey home. At the time the catacombs were discovered, large amounts of these broken plates and containers were found in the area.

The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa is the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt. Although it began as a burial site for a single family, in the 300 years the tomb was in use more chambers and more corpses were added. There are currently three large stone sarcophagi in the catacombs.

It is interesting to note that there are a large number of horse bones in the catacombs. One theory is that these were winning racehorses being given the honor of burial in the tomb.

This archeological site, referred to as Kom El Deka (hill of rubble), was a well-to-do residential area between the first and the third centuries. After sustaining major damage during a series of invasions, the neighborhood changed and the site was rebuilt as a large civic center with baths, an amphitheater, and many (20 have been excavated to date) smaller lecture halls that were possibly part of a university.

One of the original villas, referred to as the Villa of the Birds, is known for its well preserved mosaic floor. The floor consisted originally of nine panels that each contained a mosaic depiction of a different bird. Seven of the panels remain today.

During our visit to Alexandria we stayed in the Four Seasons Hotel which had a beautiful view of the Mediterranean. One evening we decided to have dinner on the balcony as the sun was setting. The food was great, the view was breathtaking, and the lack of crowds and commute time was an added bonus.

Breakfast the next morning in the hotel's al fresco dining area provided some amusing entertainment. The hooded crows were very stealthy as they tried to steal food from people's plates.