14 - 20 May 1998
Issue No.377
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 14 - 20 May 1998 Issue No.377 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
An eternal crossroadsWHILE removing an artificial hill built by the French during the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt, and later extended by Mohamed Ali, thousands of Islamic tombs have been found superimposed on top of Graeco-Roman monuments."This area is quite rich in Islamic strata," said Majcherek. Excavation of the hill has revealed a substantial collection of Islamic glazed pottery "comparable to that found at Fustat. No other site in Egypt has produced such well-preserved pottery," said Majcherek. Kom El-Dikka is also rich in glazed pottery from all over the Mediterranean basin -- from Syria, Cyprus, North Africa, Tunisia, Spain and Italy, as well as a few pieces from as far afield as China. This is a clear indication that ancient Alexandria was still a major trade crossroads between East and West even in mediaeval times, even though it was no longer an important city and was, moreover, not even the main Egyptian port. Funerary stelae with Arabic inscriptions have been found, as well as domestic objects, including a large collection of Islamic lamps, sculptures and even golden coins dating from the Byzantine period. |