Hidden charms
Alexandria's Islamic landmarks could be an attraction for those who seek something different. Nevine El-Aref strolls through the city's mediaeval attractions
The elegent Abul-Abbas Al-Mursi Mosque, completed in 1943.
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It might seem strange to talk about Islamic heritage in Alexandria, a cosmopolitan city better known for its Graeco- Roman landmarks and omnipresent Mediterranean influence. It is the city of Alexander, the Ptolomies, the Library, Anthony and Cleopatra and Greek artists and scholars. However, Alexandria also includes a number of often-overlooked Islamic landmarks, whether mosques, souqs, private houses, or mashrabiyya, which were established by Arabs who flocked to the city during the Ayyubid, Mameluke and Ottoman eras.
The old Turko-Arabic neighbourhoods of Al-Gomruk and Al-Anfushi are a good place to start exploring Alexandria's Mameluke and Ottoman heritage mixed with a lively and modern street life.
As an Alexandrian myself, a visit to Sahet Al-Massaged (Square of the Mosques) on the Corniche in Anfushi could be a most thrilling and spiritual experience where a person can enjoy the magnificent architecture of Islamic mosques with their soaring minarets and fine ivory-coloured domes side by side with a vibrant night life.
This square, considered by the locals to be the most blessed place in Alexandria, is a resting place of 40 Muslim holymen, their mortal remains marked by elegant shrines and domed mosques. At the centre is the beautiful mosque of Sidi Abul- Abbas Al-Mursi, one of Alexandria's largest and most famous religious monuments. Algerian patrons built the mosque in 1775 over the tomb of the 13th-century Andalusian holyman, Ahmed Abul-Abbas Al-Mursi, who had joined and eventually become leader of the Al-Shazliya Sufi sect. The interior of the mosque is made up of eight monolithic granite columns and a colonnade of elongated arches. It was rebuilt in 1943 with its minaret reaching 73 metres into the Alexandria sky. To the right of Sidi Abul-Abbas Al-Mursi mosque lies a smaller mosque where the remains of Al-Shazli are entombed. To the far left, the remains of Sidi Abul-Abbas's student Sidi Yaqout Al-Arshi are buried in a modest mosque. Adjoining the complex is a single room where 12 different holymen, all named Mohamed, are buried.
Alexandrians frequent this square not only for prayer but also to seek the blessings of the 40 holymen. Some Alexandrians believe the holymen to possess the power to cure illnesses, protect children from harm and even alleviate the difficulties of childbirth.
Despite the spiritual atmosphere of Sahet Al-Massaged, which is quietly bustling throughout the day with worshippers, the whole area is transformed at night into the Alexandrian equivalent of Khan Al-Khalili, where visitors stroll around the different shops or sit and smoke shisha (water pipes) at the numerous coffeehouses scattered about. Itinerant peddlers hawk their goods, trying to draw the attention of coffeehouse patrons or passing pedestrians, while vendors with wooden pushcarts offer up kebda (liver), fuul and taamiya.
Deeper into the alleys leading to Al-Terbana street, the Al- Terbana mosque is at the corner adjacent to Souq Al- Tabakheen street. Built in 1677, it is one of the oldest intact mosques in Alexandria. A portal over the entrance is an attractive amalgam of golden-brown and red bricks. A visitor can see two enormous granite columns with Corinthian capitals whereas there are a number of ancient columns scattered inside the mosque. The mehrab (prayer niche), is covered with North African-style ceramics.
Returning to the Corniche, two kilometres to the east the Fort of Qait Bey overlooks the Eastern Harbour. It is an Alexandrian landmark, built in 1480 by the Mameluke Sultan Qait Bey on the original site of the Pharaohs' lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sultan Qait Bey, who also has a magnificent complex in Cairo, made good use of the still-solid foundations and fallen masonry of the lighthouse rubble to build a fort to thwart any Turkish invasion by sea.
Parts of the lighthouse can be easily seen in the construction of the fort, such as the lintel and the doorway posts of the entrance gate, which were made from large granite slabs salvaged from the lighthouse. A mosque within the fort also has five granite columns from the original lighthouse. Inside, the three-floor fort contains a variety of maritime artefacts and wrecks from Napoleon's sunken fleet.
On the peninsula leading to the fort, the Naval Museum offers intriguing maritime artefacts, as well as a wonderful view of the city and the sea. Across the street is the Marine Aquarium, where fish, sea turtles, and Nile crocodiles are exhibited in glass aquariums.
Following the Corniche along the Eastern Harbour, towards Alexandria's city centre, one finds the Al-Attarin district, a market of early 20th-century furniture and antiques. At the heart of the market, the 14th-century Al-Attarin Mosque stands proudly. The mosque was originally dedicated to Saint Athanasius in 370 and was converted into a mosque immediately after the Arab conquest. The mosque is near the site of the famous Mosque of a Thousand Columns from which Napoleon removed the seven-ton sarcophagus now in the British Museum.
One of the most significant Ottoman relics in Alexandria is the military post of Kom Al-Nadura, some six acres wide, built to control naval activity within the Alexandria port during the Mohamed Ali era.
The site's highlight is a hill rich in Fatimid and Mameluke relics crowned by a military tower dating to the Ottoman era. One of these is Mohamed Ali's observatory, known as Cafarelli's Turret after a high-ranking member of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt. There is also a 25 metre-high iron clock tower and two early 19th-century houses, one belongs to an Englishman, the other to an Egyptian officer.
Within Kom Al-Nadura's walls there are also a number of tombs dating to the Fatimid era, discovered during excavation works in the early 1980s.
As part of the development scheme carried out four years ago by the Ministry of Culture and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), a cultural centre and an audio-visual hall have been constructed in an effort to inform visitors about archaeological efforts here, providing them with information about the history of the area.
Kom Al-Nadura was originally a garbage dump thoughtfully placed on top of the Fatimid tomb of Sheikh Waala. Because of its elevation and strategic position overlooking the sea, the French, during their invasion of Egypt, used the hill as a fortress from which they could protect the western coastline and control Alexandria in case of revolt. The site was used later by soldiers of the French brigade who built Cafarelli's Turret. Mainly used to house those manning the cannons, only a few vaults still stand today.
During the Mohamed Ali era, a large observatory was built to control the maritime traffic in and out of the port. Mohamed Ali also constructed an iron clock, Quoratel Zawal, hung between four iron bars, which chimed to announce the start and end of each day's work. The clock is shaped like an iron ball and is covered in tough black textile.
