Alexandria: A History and a GuideForster, E. M. (Edward Morgan)
History
Alexandria: A History and a Guide
Forster, E. M. (Edward Morgan)
Alexandria (Egypt) -- Guidebooks; Alexandria (Egypt) -- History
About quarter mile S.W. of Fort Ramleh, and close to a small modern
pumping tower, are the so-called _Baths of Cleopatra_. She had nothing
to do with them, but they are worth seeing. The western outer wall, of
limestone blocks, is well preserved. Steps lead up through it. Within
are pavements of pebble mosaic, fragments of stucco, a stone with a
drain groove, &c. In a chamber to the left, is an oblong bath nearly six
feet deep; steps lead down to it and in the centre of its pebbled floor
is a little depression; in the edge of the brim and on the wall opposite
are niches, as if to support beams, and provision for the entrance and
exit of the water can also be seen. Further on, past a small stucco
cistern, is an entrance to a small room which contains an oblong bath to
lie down in, quite modern and suburban in appearance; close to it, under
a niche, is a footbath—the bather sat on a seat which has disappeared
but whose supports can be seen.—These baths are all in the western part
of the enclosure; the rest contains other and larger chambers but is in
worse preservation. It is much to be wished that these baths, which have
been recently excavated, could be protected properly; otherwise they
will share the fate of the other antiquities within the military zone.
_Aboukir Village_, to which we return through palm trees, contains
nothing of note.
* * * * *
On leaving Mamourah Junction (p. 176) the railway to Rosetta bears to
the right, and crosses the salt marshy ground over which the Canopic
branch of the Nile once flowed to the sea. Rural Egypt can be seen at
last. Beyond El Tarh station the train crosses a bit of Lake Edku; view
of the village to the left.
_Edku_ (no hotel or café) stands on a high mound between the lake and
the Mediterranean. The houses in its steep streets are of red brick
strengthened with courses of palm and other woods; they anticipate the
more complicated architecture of Rosetta; there are some carved doors,
Italianate in style. Mosques, unimportant. On the top of the ridge are
some eight sailed windmills; they grind corn. Fine date palms grow on
the sand dunes towards the sea, for there is fresh water just beneath
the surface. There is an interesting local weaving industry, chiefly of
silk, imported in its rough state from China. The work rooms are
generally on the upper floors of the houses, and reached by an outside
staircase. Quiet pleasant places; on the walls of some are Cufic
inscriptions, inlaid in brick. The weavers sit to their looms in small
oval pits; they have the hands of craftsmen and produce on their simple
wooden machinery fabrics that are both durable and beautiful.
Fish are caught in Lake Edku. Some of the fishermen wade far into
shallow waters; there is also a fleet of boats which moor to the long
wooden jetty by the station. Occasional flamingoes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account