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
As Alexandria grew in size and wealth she required suburbs. The earliest
development was along the line of the Mahmoudieh Canal, where the Villa
Antoniadis and a few other fine houses have been built. But with the
improvement of communications the rich merchants were able to live
further afield. Two alternatives were open to them—Mex and Ramleh—and
rather regrettably they selected the latter. Mex, with its fine natural
features, might have developed into a very beautiful place: as it is a
belt of slums have parted it from the town, and an execrable tram
service has removed it even further. The town has spread to the east
instead, to Ramleh, served at first by a railway and now by good
electric trams.
Such are the main features of Alexandria as it has evolved under
Mohammed Ali and his successors. It does not compare favourably with the
city of Alexander the Great. On the other hand it is no worse than most
nineteenth century cities. And it has one immense advantage over them—a
perfect climate.
MAHMOUDIEH CANAL: p. 151.
MODERN HARBOUR: p. 129.
RAS-EL-TIN PALACE: p. 129.
SQUARE: p. 102.
ENGLISH CHURCH: p. 102.
FORT KOM-EL-DIK: p. 106.
FORT CAFARELLI: p. 170.
POMPEY’S PILLAR: p. 144.
PUBLIC GARDENS: p. 154.
VILLA ANTONIADIS: p. 157.
MEX: p. 171.
RAMLEH: p. 166.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (1882).
Thus the city develops quietly under Mohammed Ali and his successors—one
of whom, Said Pasha, is buried here. Attention was rather diverted from
her by the cutting of the Suez Canal, and it is not until 1882 that
anything of note occurs. She is in this year connected with the
rebellion of Arabi, the founder of the Egyptian Nationalist Party.
Arabi, then Minister of War, was endeavouring to dominate the Khedive
Tewfik, and to secure Egypt for the Egyptians. Alexandria, which had
held a foreign element ever since its foundation, was therefore his
natural foe, and it was here that he opened the campaign against Europe
that ended in his failure at Tel-el-Kebir. The details—like Arabi’s
motives—are complicated. But four stages may be observed.
(i). _Riot of June 11th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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