There are a handful of cities around the world that can be said to have one foot in the past, the other in the present. Similarly, many of these cities are both apart of their country and yet at the same time are really not. Alexandria is one of those cities. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it looks longingly out towards the sea, almost as if to say, "Take me... I want to make my own destiny."
This city has quite the history, as I learned from yesterday's tour of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern version of the Alexandria Library, the intellectual center of the ancient world. The city has changed hands numerous times: Greek, Arab, Turkish, French... all have had a piece of it and have contributed something to its history. The early 20th century saw it flourish as the center of many of Egypt's ex-pat communities, namely Greeks, Italians, and Jews. Their business-savy ways brought a lot of investment to the city and transformed it into a European-style oasis in the heart of the Middle East. Alas, after Nasser came to power and nationalized most of Egypt's businesses, many of the ex-pat communities decided not to stick around.
Today Alexandria is a shadow of its former self. There are still remnants of the old days. French cafes along the sea, the occasional Greek restaurant, or Italian bakery, but nothing worth gushing over anymore. It's as if time stopped at about 1960 while erosion still took its course, giving the city a ghost-town feel.
Hopefully one day the clock will start ticking again.
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