Where in the ancient world would I like to travel back in time and visit? There are many — very many — but Alexandria is certainly near the top of the list since it simultaneously housed the Great Lighthouse (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) and the Great Library, a building I could have gotten lost in for days, perhaps months, and they would have needed to send in a search team to find me. So, it was great pleasure we visited Alexandria as part of this year’s Stargates of Ancient Egypt Tour.
Our first stop was the labyrinth of ancient catacombs which have traditionally been attributed to the Roman era but could be far older. This was another Indiana Jones moment as we ventured down the spiral staircase around a long shaft that somewhat reminded me of Sinatra Quinta da Regaleira, a Templar initiation well in Portugal, and connected with a vast network of corridors and chambers. Immediately stepping out from the shaft, there’s a short hall which contains a scalloped recess on each wall. One of our guests, Stefanie, who has a career in music and sound, told me to stand in the middle and try talking. Interestingly, there was an acoustic amplification of my voice that played back at me through these. Keep that in mind.
Most of the tourists flocked to a central chapel which contained a variety of a Egyptian friezes as well as statues in front of obelisks, but we saved that maelstrom for the end. Instead we crept our way through the myriad of passages, exploring the chambers and strange recesses, and became astounded toward the end.
“Mike, we always discover something new on your tours!” Mohamed called out as I slipped into one of the chambers after having fallen behind while capturing some photos. This was a newly opened room in the catacombs, one Mohamed had not yet seen, and what he was pointing at was above our heads. There in red was a flower of life. We don’t often see this design in ancient Egypt, although it has shown up in some surprising places like the Osirion behind the Temple of Seti in Abydos. That was the first surprise. The second was when we peered down into what’s traditionally been defined as crypts and saw what, at first, appeared to be three different levels. But on closer inspection one could see that these deep crypts had a corbeled architecture to them, much like what we see in the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid. What was that kind of construction method doing here? So, we made multiple new discoveries at this location, and I’m strongly suspecting there is also a Templar tie-in to it as well. Give me some time on the latter.
After the catacombs we ventured to Pompey’s Pillar, which is said to have been erected as a triumphal monument around 300 AD. Standing at about 26 meters and weighing an astounding 600 tons, this singular piece of solid Aswan rose granite is the only ancient monument in Alexandria still standing in its original location. How they moved this behemoth 800 miles from the Aswan quarries is anyone’s guess. It rivals some of the biggest obelisks throughout the country with its sheer height and weight.
Our final visit this morning was to a historic Roman amphitheater which also had a section dedicated to the monument pieces from lost historic structures they’ve been pulling out of the harbor. The acoustics of the amphitheater itself were pretty amazing, and the reverberation reflected back at oneself when standing in the prime central spot was pretty surprising. In some ways, it reminded me of the type of resonance we observed at Drombeg Stone Circle in Ireland but in an even grander scale. What a day for acoustics!
Following that, we greatly enjoyed a late lunch, experiencing seafood on the Mediterranean with an amazing view of the sea. From where I sat, peering over Albert’s right shoulder, I had a view of the Qaitbay Citadel which looks like a small castle. The significance of this is that building rests on the spot where the Great Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, once stood. The lighthouse was massive, standing at more than 350 feet high, second only to the Great Pyramid at that time. The Great Lighthouse became a ruin after an earthquake in 1323, and many of the blocks from the building were used to create the citadel now standing there.
Across the harbor from the lighthouse once stood the Great Library of Alexandria which met its own fate in 48 AD when it succumbed to a fire. As fate would have it, the two infamous buildings only shared in each other’s company for 200 years. A massive modern library has been erected at a location they believe is approximately where the original library stood, but there is no way to know for sure. That we got to have lunch within walking distance of each of these locations was absolutely an amazing moment for me, but I would still like to travel back in time to experience both of these in their full glory.
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Watch the Stargates of Ancient Egypt tour video travel vlog of the Giza Plateau here: https://www.connecteduniverseportal.com/products/connected-universe-secret-library/categories/2155178857
