Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/792

768 EGYPT [ALEXANDRIA. of great magnificence, for which they did not scruple to despoil more ancient edifices of some of their chiefest orna ments. While its commercial importance increased, it became a celebrated seat of learning, with the greatest library of antiquity, through the wise interest with which the Greek kings regarded science and letters. Under the Ptolemies, however, the inhabitants, who were chiefly Greeks, became very troublesome to their rulers, like most commercial populations, and their turbulence was ill restrained by the weakness of the later sovereigns of that liue. From the time of the Roman conquest, B.C. 30, until it was taken by the Arabs, A.D. 641, Alexandria sensibly declined, partly in consequence of its being a provincial capital, instead of a royal residence, but chiefly because of the unruly disposition of its inhabitants, and their violent religious and political disputes, which at last resulted in the seat of government being transferred to the fortress of Egyptian Bivbylon, near the modern Cairo, which became in some sort the capital. During this period it had been distinguished for the learning of its ecclesiastics, and the strong part which they took in the theological differences of the early church. Under the Muslims Alexandria never regained the position of metropolis of Egypt, and its importance, with some fluctuations, waned until the dis covery and consequent adoption of the route to India by the Cape of Good Hope almost withdrew the main cause of its prosperity. Recently, however, the resumption of the overland route has greatly benefited this city, and although it was not made the capital, it became the favourite residence of Mehemet Ali, which in like manner contributed to its welfare, The older part of the town of Alexandria stands upon the Heptastadium, now much wider than it was anciently; but the recent part, where are the houses of the European mer chants, occupies the site of a portion of the ancient city, which was nearest to the mole. The most striking edifice is the castle on the island of Pharos, containing a lighthouse, which has succeeded to the more famous Pharos of antiquity. Here also is the pasha s palace, as well as a lesser Pharos. The houses of the town are built of stone, or have their lowest story cased with that material, and the portion above built of brick plastered and whitewashed. The residences of the European merchants and consuls and the richer Turks and natives are spacious and well-built, somewhat iu the modern Italian style, but have no claims to architectural beauty. The mosques are not remark able, but the English church will, if ever completed, be a great ornament to the town. The population of the town is estimated at over 200,000. One of the favourite projects of Mehemet Ali was the fortification of Alexandria, which has been thus rendered so strong that if well garrisoned it could not be invested by a force of less than about 40,000 men. The ancient remains are very scanty and of little interest, compared to those which are seen on the sites of other Egyptian towns. Two objects are conspicuous, one of the obelisks commonly called " Cleopatra s Needles," and the great column known as "Pornpey s Pillar." The former is a fine obelisk of red granite nearly 70 feet in height, bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions with the names of Thothmes III., Ramsss II., and a later king. Beside it was a fallen obelisk of the same dimensions, its fellow, now (Oct. 1877) on its way to England. They were brought here from some ancient temple during the Roman rule. Pompey s Pillar is in like manner of red granite, and its shaft is about 70 feet high, the whole column being nearly 100 feet in height. Its pedestal bears a Greek inscription in honour of the emperor Diocletian. Proceeding to the east of Alexandria, tiie first place of importance is Er-Rasheed, called by the Europeans Rose tta, a considerable town on the west bank of the Rosetta branch of the Nile, anciently the Bolbitine. Before the cutting by Mehemet Ali of the Mahmoodi eyeh Canal to connect Alexandria with this branch of the river, Rosetta was a place of greater importance than now, as in consequence of the decay of the old canal of Alexandria, the overland trade from India chiefly passed through it. It is a well-built town, having some gardens, and is in many respects more agreeable than Alexandria. Its population is stated to be 15,000. A little to the north of the town is the boghaz, a bar of sand stretching across the mouth of the river, and rendering it often impassable; and between it and Rosetta is an old fort called Fort St Jnlien by the French, who repaired it during their occupation of Egypt, when one of their officers discovered the Rosetta Stone, the famous trilingual tablet which afforded the clue by which hieroglyphics were interpreted. In ascending the Rosetta branch, the first place of inte rest is the site of Sais, SAI, on the eastern bank, marked by lofty mounds, and the remains of massive walls of crude brick, which were those of a great inclosure in which the chief temple and doubtless other sacred edifices stood. The goddess Nit or Neith was the divinity of the place, and a great festival was annually held here in her honour, to which pilgrims resorted from other parts of Egypt. Sais was remarkable for the learning of its priests, and was the royal residence of the Saite kings (Dynasties XXIV., XXVI.) A modern village here is called " Sa-el-Hagar," or " Sais of the Stone, 1 a name which perhaps alludes to the famous monolith described by Herodotus. In the interior of the modern Delta no remains of import ance have been discovered, though there are many ancient sites marked by mounds. The chief towns are El-Mahalluh el-Kebeereh, no!; far from the Damietta branch, about forty miles from the sea ; Tanta, nearly in the middle of the Delta ; and Manoof, farther south. Of these Tanta- is best known as the birth-place of a Muslim saint, the seyykl Ahmad El-Bedawee, in whose honour three festivals are annually kept, the greatest of which attracts more pilgrims than any other in Egypt, and is in this respect second alone to the pilgrimage to Mecca. The festivals of Tanta are rather distinguished by riot than piety, and recall the revelries of Bubastis and Canopus. Several places of interest are found on the course of the Damietta branch, the old Phatnitic or Pathmetic. First of these is the town whence it takes its name, Dimydt, called by the Europeans Damietta, which stands not far from the mouth of the branch, on its eastern side. In the time of the crusades it was a strong place, and regarded as the key of Egypt. It was taken and retaken by the contending forces, and formed the. basis of the operations of St Louis in the unfortunate eighth crusade. Shortly afterwards the sultan Edh-Dhahir Bey bars, in A.D. 1251, razed it and rebuilt it on the present site somewhat farther from the sea. It is a flourishing town, and has a population of 29,000 inhabitants. The next place of importance is the town of El-Mansoorah, founded by El- Melik El-Kamil, the nephew of Saladin, during the sixth crusade, to commemorate, as its name imports, his success over the invading army of Jean de Brienne. A little to the south of El-Mansoorah, on the opposite or western bank, at a short distance from the river, are the remains of a very remarkable temple of the goddess Isis, and the mounds of the town of Iseum. Although the temple is entirely thrown down, as though by a natural convulsion, but probably by human violence, its plan may be partly traced and its date ascertained, as the materials have not been removed. It was, unlike most Egyptian temples, built altogether of granite, and was about GOO feet in length and

200 in breadth. The materials must have been transported