Alexandria: The one of its kind

The citizen told the journalist that his mom and dad are originally Italians; however, he has lived and been brought up with not only Italians but also Greeks, Armenians, Egyptians, and Lebanese. He said: "When anyone asks me who I am, I say that I am an Alexandrian."

This city’s beauty and mystery have tantalized many people’s minds to read and write about it; those writers, philosophers, historians, and even enthusiastic readers have agreed that it is more than a city. It is an identity, a cosmopolitan identity that has been formed since the twilight of history. It is a collage of various cultures: English, Italian, Greek, Armenian, French, and more. If you are curious about the city’s religious identity, it is not surprising if the answer you get is always “there, God has been worshipped from different perspectives”; Muslims, Christians, and Jews have lived there, worked, and cherished the blessings of life. 

Although there are many cities in the world that hold the same name, the Egyptian Alexandria stands uniquely in the history of the world. The idea started when Alexander the Great decided to build Alexandria as a cosmopolitan city. Then, after many years, Mohamed Ali ruled Egypt and applied the same idea, operating on his agenda of putting Egypt on the road of modernity. Thus, he opened the doors for people from all over Europe to come to Egypt, especially through the city of Alexandria.

The Greeks, since they had been in Egypt even before the arrival of Alexander the Great, were the greatest in number among other immigrants, and they were the ones who deeply mingled with the Egyptians. They worked as drivers, greengrocers, bakers, waiters, and in various if not all fields. Also, History witnessed that among the different nationalities who come to Alexandria, the French and the English immigrants had greedy plans to take control over Egypt, while immigrants from other countries like Italy, Greece, Armenia, Yugoslavia, and Malta desperately sought only to work and have better living conditions. Despite a large number of various nationalities in Alexandria, they all lived in peaceful co-existence; this is what has made the word “cosmopolitan” realize its true meaning in that city.

For more works: mariamessamsenior.contently