Alexandria 4 - Pompey's Pillar

Pompey's Pillar, a whopping great big piece of Aswan granite, towers above the "slum" of the Karmooz district in Alexandria. I must say that I didn't find the district particularly "slummy", especially when compared to some of the places we've ventured around in Cairo's poorer quarters.

The pillar was apparently raised by the Emperor Diocletian to support a big statue of himself, but was later (wrongly) attributed to Pompey and the name stuck. The pillar itself is impressive, but arguably not as much as the surrounding uncovered remains. Tunnels, walls, steps, and even a couple of empty sarcophagi are all to be found in the enclosed area of the pillar's grounds. We were most impressed by the library, constructed by Cleopatra, which once housed thousands of scrolls as a daughter to the great library down the road. Next door was the "sanctuary", a temple dedicated to the Apis bulls who were a cult favourite at the time.

A 7-minute stroll from the pillar are a breathtaking set of catacombs, discovered by accident when a donkey and its cart disappeared through a hole in the road at the turn of the last century. They are a stunning site, reached down a deep spiral staircase, and once housed over 300 bodies. Only one layer is currently open to visit - the lower storey is still flooded - but what we saw was amazing. Sadly no cameras were allowed inside, but there's an incredibly detailed write-up of the tomb, alongside some pictures, at http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/komelshuqafa.htm