Alexandria – there is no place like it. A ‘Hellenic’ city still influenced by its Greek roots and a passionate Greek community, this Mediterranean delight has had a profound effect on history and Hellenism.

As I sat by the 1920s style Greek-owned cafe opposite the harbour, I reflected on two simple questions I had asked locals earlier in the day. The first was in relation to a great poet. “Do you know where I can find the House of Cavafy?” I asked. The reply was always emphatic. “You mean the Greek poet, the museum!”

The second question was, “Do you know where I can find the Greek Community Club?” With a heavy accent a smiling Egyptian man replied, “Ah you are a Greek man, you will see the Alexander the Great statue on the main road, he too is Greek.”

It was a fair indication that the people of Alexandria are comfortable with recognising the Hellenic past of this city.

In the 1950s and 1960s the once-vibrant Greek community of Alexandria was emptied out, in many respects driven out, due to the nationalism of Egypt under President Nasser. About 400,000 Greeks said farewell to Alexandria during that period. When I was recently in Alexandria I was able to meet members of the remaining Greek community, those who chose to stay. There are over 4,000 people of Greek origin in Alexandria, and perhaps 10,000 in Egypt altogether.

Every day in Alexandria I would play a game of ‘spot the Greek shop’, hoping to meet fellow Greek speakers. I would excitedly enter a shop such as ‘Atheneos’, requesting to meet the owner or asking if there was a Greek speaker available. Sadly, just about all of them were no longer owned by Greek people. Out of respect to the previous Greek ownership, they keep the name of the shop.

Cleopatra
Cleopatra was the last Hellenic queen of Egypt. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 334BC he established an amazing new city named Alexandria. Upon his death in 323BC one of his generals, Ptolemy, took control of Egypt and the surrounding lands, establishing the Ptolemaic Kingdom. The Hellenic city of Alexandria was the capital.

Royalty spoke only Greek and also intermarried (what we now consider to be incest) to protect the bloodline. However, they also considered themselves successors to the pharaohs. Cleopatra was the first to speak a language other than Greek! Moreover, if you were a Greek person living in Egypt, you were subject only to Hellenic law.

The Ptolemaic Kingdom ended in 30BC when Cleopatra, having chosen to side with Marc Antony, was defeated by Rome. Cleopatra is undoubtedly one of the most famous women throughout history, but it is a pity that the Ptolemaic Kingdom is not as well known.

Before Alexander
Prior to the arrival of the all-conquering Alexandros, there existed a city known as Naucratis. The proximity of Egypt to Greece ensured a continuous presence of commercial traders, with archaeological evidence suggesting this extends as far back as Minoan times. The small settlement, likely established around 625BC but officially declared to be a Greek city circa 570BC, is not too far inland from where Alexandria was built on the Nile Delta. Naucratis was built for the Greek merchants and supporters of the Egyptian rulers, and was the first permanent Greek city in Egypt.

Byzantine Times
Greek language remained in civic and bureaucratic circles under Roman hegemony. When the Byzantine Greek forces reconquered Egypt in AD534 under Belisarios, they inherited a country with a strong Greek upper class and institutions. The Greek Orthodox Church in particular had a notable presence. In AD641, the Byzantine Empire, which had control of most of Egypt, was defeated by the Arab forces that had made their way to the region. Cairo was made the capital soon after, ending the long and glorious reign of the Greek city as the Egyptian capital.

Around 1517 until 1798, Alexandria was nominally under the Ottoman Empire. Considering that Muslim people were traditionally reluctant to undertake trade, especially during the Ottoman reign, there is enough evidence to suggest that Greek people remained in the city from the end of Byzantine times to conduct business.

The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
I met with a number of priests on my visit to the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St Savvas the Sanctified, and was given a tour of a most fascinating museum of church relics. A Greek church has stood on these grounds since AD310, late in the Roman period. In 2010 Patriach Theodoros II inaugurated the new museum in memory of his predecessor, Nicholas VI. The museum, located underground, serves as repository of Church treasures including icons and vestments.

The Greek Community
A meeting with George Eleftheriou in a coffee shop near the harbour helped me to understand the magnitude of the Greek community, small as it may now be. George is a businessman who operates Eleftheriou Associates Consultants, and his first comment to me came from the heart. “Billy, I love this city, we are in the best place in the world. I am just as happy that I am [a] Greek who lives here.” Over the next hour George talked up Alexandria. “I believe that Egypt and this city will be an economic powerhouse again” he told me with pride.

Admittedly, having arrived here earlier I had been disappointed by the constant traffic, ageing infrastructure, and a harbour which was not as Ptolemy had described it. Where was the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria? Where was the magnificent and grand library, which was the most remarkable in ancient times? Both have since disappeared, though in their place, you will find one of the most incredible biblioteques you will ever come across; the jaw-dropping modern Library of Alexandria near the harbour.

George is a throwback to the days when Hellenes were the big drivers of commerce, with his own expanding company providing business development consultancy services covering the Mediterranean and other regions, with a particular focus on trade and exports. George and his family have heritage in Alexandria that goes back four generations, and in his opinion, Hellenism has been unbroken here since the city was founded.
Over the next few days I was given insights into the city by George and his parea; gradually I became fond of Alexandria, understanding the charm and its old school style.

I even ended up at a plush presentation day that George and his brother Constantine organised for students learning Greek. What made this unique was that most of the kids were of mixed heritage, and not necessarily having two Greek parents. It was heart-warming to hear each child, from the age of five to teenage years, praising the work of their teacher. Hearing it in Greek was like listening to the sounds of classical music, perfect. “Efharisto Kurio Constantine pou mas emathes Ellinka.” (Thank you Mr Constantine for teaching us Greek.)

Averoff School and the Greek OFFICE
Set amongst a few acres, boasting a gymnasium and gardens, the Greek School is impressive. At its height during the mid-20th century there would be 5000 students enrolled here annually, mostly Greek. You can feel their presence, despite what is now a more quiet setting. Today there are 150 students at what was one of the most prestigious places to receive an education in the Greek world. The school currently implements the curriculum from Athens.
The office of the Greek community is in the same building as the school that it oversees. I met the president at the time, John Siokas, in his office on what was meant to be a quiet day. The smartly dressed man told me how proud they are that the Greek community provides as many services as they do, from the school to the club, a football team and stadium, and the ability to maintain the Greek language in Alexandria. Throughout my discussions with him, I was pleasantly amused at how many times people would drop in to say kalimera or to ask for advice. Not bad for a quiet day.

A poet to rival Homer
One afternoon I bumped in to a lady on the street, and I could tell she was a Greek speaker. I asked in Greek if she could point me in the direction of the House of Constantine Cavafy. She was stunned that I picked her nationality. Fortunately she let me know that it was closed, but also mentioned there was an easier route to take in the morning. The next day, I made my way to the poet’s house. His career in the 20th century was remarkable, and his work was published on every continent. He is one of the greatest Hellenic intellectuals and a poet admired throughout the world, particularly renowned for writing the modern Ithaca.

His house been turned in to a museum, and I conversed with the Greek-speaking Egyptian curator. It was here that Cavafy became inspired, and wrote and wrote until he could do no more. As I entered the bedroom of the house, who did I see on the floor, diligently tapping away on her laptop? The person who gave me instructions the previous day. It turned out she is a Greek author, and her heritage is from Alexandria. As it transpired, she also told me she was staying in my hotel. A small world brought about by the magic of Cavafy!

To understand the historical importance of Alexandria, the city is comparable to, say, modern London; a hub for writers, artists, merchants and religious types. It remained important for Africa and the Mediterranean until the exodus of Greek people and other Europeans a few decades ago. Alexandria is what it is; a Hellenic-built-and-developed city that has stood the test of time. Whilst the Greek community may have dwindled, the imposing spirit of Alexander and Cleopatra on a quiet day will always loom large. If you don’t believe me, just ask one of the locals.

* Billy Cotsis is a freelance writer and short film director.