Being a Hellenophile Indian scholar, I am intensely interested in visiting sites of Hellenic history in different countries and continents. Pursuing my interest and passion, I recently went to Alexandria, Egypt.

Megas Alexandros founded the city in a country with several millennia-old connections with Greece. In his epics, Homer stresses the wealth of Egypt and the magnificence of The One Hundred Gates’ Thebes.

Over the years in antiquity, many Egyptian elements were incorporated into Greek architecture, art, and religion, and the Egyptians and Greeks fought against the Persians together. An alliance between Egypt and the Delian league headed by Athens took place in 463 BC, resulting in a military expedition to Egypt in 454 BC, but the Persians defeated it. When the Persians invaded Egypt again in 343 BC. Greek officers led the Egyptian army and occupied Egypt until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 332 BC.

From gastronomy to architecture, the influence of the Greeks is palpable in Alexandria. The spread and preservation of Hellenic culture in Egypt in general and Alexandria is particularly profound.

For those philhellenes who love exploring Greek culture in Africa and Asia – Alexandria must be at the top of their travel plans. And don’t forget to savour Greek food in several iconic restaurants with Greek connections in this city.

Rise of Megas Alexandros

Inside the Graeco-Roman Museum located at Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin in Alexandria, are preserved artefacts and antiquities associated with Megas Alexandros and the Hellenic Ptolemies. The map of Alexander’s vast empire, which extended from Europe to India, is displayed on a wall. He defeated the Persian empire that both Egyptians and Greeks had fought together against in the past and established Hellenic supremacy in a large part of Africa and Asia.

Egypt, an ancient civilisation, was a cause of much fascination for the Hellenic leader from his childhood; he not only conquered it from the Persians but ended Persia’s status as the biggest superpower of the Ancient world.

Several excavations over the years in Alexandria and areas nearby have led to unearthing of artefacts and objects related to almost three centuries of Hellenic and later six centuries of Roman rule in Egypt.

From statues of Greek deities like Herakles and Dionysus to composite Graeco-Egyptian deities like Serapis, and from depiction of Graeco-Roman life to the statues of Roman emperors visitors will be awe strict by the vast historical collection and richness of this museum.

The numismatics sections includes coins ranging from Hellenic Empire to the Byzantine Empire and the quality of these coins is amazing, depiction of several Hellenic and Eastern Roman emperors can still be seen perfectly on these coins.

A wood statue of Serapis preserved here is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, so are the mosaics of Graeco-Roman period.

A collection of Coptic Christian art was also on display, after all the Coptic Orthodox Church, was established i by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, around 43 A.D.

Tomb of Alexander

The exact location of the tomb of Alexander is not known but according to most historical sources it is in Alexandria. There is a park “Salalat Gardens” in Alexandria near his statue, in which are located the excavated remains of his royal quarters. Archaeologists are still trying to find his tomb there, and on the other side of the road is a Christian cemetery within which many people believe the tomb of the Hellenic conqueror is located. But according to Arabic tradition, his tomb is 60 meters from the Nabi Daniel mosque.

Alexander became ruler of Egypt before he defeated Darius at Gaugamela, in-fact he was welcomed as a liberator by Egyptians who were fed up of Persian rule, and he was made a Pharaoh in Egypt Egyptologist Chris Naunton wrote that Ptolemy (one of Alexander’s generals) gained control of Alexander’s body after his death and brought it to Memphis, Egypt, in 321 B.C., the final tomb of Alexander seems to be in Alexandria in Egypt the city he founded.

Alexander in Egypt

Olympias, the mother of Megas Alexandros, had told him that he was not the son of Philip II of Macedon but of God Zeus. Alexander was searching for his divine connection. In Egypt, he got the answer in an oasis of Siwa near the Libyan border, where the Oracle declared him ‘master of the universe and a descendant of the Egyptian God Amun.’ Hellenes were broad-minded and incorporated Gods of other cultures in their pantheon or associated them with those in their pantheon; Amun was associated with Zeus.

Many scholars believe that Alexander’s stay in Egypt increased his confidence in winning so much that he kept moving East until he reached India because if Alexander considered himself the son of God, he should rule the entire earth as his father’s deputy.

Alexander also adapted to local cultures and his generals felt that he was becoming more native than Greek.

He became ruler of Egypt before he defeated Darius at Gaugamela; in fact, he was welcomed as a liberator by Egyptians who fed up with Persian rule and made a Pharaoh in Egypt. Alexandria in Egypt was founded by him in 332 BCE; according to many ancient sources, his tomb is in this city.

Egyptologist Chris Naunton wrote that Ptolemy (one of Alexander’s generals) gained control of Alexander’s body after his death and brought it to Memphis, Egypt, in 321 B.C. The final tomb of Alexander seems to be in Alexandria in Egypt, the city he founded.

‘Alex’ former capital of Egypt

Alexandria, or ‘Alex’, was the capital of Egypt, founded on intellectualism and a great centre of Hellenic culture from its founding until its surrender to the Arab forces led by Amr ibn al-As in 642 BCE, who established Egypt’s first Islamic capital, Al-Fustat. By order of the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, he founded a mosque named after him. The Greek influences in this mosque are evident.

Alexandria was the capital of Queen Cleopatra; it was the Ptolemaic capital where Hellenic culture spread. Graeco-Egyptian God Serapis (also called Sarapis) was a deity promoted by the Ptolemies to bring their Egyptian and Greek subjects closer religiously; those studying Graeco-Egyptian religion may visit the Serapium of Alexandria and also visit the Graeco-Roman museum in this city to see several busts of Serapis preserved here.

Greeks in Alexandria

Greeks, not just during the ancient Hellenic period but later, contributed significantly to the development of Egypt, and Alexandria in particular; they traded cotton and were successful businesspeople, establishing the Anglo-Egyptian Bank and the General Bank of Alexandria, not just Constantinos Salvagos from Chios, was one of the founders of the National Bank of Egypt.

As per the Hellenic Community of Alexandria (EKA), the Salvagos family initiated the building of the Hellenic quarter of El Shatby in memory of Constantine Salvagos. The Greek Club is located near the Qaitbay Fortress and the Mediterranean Sea, the vast expanse of water separating Egypt from Greece. Greeks found several restaurants and Cafés in this city. In India, Calcutta had a similar but smaller Greek presence.

Greek culinary culture in Alex

The Greek Club Club was a meeting point for Greeks in the city, and there was a Greek “White & Blue” restaurant. Decorated with paintings of Santorini, flags of Cyprus and Greece, pleasant Greek music, and the quintessential Greek white and blue colours, this place has a profoundly Greek appearance and vibe. I savoured the fantastic Greek food here, intermittently looking at the vast blue Mediterranean Sea with several yachts near the Club.

Apart from the Greek Club, there are several patisseries, cafés, and restaurants founded by Greeks or with Greek connections in the city. Other ethnicities bought some of them over the years. Sofiano Poulo – established in 1908 – was originally a Greek post office named after its owner. Cafe Farouk was established in 1928 and was owned by a Greek lady named Kalimera. It has been mentioned that this cafe was King Farouk’s favourite spot in Egypt.

Ali El Hendy cafe from 1882, also belonged to a Greek woman named Maria Khritiobas, Zephyrion, Athineos, Brazilian Coffee Store, Trianon Cafe (Founded in 1935 by Greek entrepreneurs Andrea Drikos and George Pericles) and Santa Luci eateries also have Greek connections, so does Chez Gaby, which a Greek man owned until he sold it to a French-Lebanese Gabriel.

Délices Patisserie is one of the most prominent tourist cafés and pastry shops in Alexandria, and I ate here many times during my stay in Alex; when I asked, a waiter told me that the family of Greek immigrant Moustakas who founded this patisserie in 1922, still lives in Egypt and owns this eatery.

“More than 100 years later, the descendants of Cleovolous Moustakas continue his traditions and legacy,” writes the menu. Interestingly, they baked the coronation and wedding cakes of King Farouk, the King of Egypt.

A world of diasporas

The Greek Diaspora is found across the world. Still, their unique connections since antiquity with the civilisational states of Egypt and India are profound.

Those who love to explore the spread of Hellenism outside Europe should visit Egypt and go to Alexandria, where, most probably as per several scholars, the tomb of the most powerful Greek in world history, Megas Alexandros, is located. Happy journey!

Arunansh B. Goswami is a lawyer, historian and author based in India who has contributed opinion and features on Indo-Hellenic linkages from the past to and contemporary times.