Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-24


alexandria
Egypt, you remember. is divided into
two general districts: Upper and Lower
1gypt. Upper Esp, extends from the
southern boundary TO the Delta. Lower
Egypt includes the Delta, with a short
handle to the fan just before the Nile
divides again. forming the fan-shaped
Delta These two divisions are due 70
the natural formation Of the country,
Lac east, middle anu west Tennessee;
north. middle, south and west Georgia.
etc. They have existed from the ear
Hest history OF Egyp,. ana always will
exist Each Of those divisions has al
ways had a capital or CHIEF city, These
capitals have always been located at
about the same place. the location nav
L. Seen determined by natural condi-
lions from the foundation or the world.
Thebes, now Luxor. at the great lend IN
the raver in upper Egyp., and Memphis
now Carlo. at the apex Of the Delta In
lower Egypt
But while Egypt had two capitals
from time immemOrial, when Alexander
the Great conquered the world. includ-
ing Egypt in $50 b. G, he wanteU cap
ital for the world He did not care 10
establish il in any Of the old capitals
because they were not central enough.
and because he~Wanteo 10 name II after
himself II was appropriate that the
world conQueror should have the world
capital named for him. Where better
could such a capital be established than
AZ the mouth OF the Nile. near the juno
: ton OF Africa and Asia. and within easy
access OF Europe by the Mediterranean
sea? To establish il just at the mouth
OF the Nile, though would have been
Impossible. Just as impossible as it
wou-- have been TO establish New Or
leans at the mouth OF the Mississippi.
The ground was too marshy and the
alIuvial soil from the river would bury
the city as it had buried Thanis and
other cities in the Delta And so
Alexander established the city on the
Mediterranean sea. near the isIanu or
Pharos. at a point where there are two
good harbOrs, some miles from the ro-
setta mouth OF the Nile, dug canal 70
connect the city with the Nile. and call
ed the city Of Alexandria This w4s in
AL B. c. At once the city began TO
grow. at the time Of Cleopatra, about
IS B. c. some 500 years later, il is said
to have had population Of half a mil
lion 1t continued its existence with
varying vicissitudes under PtoIemies,
and their successors. 1t was again
made famous in AIS by another woman,
Hypatia, as beautiful as Cleopatra, as
founding OF Cairo in 961 and the dis
covery Of America in 1892 left Alexan-
6ria at one side. In 1900 IL contained
only 5000 inhabitants. After that,
though. il began to grow again until
now IL has a population Of about 3o0.-
600. and is the second city in Egypt.
But II is no longer the capital OF
the world Not even world con-
queror can make a world capital 1t
must grow from natural. not artificial,
causes At one time the seat OF learn
Ing Of the world, the destruction of it's
great library by fire-the greatest sin
gle misfortune which ever befen the
world-tOOk from il that high honor.
Now its principal Importance as as the
seaport city for Egypt Its business
houses are smalL ats streets are mar
row and very dirty. Its homes are un-
Inviting except in the newer part Of tn e
city. And altogether. II has a rather
nilapidated appearance. Travellers are
accustomed to stop ,here only as long
as may be Necessary between ship and
train
POMPEY's PILLAR.
We had time only for a short drive
eround the city. The first place OF in
terest 20 which we came was what is
known as POmpey's Pillar. Our guide,
suieiman Moussa. or as we should spell
II In English. Solomon Moses. explain
i sd that II was erected by Alexander the
Great in ~ B. C.. in honor OF his general
by the name OF Pompey, could not help
reminding him that Pompey lived about
20 or 80 years before Alexander and
could not well have been a general IN
his army. He insisted. though. that Al
exander did have a general by that name
IN his army to whom he erected the stat
ne. and said taht he knew. Afterwards
he came 10 me and told me that the pillar
was erected in the year % B. c. AS a
matter OF fact. no one knows just when
or by whom or for what purpose the
pillar was erected Some think that It
vas IN honor Of the emperor Diocietian.
The foundation Of this belief. though.
Is probably the fact that there is on ii
q defaced inscription In honor OF Diocle-
tian. placed there in 800 A d. by Ro-
mon project Others think the pillar vas
probably taken from a heather temple
and erected at this place by Theodosius
10 commemorate the victory OF Christian
Ity. and that the name Pompey's Pillar
was probably due to the belief in me-
dieval times that IL marked the tomb OF
Pompey. the great rival Of Julius Caesar.
who was assassinated near Alexandria
The height OF Pompey's Pillar Is IS feet.
Including the pedestal. The shaft itself
Is 6 feet high. 3 feet IN diameter below
and nearly s feet at the top
Lest my readers should gain a miscon-
reption of Solomon Moses from what I
have Just said. want to take the oc-
easion to add that he was our guide both
IN Alexandra and in Cairo. and we found
him unusually well informed. surprisingly
90. about the things and places OF which
he told us and also very kind, very pa
tient, and very efficient generally We
all. learned TO esteem him greatly. DR..
Wicker says that he is the best guide
IN Egypt. and I am prepared TO believe
A. especially after seeing some others In
Cairo and Luxor Solomon. by the way.
IS not Mohammedan- He Is a Coptic
Christian The Copts have the tradition,
perhaps with good reason. that Mark, the
evangelist, came TO Alexandria in the
year 50 A. D.. preached and founded
church which they claim was the fore
runner OF the present Coptic churches In
Egypt Solomon mean our guide, who.
n not the wisest man that ever lived, Is
mt least a wise one-says that OF the T.
o000Oo population of Egypt 100000 are
Mohamuedans and about 100000 Copts.
A large number OF the Copts. as found
afterward. live In upper Egypt At any
rate. II is a matter Of common knowi-
edge that Christianity early gained a
foothold in Alexandria. that this was the
home Of ApoIlos. OF Barnabas, the COM
Ill ~ kanw n