Religious, Spiritual sights in Alexandria
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A
Temple of Serapeum
The Temple of Serapeum is a magnificent structure that stood here in ancient times. It had 100 steps leading past the living quarters of the priests to the great temple of Serapis, the man-made god of Alexandria . Also here was the 'daughter library', the second great library of Alexandria, which was said to have contained copies and overflow of texts held in the Great Library of Alexandria, the Mouseion library.
Unlike at the Great Library, these rolls could be consulted by anyone using the temple, making it one of the most important intellectual and religious centres in the Mediterranean. In AD 391 Christians launched a final assault on pagan intellectuals and destroyed…
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B
Terbana Mosque
The beautiful little Terbana Mosque stands at the junction of Sharia Fransa and Souq al-Kharateen. This entire quarter, known as Gumruk, stands on land that was underwater in the Middle Ages. Late-17th-century builders managed to incorporate bits of ancient Alexandria in the mosque's structure, reusing two classical columns to support the minaret. The red-and-black painted brickwork on the façade is typical of the Delta-style architecture.
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C
synagogue
Alexandria's fabulous Italian-built synagogue was erected over a century ago, and served a thriving, wealthy, cosmopolitan Jewish community of about 15,000. Since the wars with Israel and the 1956 Suez crisis, that community has dwindled so that now when the synagogue opens each Shabbat, it rarely has the necessary 10 men to hold a service. Casual visitors are not usually admitted.
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D
Mosque of Abu Abbas al-Mursi
Built in 1943 on the site of an earlier mosque that covered the tomb of a 13th-century Muslim saint, this is a modern, but nonetheless impressive, example of Islamic architecture.
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E
Church of St Mark
Near the eastern end of Midan Tahrir, in a peaceful garden, is the Anglican Church of St Mark with memorials to British residents and soldiers.
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F
Mosque of Sheikh Ali al-Mahalli
The large and still-functioning 18th-century Mosque of Sheikh Ali al-Mahalli contains 99 columns recycled from Roman and Mamluk monuments.
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G
Shorbagi Mosque
The Shorbagi Mosque is built with salvaged remnants of antiquity.
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