“Catastrophic,” is how Mohamed Dessouki, a campaigner, heritage enthusiast, and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST) chose to describe the changes to Alexandria’s corniche in recent years. ‘The Pearl of the Mediterranean’ and ‘The Mermaid of the Mediterranean’ are only some of the names given to the city of Alexandria. Yet, today, this is not how Alexandrians picture the once-beautiful city. As the second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria is home to Egypt’s main seaport and was once a popular summer holiday destination. The corniche, one of its most distinctive features, if not the most distinctive, is the main waterfront road that runs along Alexandra’s coastline. The Corniche: Between Past and Present Several articles claim that the Alexandria corniche was built over ten years. However, the corniche we know today was completed in 1934. The 20-kilometer-long seacoast promenade extends from El Montazah Palace in the east to Ras El Teen Palace in the west. According to Ahram, between 1986 and 1997, the Governorate of Alexandria was headed by Ismail El-Gawsaqi. During his time as governor, he decided that the seaview should be available…
