As it towers above the other buildings in Alexandria, it serves as a constant reminder of the splendour that once characterised the Roman Empire. Pompey’s Pillar is a national monument that is preserved for future generations.
Location:
It takes around three hours to get to Alexandria by car or rail from Cairo, which is Egypt’s second-largest metropolis and its most populous city. Pompey’s Pillar is a prominent landmark in Alexandria that can be reached on foot thanks to its location on the city’s main Corniche, or seashore.
History:
The Pompey Pillar Tower is an important landmark that visitors should not miss. It is perched approximately 25 metres above the water on a ridge of limestone where it may be found.
The Pompey’s Pillar red granite column in Alexandria was built as an alternative to honor the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian had made a promise to slaughter everyone in the city “until their blood reached his horse’s legs,” but he was forced to back down from his promise when his horse slipped and became bloody before he was ready.
The construction of this Corinthian column in 297 AD served as a monument to commemorate Emperor Diocletian’s suppression of an uprising at Alexandria.
It is possible that it began at the Temple of Serapis, which was located nearby and was known as Cleopatra’s “Daughter Library.” It had a total of 42,800 books and was able to outlive the Mother Library by more than a century until it was destroyed in 391 by Christian mobs during a civil uprising.
The only things that are left of the site are a Nilometer and a few underground cisterns in addition to the three tunnels that were used to bury the sacred Apis bulls. It is unfortunate, since the location used to be wonderful.
