The Greeks who lived and died in Egypt's Alexandria

CAIRO – 3 June 2018: Greeks who lived in Alexandria were buried in a Greek cemetery located in El Shatby, east of Alexandria, which contains ancient antiques. They came to Alexandria because they were afraid of wars and infiltrators, seeking to start a new life.


Tomb of Joseph Audiche in the Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

“The Greeks are very peaceful as long as you do not approach them. Long back, there was a company that came to the place to guard it, and they seized some antiques which belonged to the place. Later, they had been affected by a deadly disease that forced them to confess their actions,” said Naeem, the cemetery’s guard.


The Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

The tombs of the Greek community in Alexandria were founded on a large piece of land in El Shatby area, which was given by Muhammad Ali Pasha. The first, second and third marble tombs are decorated with statues and sculptures.


The Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

George Averof was buried in the first tomb, which is empty, as his remains were transferred to a cemetery in Athens, Greece. He acquired a lot of money in Egypt and then spent it on charity in Greece and Egypt. In Greece, he established a college of engineering and other charitable institutions for the people of Athens. In Egypt, he built a school on 1,160 acres.


The Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

There is also the family cemetery of the famous Greek poet Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, one of the greatest poets of modern Greece, a non-typical Greek-Egyptian who expressed the common convergence of two worlds – ancient Greece and the ancient Middle East – in his poetry.


The Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

Next to him is the tomb of George Antoniadis, who donated his home and his garden of rare flowers and plants to the Alexandria governorate, along with the tomb of Kutiska, founder of the Greek Hospital, which is now known as Gamal Abdel Nasser Hospital.


Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

When you walk a little, you'll find the tomb of Alexandria's most famous wooden merchant's daughter, Zorvadakki, whose tombstone shows an angel putting his finger in front of his mouth as a sign for her visitors to stay silent during their visit to her tomb.


Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

The cemetery also includes the tombs of the most prominent individuals of the Greek Society of Alexandria, such as Dr. Anastasi, Salvagon, Zerfozaki, Kazoli, Rali, Ridoknakki and Kaszali, among others. There are also tombs containing about 100 belongings of Greek air force soldiers who died in the Middle East during World War II.


Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

A three-year plan was prepared to repair the damage of the Greek community's three tombs in Alexandria. The Electronics Department and the Science Applications Laboratory at the Faculty of Archeology of the Technological Education Institute in Lamia, Greece, in cooperation with the Greek Society in Alexandria, studied and maintained the marble tombs of the Greek Society in Alexandria.


Greek Cemetery in Alexandria - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz

During the summer vacation, when Greek students come to visit their families, they visit the Greek tombs to clean the area and restore the statues.


Claudine - Jenny Travassaro in the Greek Cemetery - Egypt TodayHanaa Abul Ezz