Egypt Today, 1950s

[Music] 23 centuries ago Alexander the Great first set foot on Egyptian [Music] soil along the sun branched shores of the Mediterranean the Supreme military Genius of his age founded the City that to this day proudly Bears his name Alexandria after 2,300 years of continuous existence Alexandria today is one of the world's great sea ports and the gateway to Modern Egypt [Music] pompy's pillar is called the landmark of Alexandria an all inspiring giant of stone 88 ft in height it has been carrying the wrong name since the Middle Ages actually it was erected in honor of the Roman Emperor Diocesan the catacombs some above the ground and others below are graphic reminders of first the Greek and then the Roman cultures that long ago dominated [Music] Alexandria far below the surface of the city in a Labyrinth of corridors and rooms heun from the solid rock the GRE Romans buried their dead and practiced a strange blending of fonic Greek and Roman religious [Music] rituals The Fortress of cayet bay is a 17th century reminder of Egypt under the rule of the mamalukes while another at abukir was built by Napoleon during his African campaign in these very Waters the little corporal's fleet was annihilated by Lord Horatio Nelson Liberation square is the nerve center of the city nearby is Ismael Square named after the kiv who governed Egypt in the late 19th century at the head of the square is a handsome monument and a statue of Ismael [Music] there's a hustle and bustle in the business district that one would expect to find in a great Seaport Town busy streets lined with shops open out into broad avenues that weave through the city's many parks due to an ideal climate luxuriant Gardens with flowers of every description and Hue Blossom the year around once a residence of EX King Faro the elaborately fashioned Palace at montaza has been converted into a museum and is open to the public there is yet another palace called rastin once the property of that same departed Monarch composed of more than 300 rooms the king had a private entrance leading to his Apartments while set within the grounds is a guest house large enough to be a hotel between between the two palaces a distance of 16 Mi runs the Cornish considered to be the finest prominade in Egypt and the pride of Alexandria during the intense heat of the Egyptian summer residents of Cairo and other cities to the South Hasten northward to enjoy Alexandria's cooling breezes and its major attraction a wealth of dazzling beaches and the warm turquoise Waters of the sea [Music] the fabled Nile is a watery Highway that connects North with South and the Riverboat provides Egypt's most Pleasant means of travel this is particularly true during the winter months when the climate throughout the country is close to [Music] Perfection no more picturesque sailing vessel exists than the Nile Fuca these crabs not only afford a mode of transportation but serve as carriers for much of the country's [Music] produce one Terminus of the Nile boats is Aswan some 600 mil south of Cairo it's here that modern man has accomplished what Pharaoh's Engineers were never able to do they've controlled the Nile the Aswan Dam has 18 sloes that regulate the rise and fall of the river and is the largest structure of its kind in the world not far from the great dam are the ancient Granite quaries where the Pharaohs obtained their tremendous building stones still lying in its bed unfinished is an immense Obelisk 10 and 1/2 ft thick at its base and 92 ft in length Aswan is the site of the first of the Nile cataracts the result of some prehistoric cataclysm that spewed forth the gargantuan Boulders that do the river and punctuate the landscape the result of this ancient upheaval has been anything but displeasing for Aswan is one of the most picturesque places in Egypt with scenes of Beauty on every hand Aswan has become a mecca for artists Egyptian and foreign alike even if the visitor can't paint a picture of a Fuca he can always go sailing in [Music] one since it was first opened for navigation in 1869 the Suz Canal has played an increasingly important role in shipping history and World Politics the city of Suz is the southern Terminus of the canal and here ships on route to the Mediterranean drop Anor ships from every corner of the globe carrying passengers and every conceivable type of cargo they wait to join a convoy for vessels traveling north proceed through the canal in the morning while those coming south pass through in the afternoon the Canal's total length is 101 Mi and 13,000 ships a year use it the short route from the Orient to Europe at some points it offers a chance to say with some truth that ships can be seen sailing through the [Music] desert Cairo is not only the capital of the country but is also the largest and most important city in the Middle East [Applause] those who have had the impression that place is a lethargic Oriental town are surprised by what Cairo actually is a completely Cosmopolitan Metropolis which boasts a population of more than 2 million the hustle and bustle the swirl of traffic and the rush of Shoppers all trademarks of a great City are more than evident in today's Cairo in the city and throughout the suburbs Egyptian Architects are keeping Pace with the Modern Trend when it comes to designing attractive Homes and [Music] Apartments there are many residents who prefer to rent a house booat and live on the Nile with the ever increasing traffic problem wide boulevards are a vital necessity in the downtown area much has been done to provide good thorough while laborers in the outlying districts work feverishly to keep Pace with the ever growing city many good Bridges carry traffic across the Nile the largest is this one called casel Neil and you'll notice that the entire map fast of the approaching peluca is lowered and it passes under the bridge if one has the desire to get away from all the city's hubub there's nothing to equal the peace and quiet of one of the many parks there a Serene Retreat for the old-timers and a paradise for [Music] children cairo's residents have a wide assortment of sports to choose from anything from an energetic game of tennis to the more docel pastime of playing croquet but for those who can afford any kind of a boat at all sailing on the Nile is certainly the favorite pastime here members of the Cairo Yacht Club are matching ziggs and [Music] zags comes night and all the silent salesmen who've been sleeping during the day awake with a multicolored [Music] Splash and the foreign visitor is startled to see that many of the products advertised are somewhat familiar also the evening hours mean dining out perhaps in a place typically Oriental and one that serves tasty Egyptian food there's roast pigeon that's been especially bred and fattened and Kebab chunks of lamb cooked over charcoal along with Kua which is ground lamb Taha is a paste made from sesame seeds lemon juice and seasoning and dolma a delightful variety of vegetables stuffed with brown veal and rice and now gone is modern Cairo with its structures of Steel and glass but this is the old city with its Maze of twisting narrow streets here is all the color the sounds and the flavor of the Orient and here too is a favorite Rendevous for visitors to Egypt laboring under almost primitive conditions expert Craftsmen turn out Simply Beautiful Creations intricate Arabic designs worked into copper etched into silver and the most delicate objects fashioned from pure gold this chap turns out such things as Amber cigarette holders using a lathe Muhammad himself would recognize overlooking this fascinating City the old and the new is the Citadel built by Saladin in the 13th century on an even higher point of ground is the mosque of Muhammad Ali located within the Fortress walls the great mosque is called the landmark of Cairo this is we think as it should be for its Builder Muhammad Ali is known in history as the founder of modern Egypt