Nothing remains of the Temple of Augustus. Founded by
Cleopatra in honor of Mark Antony, it may well be in this
temple that Cleopatra committed suicide in 30 BC. The
temple stood near the shore at the center of the great
harbor. It was a lavish temple with porticoes,
propylalea, parks and libraries. The temple was
rededicated to Caesar Augustus, Mark Antonio's conqueror.
With the adoption of Christianity, it became the
Cathedral of Alexandria in the 4th century AD. It was
destroyed in 912 AD. In front of the temple stood two red
granite obelisks called "Cleopatra's Needles",
though they bear the names of Tuthmosis III, Seti I and
Ramesses II. The obelisks were brought to Alexandria from
Heliopolis by the Romans 20 years after Cleopatra's
death. These giant Obelisks stayed still facing the old
Harbor until 1877, when the British forces took them and
shipped them away. One was removed to the Thames
Embankment in London, and the other was taken to New York
where it stands in Central Park. The statue of a great
Alexandrine Nationalist called Saad Zaghloul is standing
in the same location where Caesareum used to be. The
statue is surrounded with a park which is considered to
be one of the busiest squares in Alexandria.
 |
Design, Layout and Graphic Art by Jimmy
Dunn, an InterCity
Oz, Inc. Employee
All content, Graphic Art, Design, Layout, and Scripting
Code Copyright 1996 by InterCity Oz, Inc.