رحلة مصرية ::Egyptian trip

Finally I got the chance to start writing again about Egypt. The motivation came with a dynamic project of a young and full of life Egyptians lead by a passionate guide , Mr. Moustafa. As far as I understood he is organizing trips in Cairo and closest cities. The trips that are not requiring transportation they are free of charge , anyone who wants to join just come and join taking advantage of Mr. Moustafa's explanations for free. The trips that involve transportation there is a fee , a very affordable one. Last Friday on 6 June رحلة مصرية ::Egyptian trip organized a trip to the famous Citadel. Although I have seen it three times already , I decided to join the group just for fun and see if the project is for real . Yes , it is ! The entrance ticket to the Citadel is only 2 pounds for Egyptians. For the foreigners is 60 pounds per adult and 30 pounds per child. Remember if you are a foreigner married with an Egyptian citizen just have with you a proof of the marriage and you will be considered as Egyptian.  I am going to write about the Citadel in my following post. Next week on 13 June  رحلة م.صرية ::Egyptian trip is organizing a trip to Alexandria visiting the Alexandria National Museum , the Catacombs of Kom el Shukafa , the Pompey Pillars and then heading to a garden for relaxation. The trip is only 60 le and free of charge for children under 6 years old.

 

I think these kind of actions are welcome in these times when tours and sightseeing are not as popular as before due to the events from the country. I found Mr. Moustafa , a very energetic and enthusiastic person with a very expressive mimic of the face. I can tell he is really passionate about his explanations but too bad that I didn't understand anything as I was the only one foreigner in his group. The others on the other hand enjoyed every moment with him, listening very careful to his words ! 

 

I recommend this group and you can be in touch with them through their Facebook page where you will also find their phone numbers if you need them. You will find on their page useful information, the weekly event and lot of pictures.

Stay tune , more to come !

Antoniadis Gardens , Alexandria - Egypt

The Antioniadis Villa and Gardens are located to the south of the Nuzha in Alexandria . They once belonged to John Antioniadis , a wealthy Greek citizen and a generous patron of the city who founded it in 1860 . He had them built and designed by Paul Richard who employed both Arab and Western architectural and decorative styles . In 1918 , the Villa Antoniadis and its gardens were donated to the Municipality of Alexandria and they were used as a guest house to host Egypt’s visiting significant figures .

 The no less attractive Antioniadis Gardens is the perfect place for those seeking relaxation . The villa's garden , a place out of this world , houses a number of Venus statues , several fountains , good collections of plants , a tropical greenhouse as well as some archeological remains , including a Gnostic tomb and a cistern .

The Antoniadis Palace and its park are constructed as a miniature version of the Palace of Versaille. The Villa and its garden date back to the 19th century, and is mainly used to house a collection of statues sculpted in the Greek style and owned by Sir John Antoniadis. It consists of a basement level of 434 square meters, a ground floor of 1,085 square meters, a second floor of 860 meters and a roof area of 480 square meters, for a total area of 2,859 square meters. The ground and second floors include 15 rooms each. There are several archeological remains, including a tomb and a cistern.

 

 I found it a sad place cause of the palace that was a total ruin . I found it sad that such beautiful gardens once they are not more cared about . I found it sad cause of the statues that definitely need renovation.

 

But above all was a sunny and green day and  was happy after all cause of our souls who simply enjoy a walk in a beautiful garden. After all the beauty lays in the eyes of the looker. Who wanna see beauty inside things they will see it even in a ruined palace !  

 

Here you can read more detailed information about the place http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/antoniadis.htm .