. The Mediterranean : its storied cities and venerable ruins . North African port, fromTangier to Port Said, and need not be further described. The great thoroughfare of Alexandria, a fine streetrunning in a straight line from the western gate of thecity to the Place Mehemet Ali, is within a few minutesof the quay. A sudden turn and this strange minglingof Eastern and Western life bursts upon the spectatorsastonished gaze. This living diorama, formed by thebrilliant and ever-shifting crowd, is in its way greater variety of nationalities is collected here thaneven in Constantinople or
. The Mediterranean : its storied cities and venerable ruins . North African port, fromTangier to Port Said, and need not be further described. The great thoroughfare of Alexandria, a fine streetrunning in a straight line from the western gate of thecity to the Place Mehemet Ali, is within a few minutesof the quay. A sudden turn and this strange minglingof Eastern and Western life bursts upon the spectatorsastonished gaze. This living diorama, formed by thebrilliant and ever-shifting crowd, is in its way greater variety of nationalities is collected here thaneven in Constantinople or cosmopolitan Algiers. Let usstand aside and watch this motley collection of all nations,kindreds, and races pouring along this busy kaleidoscopic variety of brilliant color and fantasticcostume seems at first a little bewildering. Solemn andimpassive-looking Turks gently ambling past on gailycaparisoned asses, grinning negroes from the Nubianhills, melancholy-looking fellahs in their scanty bluekaftans, cunning-featured Levantines, green-turbaned. MEHEMET ALI 241 Shereefs, and picturesque Bedouins from the desert stalk-ing along in their flowing bernouses, make up the massof this restless throng. Interspersed, and giving varietyof color to this living kaleidoscope, gorgeously-arrayedJews, fierce-looking Albanians, their many-colored sashesbristling with weapons, and petticoated Greeks. Then,as a pleasing relief to this mass of color, a group ofEgyptian ladies ghde past, a bevy of fair damsels richlydight, no doubt, but their faces, as well as their richattire, concealed under the inevitable yashmak surmount-ing the balloon-like trousers. Such are the elements inthis mammoth masquerade which make up the strangeand varied picture of Alexandrian street life. And nowwe may proceed to visit the orthodox sights, but we haveseen the greatest sight Alexandria has to show us. The Place Mehemet Ali, usually called for the sake ofbrevity the Grand Square, is close at hand. Thi
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Keywords: ., bookauthorarmstron, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1902
