Public art and architecture

At the beginning of Late Antiquity, the cityscape of Alexandria was still delineated by the ancient walls (restored by Diocletian (284-305)), graced by such venerable institutions as the Library and the Museum, and enriched by the commerce made

Figure 45.1 Alexandria, plan of tfie Late Antique city. After McKenzie: 2007.

Possible by its harbors (figure 45.1). The great causeway, the Heptastadium, linked the city to the harbors and the Pharos, the lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (which continued to stand until the fourteenth century). Embedded within the strictly gridded plan of the city, a feature originating in Hellenistic city planning, was the main colonnaded street, the Canopic Way, which extended across the full width of the city from the eastern to the western gates. Nearly twice the breadth of other streets, this remained the main processional route through the city during Late Antiquity. To the north of this street were the forum and the Caesareum, the temple built by Kleopatra VII and marked by the re-erection of ancient Egyptian obelisks. ‘‘Cleopatra’s Needles’’ remained in place throughout Late Antiquity (up until about one hundred years ago, when when they were taken to New York City and London). Their use in this context can be understood as a Graeco-Egyptian version of the kind of political markers, typically freestanding monumental arches and columns, employed in Roman urbanism. Indeed, Late Antique Alexandria had all the amenities of Roman city life, including a public architecture showcasing its Ptolemaic heritage, Roman culture, and Roman imperial might.