     Clockwise from top: Adda Building, Villa Sinigallia, Villa Averino, Paraskevas Building, Alexandria National Museum | |
| Native name | طريق الحرية (Arabic) |
|---|---|
| Former name(s) | Fuad I Road, Rosette Road, Canopic Way |
| Length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Location | Alexandria, Egypt |
El-Horeya Road (Arabic: طريق الحرية, lit. 'the liberty road') is a street in Alexandria, Egypt. It follows the course of the ancient Canopic Way (Ancient Greek: Κανωπικής οδού) and is considered one of the oldest planned streets in Alexandria and Egypt.[1][2]
History[edit]
During the times of the Ptolemaic Kingdom the Canopic Way used to be decorated with marble columns, and was bordered to the north by the Moon Gate and to the south by the Sun Gate.[3] It was intersected at its western end by the Soma Street (Ancient Greek: Σώμα, modern Nabi Daniil Street), where the site of Alexander's Tomb was located. The famous Mouseion, which included the Library of Alexandria, was close by this intersection.[4]
In the 5th century this area of the city got mostly desolated, and many buildings fell into ruin, and the city centre shifted north towards the seaside.
After the Arab Conquest of Egypt the city shrunk even further, and its borders were defined by the new Arab Walls, the remains of which can be seen on the road. The street became known as Bab al-Rashid (Arabic: باب الرشيد, lit. 'gates of Rosetta'), after one of the gates of these walls.
The street experienced revival during the reign of Muhammad Ali and his successors. Many public buildings like Zizinia Theatre and the Graeco-Roman Museum were constructed, but the street was mainly characterised by the elite residences of Greek, Italian, Jewish and Armenian communities, designed in Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco styles by Italian architects.[1]
It was renamed to Fuad I Road at the beginning of the 20th century, and got its modern name after the 1952 Egyptian Revolution.[5] The revolution led to the mass exodus of foreign residents and the confiscation and repurposing of the elite residences as public facilities. These buildings were subsequently neglected, leading to significant deterioration over the decades.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Contributor, Round City (2021-05-10). "Fouad Street: The oldest planned, still inhabited street in the world". Round City. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ a b Waguih, Asmaa (2016-03-23). "Amid modernisation, Alexandria's Fouad street is throwback to elegant past". The National. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ "Alexandria Portal". www.alexandria.gov.eg. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Alexandria - City layout | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ ""الطريق الكانوبى" .. شارع فؤاد شاهد على ماضى الإسكندرية". المصرى اليوم.