Alexandria Amidst Fragrant History and Saffron Soil

Book excerpt: Alexandria, Amidst Fragrant History and Saffron Soil, is a valuable addition to the library of nonfiction books written about one of the most ancient cities in the world. The author provides intriguing reflections as eyewitness of the evolution and devolution of the city through a tour over a lifetime of landmarks of importance as well as those of no significance to the casual observer. While some neighborhoods may have historical prominence, the insignificant places are those which shape the history of mankind. The author leads the reader through alleys, roads, streets, and squares to visualize the unveiling of a human drama in a city of substantial contribution to mankind. The author paints a five-dimension portrait of Alexandria: three dimensional space, time, and human emotion. As time gives a sense of mobility to motionless objects undergoing change at different speeds, emotion provides inanimate objects with the elixir of life.