Photo : Abdelrhman 1990 — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alexandria · Shallalat
Shallalat Gardens
A sunken garden wrapped around what is left of Alexandria's medieval city wall.
The name means "the waterfalls". You go down into the garden from the street: thick vegetation, tall trees, ornamental pools that are not always filled, and above all a long stretch of wall with its towers, what survives of the rampart that closed Alexandria in the Middle Ages. The blocks of flats of the district look down on the basin from every side, and that contrast is what makes the place: a piece of the old city at the bottom of it, in the middle of the traffic. The garden was neglected for years, work has been done there since, and its condition changes quickly.
The extra bit
Walk round the outside first: the street is where you get the measure of the wall's height and the drop into the basin. Then go in, and follow the foot of the rampart rather than the walks through the middle.
Know before you go
This is not a laid-out archaeological site: no proper panels, no guide, and the remains are mixed in with recent additions. Entry, where it is charged, is cheap, but nothing guarantees you will find the gate open: it can be shut with no explanation. The garden sits low and damp, so mosquitoes come out towards evening. It is a neighbourhood garden, better known to residents than to visitors; set back from the street and poorly lit, it is better seen by day.
