Rosetta ( Rashid ) Alexandria
Founded in the 9th century by Ibn Tulun, the Muslim governor of Egypt, Rosetta (also known by the modern name of Rashid) became one of Egypt’s most important ports, reaching its heyday during the 17th and 18th centuries.
With Alexandria’s revival in the 19th century, however, Rosetta fell into decline and today it is little more than an attractive fishing village surrounded by palm and orange groves.
Many beautiful Ottoman houses and mosques -reminders of Rosetta’s more glorious past – can still be seen around the town and several are open to visitors. Among the most beautiful are the House of Amasyali on.
Sharia Amasyali and Ramadan House on Sharia Port Said. The ornate 18th-century Azouz hammam (public baths) to the south of the town is almost entirely intact.
Rosetta is best known for the famous Rosetta stone (see pp20-21), which was discovered here by French soldiers in 1799. Part of a black basalt stele dating from the 2nd century BC, the stone was carved with a decree by Ptolemy V, written in ancient hieroglyphics, Greek and demotic Egyptian.
when Fort Qaitbey was built
Built-in 1479 to guard the mouth of the Nile and protect Egypt’s spice trade against predatory maritime powers, Fort Qaitbey (Borg Qaitbey in Arabic) reinforced in 1799 by Napoleon’s troops,From these inscriptions, French professor Jean-Francois Champollion was able, in 1822 (Where the Egyptian authorities are trying to have it repatriated), to formulate a system for deciphering hieroglyphics – a feat that was to unlock much of ancient Egyptian history.
Conceded to the British in 1801, the Rosetta stone is now on display at the British Museum in London.
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