All school children in Egypt learn about the two branches of the Nile that flank its Delta from their geography books: the Rosetta and Damietta, or Rashid and Domiat in Arabic. However, the books state little about the cities’ history that lie on its estuaries.

Rosetta, the city where the famous stone was recovered and provided a new tool for decoding the hieroglyphs, has a much richer history than just that. It is the second largest Egyptian city after Cairo in terms of the number of Islamic monuments with 22 houses, 11 mosques, a zawya, bath, flour mill and the remains of one of the ancient city gates. Finally the city contains the Mamluk fortress of Qa’it Bay where the Rosetta Stone was originally discovered in July 1799 during the French campaign in Egypt.

With the monuments mostly dating back to the 18th century, Rosetta offers a unique if undervalued experience with its outstanding architecture, mystic alleys, nature, moderate climate and exquisite seafood dishes.

The trip from Cairo to Rosetta takes more than four hours by car, winding through crowded villages and unpaved roads. Visitors are greeted by the old mosque of Abul-Nadr located on a small peninsula surrounded by large trees as they enter the city.

Enjoying the intricately decorated houses overlooking the narrow cobblestone streets, a visitor will notice peddlers with hand-driven and mule-driven carts as well as traditional coffee shops with wood and glass windows.

Old men in Rosetta can be seen proudly wearing the national costume: the typical pants and vest of a Rashidy sailors.


 
ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
The out of print 1984 Blue Guide to Egypt says that little is known about Rosetta’s early history, although it has been inhabited since ancient times. “During the height of power of Alexandria it remained a small station for the ships that passed down the Bolbitine branch of the Nile. In the ninth century, navigation of this branch became increasingly difficult and Rosetta rose in importance,” the guide says.

However, it was not until after the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century that the town became the principal port of Egypt’s North Coast, holding its position until the 19th century, serving trade between Egypt, Turkey and the Peloponnese. For 300 years, it outshone Alexandria and boasted a larger population.

By the time Muhammad Ali constructed the Mahmudiyah Canal between the Nile and Alexandria, Rosetta was eclipsed.

Within a few years it was little more than a small town dependent on fishing and rural industry.

Mohamed Tohamy, chairman of the Rosetta Antiquities Department, speaks proudly about the restoration work that the Supreme Council for Antiquities carried out over the last few years: “As for the most endangered mosque in Rosetta, the mosque of Zaghloul, Zahi Hawas took a courageous decision and the mosque was rebuilt.”

The restoration project cost a total of LE 36 million, according to Tohamy. The second stage has just been accomplished, which included 13 houses and five mosques.

Rosetta, according to Tohamy, has a very unique architectural style that is characterized by mangour bricks, the common red bricks made of the Nile’s clay, were differently treated in Rosetta’s architectural legacy, as they were burned in a manner allowing for a resultant two shades of color (some well burnt to give a dark brown color and some moderately burnt to give more of a red color). The colored bricks alternate in brown and red tiers on the façades of the buildings with white stucco outline giving an elegant decorative outlook

“The style is pretty old and takes after the Roman tradition that moved to Asia Minor, Persia, Iraq and then Egypt during the Islamic ages and it was used in Rosetta, Fowah and Damietta. Each house included a wekala (commercial agency) since most of the houses belonged to rich merchants and the ruling elite,” Tohamy says. He speaks sadly about the lack of cooperation between state organizations in Egypt, noting the local authorities have to be more cooperative in order to develop the city and attract tourists. “We wish the governorate would start […] cleaning the areas surrounding the monuments and improving the infrastructure. The worst of our problems is the high level of underground water as we have been awaiting a drainage project for so long. This is causing major damage to the foundations of the buildings and thus they need high periodical maintenance.”
 
MAIN ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Waking up before dawn gives visitors the chance to watch fishermen start their day. According to Mamdouh Hamed, researcher and resident of Rosetta, the daily production of Nile fish is estimated at one ton. He says that Rosetta’s fish is sold in other cities of the Delta.

Before entering Rosetta on the highway, the city welcomes its visitors with massive palm tree fields, obviously very well cared for and trimmed. Basketry is one of the crafts Rosetta is famous for and explains why palm trees are so well trimmed. Within the alleys there are numerous workshops for basketry, the ancient craft that started in order to provide packing for fruits now produces simple furniture used in homes as well.

One of the craftsmen tells of a French tourist who came to him a week earlier. “He watched me carefully while making the basket and assembling it and was taking down notes. When I asked him why he did so, he said that he will need to disassemble the basket in order to take it back home then reassemble it. They love our basketry.”

TOURISM POTENTIAL
History professors have repeatedly said that Rosetta can be the Luxor of Islamic monuments, but it takes more than monuments and history to create a touristic site.

Today’s Rosetta has a single three-star hotel and a few seafood restaurants on the banks of the Nile. It’s no wonder tourist groups never visit the city and weeks can go by before Rashidys see a backpacker.

May Shehab, lecturer and expert on tourism development, recommends an alternative form of tourism for a city like Rosetta, whose historic sites could be damaged by mass-market tourism.

“Within a well-studied development scheme, I’d recommend that inhabitants be encouraged to set up their small motels, bed and breakfast facilities, restaurants and cafes, the city should be listed in all tourist guides so that individual tourists and backpackers who primarily resort to such guides know about the city and what it offers,” says Shehab.

She added that we need to know what kind of impact tourists will have on the place. “We need to develop the area through tourism rather than imposing tourism in such a way that can destroy the place. This is if we want to make it sustainable.”

Although the road to Rosetta from Alexandria is efficient, the city is not as accessible from Cairo. Shehab says that access is number one for a tourist destination; if the city is not easy to access it would be difficult to market it for tourism. Given Rosetta’s accessibility, it might be more practical to market it within a package that includes Alexandria. bt