Echoes From The Past — Alexandria in Photos

My first memory of Alexandria goes all the way back to when I was three and four years old. At the time, my father was appointed to Hotel Manager of the Montazah Sheraton and that was when we moved from Cairo to there. We lived in the hotel and I attended the mighty Collège Saint Marc for a year and a half — in Jardin D’enfants or Kindergarten. We also went to nearby Agami for parts of the summer.  

Then my father moved again to Saudi Arabia and I went back to Cairo to live with my grandparents and start a 13-year journey at the Jésuites.

The weird thing is that I never went back to Alex in my adult life until this last week in November 2015 — 34 years later. I spent three days, which I used to visit as many places as possible and take as many photographs as possible. A sweet young woman, Laila, who had lived there all her life was my guide, and I must say she did a wonderful job in showing me around. 

Other than the sightseeing, she also took me to great places to eat; Chez Gaby is one of them, the Greek Club is another for an amazing sea food meal and a stunning view.

We also went to Spitfire, a really old cool bar downtown, which was opened in 1883 by a Greek man, Dominus Kharalambo. Kharalambo adopted and raised 11-year-old Hassan al-Sayed Osman and his brother Fouad, who managed the bar.

Also here on One Lucky Soul, Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt — ranked number two in the most-read pieces on the blog.

[2026 Edit Note]: More in-depth, raw memories from this exact 1981 time frame in Alexandria have recently been unearthed and written down. They belong to the series Early Memories Never Worded, now compiled as triads in the Subconscious Chronicles anthology on One Lucky Soul:

• The Deadly Red T-shirt of 1981 Alexandria
• The Assassination Day of President Sadat
• The New Sibling

Now back to the outcome of the trip. Enjoy the photos...

Cairo Station where I found out that using the camera requires a permit,
yet was able to snap a few shots.

 Alexandrian sense of humour

The view of Aida Beach from Sheraton Montazah 
— more or less the same view I had 34 years ago 

[Almost] four-year old on Aida beach where the same iconic curve can be seen 
— July 1981 

A pregnant street dog resting

The mighty Collège Saint Marc:

For a four-year-old kid, I remember the halls were huge. The whole
school is still huge, but I think I grew a little.

The school from the inside brought lots of childhood memories and flashbacks

Minimalism

1ère Jardin d'enfants (1981-1982) at Saint Marc — I'm next to the blond kiddo, Pierre,
and Haissam is in front of us. Madame Madelaine (upper left), Madame Colette in front
of her, Madame Iman (upper right), and Madame Clara.

Making “3asaleya” (molasses taffy candy) on Nabi Daniel Street.
Some People I Shot

An old building belonging to Bank Misr on Talaat Harb Street

The Roman Amphitheater in Kom Al-Dikka:

“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
— Leonard Cohen

A German Shepherd enjoying the view on Fouad Street

I began at the top left and kept getting closer to the window until the dog got 
curious and changed positions as you can see in lower right. 
I was standing in the middle of the street by then.

Boots UK was once in Alex, close to Fouad Street.

Alexandria Opera House, also known as Sayyed Darwish Theatre and
formerly Mohamed Aly Theatre, also on Fouad Street.

Saint Catherine Church in El Mansheya El Soghra

Bibliotheca Alexandrina:

From Knowledge to Wisdom

The Sadat Museum at the Library

Historical printing machines


Naguib Mahfouz


 Gandhi


Herodotus’ An Account of Egypt


View from the last floor of the library

Artistic Mural at Bahari

Some political messages around the city, against Morsi then Sisi:

Apparently Delices has been open since 1922. Cheers!

Some unexplained bathroom signs

Hilarious lingerie sold in the middle of the Nabi Daniel Street that
you could not NOT capture

Another view from the balcony of the Sheraton at a different time of the day

Eastern Port with a view of the 15th-century Citadel of Qaitbay

Back to school in 2015 since being a 4/5-year-old child in Kindergarten in 1981-’82

ALSO VIEW: 

Tripping Through Dahab Art (2026)

1920s Egypt in Colours

Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt
 
World Art Through My Lens

Tripping Through Venice Beach Art

More Tripping Through Venice Beach Art

Photos I Shot That Brought Tears To My Eyes

The Phenomenal Getty Villa in Photos
 

A Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2014-’15)

Another Year at the Vesnice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2016-’17)

One More Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2017-’18)

A Wacky Day Out at LA Burning Man Decompression in Photos & Video (14 October 2017)

Some People I Shot

More People I Shot 

Some More People I Shot

Some Animals I Shot

Early 1900s Paris in Colours

Some Soulful Travel Quotes

Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt

Italian Egyptians are a community with a history that goes all the way back to Roman times. Like Greeks, Maltese, and Jewish people among other nationalities and ethnic groups, they were integrated into the Egyptian society and have peacefully coexisted ever since. 


The story begins in 36 BCE when the last Queen of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, married the Roman, Mark Antony, to whom she offered her country as a ‘dowry’. Egypt then remained part of the Roman Empire for seven long centuries. Many people from the Italian peninsula moved to live there during this time.

Since then, there has been a continuous presence of Italian Egyptians and their descendants. For the new generations, there was a considerable amount of cultural assimilation and influence, which went both ways. There was even a Venetian Quarter in Cairo.

After Napoleon I, the Italian community in Alexandria, and in Egypt in general, began growing exponentially. The 1882 census recorded 18,665 Italians in the country; just before World War II, they reached 55,000 — forming the second largest expatriate community in Egypt after the Greek. Most Italian Egyptians resided in Alexandria and Cairo, and consisted primarily of merchants, artisans, professionals, along with a large number of workers. 


Speaking of, check the photo-article Echoes From The Past — Alexandria in Photos to see the beauty of that Mediterranean jewel — conjured following my first visit in over 30 years 


We know from history that whenever different nationalities, cultures, and languages mix, words happen to be borrowed in-between them — like Creole and Pidgin languages for instance. In linguistics, Nativization is the process whereby a language gains native speakers. This necessarily happens when a second language used by adult parents becomes the native language of their children.

One way or another, almost all immigrants and expats, and their children, are affected by the language of the country in which they reside. Though, again, this interlanguage process goes both ways, as my parents and grandparents would agree.

So just like vitesse, ascenseur, gateau, maquillage, soutien, Beau Lac, and Chateau Neuf ( شطانوف:  إحدى قرى مركز أشمون التابع لمحافظة المنوفية ) were borrowed from French to the Egyptian Arabic dialect, there are words that were borrowed from Italian, most of which have survived to this very day. The following is a list of said words that I grew up using or hearing without really thinking much about their origin.


Interestingly, over the years this lighthearted article came to be ranked number two in the most-read pieces on One Lucky Soul with tens of thousands of views. It is only preceded by Why Japanese Females Have Bowlegs, which somewhat surprisingly had been number one [by far] with over 140K views. Among all the other writings about all sorts of other topics, these two are the leading pieces on the entire blog. Quite interesting.


Alright there you go. 

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1. Gonnella [ جونيلا ]: Skirt


2. Tarasina [ تراسينا ]: Balcony or terrace (mainly used in Alexandria).


3. Tanda [ تندة ]: From Tenda, a cover or shade used at shopfronts, balconies, and outdoor areas referred to as “Awning” in English. Other related words to come across during the search are: canopy, pergola, gazebo, patio cover.   


4. Vaza [ ڤازا / فازا ]: From Vaso, vase.


5. Falso [ فالصو ]: False, fake, counterfeit; often used when describing fake goods, specifically jewellery.


6. Belyatsho [ بلياتشو ]: From Pagliaccio, clown.


7. Gwanti [ جوانتي ]: From Guanto, glove.


8. Ballo [ باللو ]: Dance, [dancing ball], party; it used as an expression to denote chaotic commotion or loud noise. It was heard here and there in old [black & white] Egyptian movies, but not much anymore. There was however an Egyptian play from 1995 called Ballo.


9. Varanda [ ڤاراندا / ڤيراندا ]: From veranda, roofed platform along the outside of a house on the ground floor; porch.  


10. Sala [ صالة ]: Hall or reception area.


11. Bagno [ بانيو ]: Bathtub. 


12. Fattura [ فاتورة ]: Invoice or bill.


13. Cameraira [ كماريرة ]: From cameriera, chambermaid or housemaid. 

My grandmother always spoke about her own grandfather who was feared by all the kids and who lived alone in the third floor of their household and had his own Greek cameraira — which also means maid in Greek.


14. Banzeena [ بنزينة ]: From benzina, gas station. Banzeen itself is fuel, petrol, gas (American English)   


15. Carton [ كرتون ]: From cartone, cardboard or pasteboard.


16. Salata [ سلطة ]: From insalata, salad.


17. Makeena / Makana [ مكنة / ماكينة ]: From macchina, machine.


18. Meckaniki [ ميكانيكي ] : From meccanico, mechanic.


19. Mobelia [ موبيليا ]: From mobilia, furniture.


20. Ballone [ بالون ]: From pallone, balloon.


21. Barouka [ باروكة ]: From parrucca, wig.


22. Rochetta [ روشتة ]: From ricetta, prescription.


23. Tasa: From tazza, frying pan.


24. Stabena [ ستابينا ]: From sta bene, Is it fine/OK?

This one was quite a shocker for me since I always thought it’s “Estabena” [ إستابينا ] in Arabic, which would have made more grammatical sense as a verb.


25. Vitrina [ فاترينا / فاترينة ]: From vetrina, display window or shop/store window.


26. Teatro [ تياترو ]: Theater.


27. Marca [ ماركة ]: Brand, make.


28. Torta [ تورتة ] : Cake, pie.


29. Prova [ بروفا ]: Rehearsal, test.


30. Vella [ فيلا ]: Villa.

More additions were kindly added by some readers...


31. Roba Becchia [ روبابيكيا ]: From roba vecchia, junk.


32. Gelati [ چيلاتي / جيلاتي ]: From gelato, ice cream.


33. Locanda [ لوكاندة ]: Hotel.


34. Carro [ كارو ]: Chariot or wagon (also in Spanish).


35. Lista [ لستة ]: List (also in Spanish).


36. Goma [ جومة ]: From gomma, rubber or eraser.


37. Bicicletta [ بسكلتة ]: Bicycle.


38. Medalia [ ميدالية ]: From medaglia, medal.


39. Bo’ [ بق ]: From bocca, mouth.


40. Besella [ بسلة ]: From piselli, peas.


41. Comodino [ كومودينو ]: Bedside table.

42. Borneita  [ بورنيطة ]: From berretto — berrettino (smaller) — cap, hat, or beret.

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Et Voilà!. Other than Italian, the Internet is full of Egyptian Arabic words borrowed from English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.


On a parallel note, and before you leave, here is another more recent article you may enjoy, Some Arabic Sayings and Their Translations — أمثال عربية و ترجمتها from 2016, as well as its 2024 sequel, Some Egyptian Arabic Expressions and Their Translations — مصطلحات مصرية و ترجمتها. Links to other language-related pieces can be found right below.

One last thing is wanting to thank all readers who commented on the article here on One Lucky Soul with even more Words With Italian Origin That Are Still Used Today In Egypt, which were all added to the above list. Much appreciated. 

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ALSO VIEW:

Unusual English Words learned Later in Life

Some Arabic Sayings and Their Translations — أمثال عربية و ترجمتها

Some Egyptian Arabic Expressions and Their Translations — مصطلحات مصرية و ترجمتها

A Trip Through Egyptian Royal History with 92-Year-Old Sa’id Zulfikar

 
From English as a Third Language to Author — How I Expanded My Vocabulary

Words With No Direct Translation To English

More Words With No Direct Translation To English

Words I Made Up

Words I Made Up — The Sequel

Unusual English Words I learned Later in Life

Echoes From The Past — Alexandria in Photos

1920s Egypt in Colours

On Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing

Why Many Place Names End with ‘-Stan’