Filling the gap: footnotes of modern Alexandria

From the cotton boom and the British bombardment to two revolutions and two World Wars, major events shaped the lives of Alexandrians and the city’s visual identity between the 1860s and the 1960s. This period was followed by a gap in the modern history of Alexandria, once Egypt’s capital and its main coastal city. This talk explores the contexts that formed the Alexandria we experience today. It also examines how footnotes, a cultural project based in the city, helps to fill gaps in Alexandria’s historical narrative by bringing overlooked stories back into public discussion through active engagement with the city’s buildings and streets.