Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

MARINA EL-ALAMEIN

EGYPT

capital, have been discovered in Arabia,
Cyprus and Egypt. Indeed, researchers
have been fairly unanimous in considering
the latter region as the place of origins for
the type. It is currently held that forms of
this kind were developed in Ptolemaic
Egypt with Alexandria and its vicinity
being possibly the main center.5 W.A. Da-
szewski was the first to point out the pre-
valence of this kind of architectural
remains in Marina el-Alamein, drawing
attention to the fact that the site was
a major center of this type of decoration.
THE AEDICULAE AND
Initial exploration of the house ruins in
Marina el-Alamein, fragmentarily cleared
by Egyptian antiquities inspectors, led to
the discovery of elements of architectural
niches. Fragments of an aedicula were
excavated at the time in and around House
H9, giving an idea of the exceptional
richness of architectural decoration of this
kind. Once the particular pieces of this
niche were put together, a task completed
in 1988 by W.A. Daszewski, a theoretical

Elsewhere in Egypt, the occurrence of
these forms is sporadic. In Marina, they
prevail.
Moreover, the characteristic geometric
stylization concerned not only the best
known pseudo-Corinthian capitals referred
to hitherto as 'Nabatean', but also pseudo-
Ionian and Doric examples, as well as entire
architectural orders, entablatures and
cornices included.6 Thanks to the large
number of remains discovered in Marina, it
proved possible to reconstruct the principles
behind the constitution of these orders.7
THEIR CONSERVATION
reconstruction of the aedicula became
possible [Fig. I}.8
In 1998, clearing work inside a nearby
house designated as H10 led to the
discovery of a much larger and, more
importantly, complete niche [Fig. 2). The
sill of the niche was found in situ in the
wall. The painted decoration from inside
the niche had also survived fragmentarily.9
A theoretical reconstruction of the archi-
tectural setting of the aedicula and the

5 Daszewski, "Nouvelles...", op. cit, 121-123; J. Patrich, "The formation of the Nabatean capital", in: Judea and the
Greco-Roman World in the Time of Herod in the Light of Archaeological Evidence (Gottingen 1996), 204;
P. Pensabene, "Elementi Architettonici di Alessandria e di altri siti egiziani", Repertorio d'Arte dell'Egitto Greco-Romano,
Serie C, III (Roma 1989), 63, 131; O. Callot, "Elements d'architecture romaine a Larnaca", RDAC 1988, 225; Wright,
op. cit., 462; A. Hermary, "L'architecture religieuse a Chypre a l'epoque imperiale: traditions et innovations", in:
Chypre. La vie quotidienne de l'antiquite a nos jours, Actes du Colloque 15-17 nov. 1982, Musee de l'Homme (Paris
1985), 131; A. Hermary, M. Schmid, "Le sanctuaire d'Aphrodite a Amanthonte", in: Pratika tou Dhefterou Dhiehnous
Kyprologikou Synedriou (Nicosia 1985), 286, note 16.
6 S. Medeksza, R. Czerner, "Rescuing Marina El-Alamein: a Graeco-Roman town in Egypt", Minerva 14, no. 3 (May/June
2003), 21-22.
7 R. Czerner, "Aleksandryjskie stylizowane trzy porz^dki architektoniczne", in: Nie tylko Zamki (Wroclaw 2005), 283-
298.
8 J. Radzik, "Aedicula", in: Archaeological Background and Conservation Problems, vol. 1 (Warsaw 1991), 45-46; cf. also
W.A. Daszewski, "Nouvelles...", op. cit., 113, Fig. 2; id., "A la recherche d'une Egypte peu connue: Travaux sur la cote
nord-ouest, a Marina el-Alamein, CRA1 (avril-juin 1993), 415-416.
9 Estimated at about 25% of the original. For detailed description and iconographic analysis, as well as suggested dating,
cf. S. Medeksza, "Marina el-Alamein, grecko-rzymskie miasto w Egipcie. Badania architektoniczno-urbanistyczne i res-
tauracja reliktow architektury mieszkalnej", in: Conservatio est aetema creatio (Torun 1999), 117-154.

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