Damage to Alexandria ‘irreparable; a total loss,’ Pope Theophilus implicated
Roman woman witnesses Serapeum destruction: ‘I was moved to tears’
ROME — Octavia Fulvia, a Roman jewelry designer, was walking along the Mediterranean with her husband when she saw a massive fire at the Serapeum. “I know it’s such an important symbol for the Roman people. I was moved to tears,” she said.
Citizens knew the Serapeum as the largest and most magnificent of all temples in the Greek quarter of Alexandria.
People were weeping in the streets as they watched the destruction by a Roman Catholic mob. Plumes of smoke drifted along the banks of the Mediterranean sea, just blocks from the temple.
“There were people crying just watching the flames because it really is this iconic symbol of Alexandria and Roman culture. And just to stand there, we felt helpless,” Fulvia said.
The historic 2nd-century temple attacked by hundreds of Christian terrorists and Roman soldiers deployed by Pope Theophilus just before 7 p.m. local time. As ashes and embers blew onto bystanders and the streets, soldiers removed bystanders from the seaside.
A tourist had attempted to paint a selfie with the burning temple in the background, but a local Roman girl stopped her to say, “Do you realize this is a symbol for the Roman people? Please don’t paint a selfie.”
Fulvia and her husband, an artist, were in Alexandria for inspiration for their work and had just visited the site the day before. She said she had noticed some construction at the site, but noted that many old temples in the Empire are usually under construction.
Fulvia had visited the temple just one day before it caught fire.
“I’m very moved. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Fulvia said.
Other area residents were also in Alexandria and witnessed the massive fire.
Nefertiti Twosret, of Cairo, was among them.
She and her husband were in line to see the Serapeum. The line was very long so they decided to go to the baths across the street.
While sitting at the baths, about 90 minutes later, they saw people become very excited. Then, they saw the flames from the front columns.
“As more and more of the structure collapsed, the crowd sighed. Lots of crying. Lots of sadness,” Twosret said.
Witnesses said the flames appeared to originate in an area of the roof where scaffolding had been erected for a restoration project.
By nightfall, the roof had collapsed, a dagger in the Roman heart.
“It’s one of those landmarks that you feel like are going to be there forever and it’s a sad reminder that, unfortunately, you have to appreciate and enjoy those landmarks while they’re here,” said Gustavus Pliney, local librarian at the Great Library.
