Location:

It is situated in Karmose district to the west of Alexandria- approx. 9 miles from Alexandria train station.

Why it was built:

It was constructed in honor of the Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 4th century . Originally from the temple of the Serapis , it was once a magnificent structure rivaling the Soma and the Caesareum.

Explanation:

Pompey's pillar is one of the oddest and the tallest monuments in Alexandria, Originally from the temple of the Serapis. It is erected after 292 A.D in honor of the Roman Emperor Diocletian who ordered that a portion of the corn-tribute which was sent annually from Egypt to Rome, should be diverted to the relief of the citizens of Alexandria.

The column's measures is 88 feet length and 29 feet in diameter, standing on a limestone bluff with a garden and other excavations. The column looks almost gray from a distance, but up close it is the same fine, red Aswan granite that is so common in Egyptian monuments.

Pompey's pillar is the name given probably by the crusaders in the Middle Ages because they believed that the ashes of Pompey, the Roman General, were put in a pot on the top of the column.