Pompeys Pillar the sailors landmark and modern Alexandria Egypt The shaft before us was erected as a landmark for sailors by one of the Roman governors of Egypt and in AD one of his successors placed a statue of the emperor Diocletian upon it which has since disappeared In the Middle Ages it was mistakenly connected with the tomb of Pompey who was murdered on this coast and is therefore called Pompeys Pillar just as the New York obelisk which once stood here on the beach north of us was called Cleopatras Needle although Cleopatra never had anything to do with it This column is the only surviving monument of any size from the days of Alexandrias splendour It is feet high while the shaft alone which is cut in one piece is feet high In the base there have been used blocks from older buildings one of which bears the name of Sethos I of the th century BC