In the past the institution used to be called Victoria College and today it is called Al-Nasr College. In between the two colleges is an entire history that separates the reign of royalty and the revolution that was begun by Abdul Nasser who also nationalized foreign establishments except this college whose name was the only thing that altered with its students still calling it Victoria College.
In the past this prestigious college was where the children of kings and the elites met such as the late King Hussein of Jordan and the former Jordanian Prime Minister Zaid ibn Shaker. Many well-known Saudi and Kuwaiti people graduated from this college. Other illustrious members of its alumni included Kurdish leader Adnan Al-Bajaji, the Libyan Sanousi family and Palestinian Edward Said and Michael Attiya.
The children of businessmen and the rich from different parts of the world enroll in this educational institution.
Al-Nasr College has 5,000 students on its rolls and its facilities include high-class soccer fields, swimming pool, health club and theater. It conducts countless artistic activities. As for its educational standard, it is known to be well-established in math, computing and English language.
But what is unique about this institution is that it was the meeting place for the children of kings and famous families.
One of its most famous graduates is businessman Armon Kaheel, who is 77 years old.
Kaheel is of Syrian origin, born in Alexandria. His mother was the first woman to drive a car in Egypt in 1925.
Armon Kaheel toured the world and lived in Canada for quite some time. According to him “political circumstances” prevented him from getting married. However jokingly and in English — the language most Victoria College graduates prefer to speak in — Kaheel said that “a single man is never alone because he’s the source of attraction for women.”
History of Alexandria
Kaheel loves Alexandria’s history and loves living there personally driving around but hates cellular phones. He sighs as he recalls the blows of time and the desertion of friends. However, he surprises you with a detailed account about the history of Alexandria. He recalls the most famous of his college friends at Victoria College, film maker Yousef Shahin, Dr. Adham Al-Naqeeb and Muhammad Ali Niazi. He did not miss the name of his uncle Aziz Basha Kaheel who was recommended to take over the ministry after the assassination of Betrus Basha Ghali.
From that lovely time, all who is left is Ahmad Al-Dalil. Kaheel said: “Ahmad and I still meet at the famous Syrian station at the Raml (sand) station.
As for the age of Victoria College, he said: This college reflects the forgiving spirit of Alexandria in which we used to live, all of us people of different origins and ethnicities.
The institution was founded in 1902 but was officially opened in 1906 in the presence of Lord Cromer who did not like the spread of education in British colonies. However he consented to be present after much convincing that students and teachers would stick to all that was British.
The college was established in an area called Al-Siyouf. The first school supervisor was Charles Elyias. The tram track was extended so that it could reach the college. And with World War I breaking out, Victoria College was transformed into an English military hospital. It was after World War II that a branch of the college was opened in Cairo with the English taking over the Italian school in Shabra after confiscating the possessions of the Italians because they had joined Hitler against them.
Famous People
From the mid-40s until the beginning of the 50s students that would later become famous joined the school such as Omar Al-Sharif, King Hussein, King Simon, Hazem Nasibah, Zaid Al-Rifae, Al-Sadeq Al-Mahdi, King Faisal of Iraq, etc. But in 1948 Italy succeeded in retrieving their school in Shabra and a new school was established in Cairo on the outskirts of Al-Maadi that stands until this very day although the main location is Alexandria.
The institution continued to function under its English administration until after the revolution in 1952. Col. Muhammad Najib, the first Egyptian president, sent a telegram congratulating its principal in 1953 on its Golden Jubilee. It was President Jamal Abdul Naser who announced the nationalization of the school and changing its name to Nasr College.
Lawyer Akram Al-Naqeeb, son of the last of Egypt’s queens, is also a graduate of the college and has fond memories of Victoria College.
He said: I graduated from it in 1979 just like my father and what attracted me the most during my education there was the spirit of discipline and I benefited from the trust the British established to help the school, its standard and curriculum and books.
Victoria College was and is among the architectural landmarks. It was established in the name of Queen Victoria when Egypt was just an ‘Ottoman region’. The college’s old boys association presently has more than 200 members around the world. “We all come together for reunions here in Alexandria every summer. This year we invited scientific and other world leaders to engage in a cultural dialogue supported by Alexandria library in which I work in as director of Mediterranean Research,” Al-Naqeeb said.