Alexandria city

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The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern.

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern.

In the beginning of its history Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. It was founded around 331 BC by Alexander the Great as a capital of his empire. A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt for the East and never returned to his city. After Alexander’s death, in a struggle with the other successors of Alexander, his general Ptolemy succeeded in bringing Alexander's body to Alexandria. It remained Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand years, until the Arabs conquered Egypt in 641 AD. In that time Alexandria was known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and the Library of Alexandria. During the early 3rd century BC, the Alexandria Library had almost 500,000 volumes, the largest collection of books in the ancient world. However, the collection was destroyed over several centuries. The ancient city was about 6.4 km long and regularly built, with streets crossing at right angles. The most magnificent quarter of the city, called the Brucheium, was situated on the eastern harbor. Farther west was the Serapeion, or temple of the Egyptian deity Serapis; the Soma, or mausoleum of Alexander and the Ptolemies; the Poseidonium, or temple of Poseidon, god of the sea; the museum; the great theater; and the emporium, or exchange.

Very little of the ancient city has stood into the present day. Much of the royal and civic quarters sank beneath the harbour due to earthquake subsidence, and much of the rest has been rebuilt upon in modern times. The underwater area contains much of the most interesting sections of the Hellenistic city, including the palace quarter.

Nevertheless there are many interesting sights to look at: The Terbana Mosque; The mosque of Mursi Abul Abbas; the Fort of Qaitbay that was constructed on the site where the old lighthouse of Alexandria used to stand; the five Ptolemic tombs; the al-Shatby Necropolis; the most traditional quarter in Alexandria, Anfushi, which preserves the old atmosphere of this ancient city.

The modern city is situated mainly on a peninsula, reaching to and including the island of Pharos, and on the portion of the mainland immediately south of the eastern harbor. The part of the modern city on the peninsula is a characteristically Egyptian town. Thanks to its more than 140 km of beaches, Alexandria also is one of the most popular summer resorts in the Middle East.

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