Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt and is called the Bride of the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered the largest port in Egypt.
The History of Alexandria City
The city of Alexandria was founded in 333 BC by Alexander the Great, as he commanded the Greek engineer Dinocrates to build this city, where the village Re_qdt or Racotis in Greek. This place is located between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Marriott, in the Karmouz area today.
Alexander the Great decided to be buried there, but he died in Babylon 323 BC before he saw the city that named on his name.Until now, the location of the tomb of Alexander the Great is considered a great mystery, and archaeologists have not been able to know its location.
Dinocrates designed the city like a chessboard. Alexandria was divided into 5 areas named with the first 5 letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha A, beta B, gamma G, delta D, and epsilion E).
- Alpha (A) was called the royal quarter, where the royal palace and the main temple of the city are constructed.
- Beta (B) was dedicated to the aristocracy.
- Gamma (G) was the area of the common people.
- Delta (D) was for foreign minorities as Persians and Jews.
- Epsilion (E) was for the pure Egyptians.
Alexandria remained the capital of Egypt for thousand years, as it became the capital of Egypt from the Ptolemaic period.
The Attractions of Alexandria
There were many ancient monuments in Alexandria, but they were destroyed, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the ancient library of Alexandria. Nowadays, it has a lot of amazing monuments, such as:
- The tombs of Shatby and Mustafa Kamel
- The Catacombs of Alexandria (Kom el Shoqafa)
- Pompey Pillar
- Citadel of Qaitbay
- Sidi Abo El Abbas El Morsi Mosque
- Montazah Palace
- Library of Alexandria
you can visit Alexandria with Alexandria Attractions
