Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria)
is the second largest city in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, and the
largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by
Alexander the Great,
Alexandria grew rapidly and became a major centre of
Hellenic civilisation
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cultu ...
, eventually replacing
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, in present-day
Greater Cairo, as Egypt's capital. During the Hellenistic period, it was home to the
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the rei ...
, which ranked among the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as well as the storied
Library of Alexandria. Today, the library is reincarnated in the disc-shaped, ultramodern
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...
. Its 15th-century seafront
Qaitbay Citadel
The Citadel of Qaitbay (or the Fort of Qaitbay; ar, قلعة قايتباي) is a 15th-century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast, in Alexandria, Egypt. It was built from 1477 to 1479 AD (882–884 AH) by Sultan Al-Ash ...
is now a museum. Called the "Bride of the Mediterranean" by locals, Alexandria is a popular tourist destination and an important industrial centre due to its
natural gas and
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
pipelines from
Suez
Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...
.
The city extends about along the
northern coast of Egypt, and is the largest city on the Mediterranean, the
second-largest in Egypt (after
Cairo), the
fourth-largest city in the
Arab world, the
ninth-largest city in Africa, the
ninth-largest urban area in Africa, and the
79th-largest urban area by population on Earth.
The city was founded originally in the vicinity of an Egyptian settlement named
Rhacotis (that became the Egyptian quarter of the city). It retained this status for almost a millennium, through the period of
Roman and Eastern Roman rule until the
Muslim conquest of Egypt
The Muslim conquest of Egypt, led by the army of 'Amr ibn al-'As, took place between 639 and 646 AD and was overseen by the Rashidun Caliphate. It ended the seven-century-long period of Roman reign over Egypt that began in 30 BC. Byzantine ru ...
in 641 AD, when a new capital was founded at
Fustat
Fusṭāṭ ( ar, الفُسطاط ''al-Fusṭāṭ''), also Al-Fusṭāṭ and Fosṭāṭ, was the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, and the historical centre of modern Cairo. It was built adjacent to what is now known as Old Cairo by t ...
(later absorbed into
Cairo).
Alexandria was best known for the
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the rei ...
(''Pharos''), one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its
Great Library, the largest in the ancient world; and the
Necropolis, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Alexandria was the intellectual and cultural centre of the ancient Mediterranean for much of the
Hellenistic age and
late antiquity.
It was at one time the largest city in the ancient world before being eventually overtaken by
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
The city was a major centre of
early Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and was the centre of the
Patriarchate of Alexandria
The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot").
The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episco ...
, which was one of the major centres of Christianity in the
Eastern Roman Empire. In the modern world, the
Coptic Orthodox Church and the
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
both lay claim to this ancient heritage. By 641, the city had already been largely plundered and lost its significance before re-emerging in the modern era.
From the late 18th century, Alexandria became a major centre of the international
shipping industry
Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydraulic effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people ( passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used thro ...
and one of the most important trading centres in the world, both because it profited from the easy overland connection between the Mediterranean and
Red Seas and the lucrative trade in
Egyptian cotton.
History
Ancient era
Recent
radiocarbon dating of seashell fragments and lead contamination show human activity at the location during the period of the
Old Kingdom (27th–21st centuries BC) and again in the period 1000–800 BC, followed by the absence of activity thereafter.
From ancient sources it is known there existed a trading post at this location during the time of
Rameses the Great for trade with
Crete, but it had long been lost by the time of Alexander's arrival.
A small Egyptian fishing village named
Rhakotis (
Egyptian: , 'That which is built up') existed since the 13th century BC in the vicinity and eventually grew into the Egyptian quarter of the city.
Just east of Alexandria (where
Abu Qir Bay
The Abū Qīr Bay (sometimes transliterated Abukir Bay or Aboukir Bay) (; transliterated: Khalīj Abū Qīr) is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria in Egypt, lying between the Rosetta mouth of the Nile and the town of Abu Qir ...
is now), there were in ancient times marshland and several islands. As early as the 7th century BC, there existed important port cities of
Canopus
Canopus is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and the second-brightest star in the night sky. It is also designated α Carinae, which is Latinised to Alpha Carinae. With a visual apparent magnitude ...
and
Heracleion. The latter was recently rediscovered under water.
Alexandria was founded by
Alexander the Great in April 331 BC as (). After he captured the
Egyptian Satrapy from the
Persians, Alexander wanted to build a
large Greek city on Egypt's coast that would bear his name. He chose the site of Alexandria, envisioning the building of a causeway to the nearby island of
Pharos that would generate two great natural harbours.
Alexandria was intended to supersede the older
Greek colony
Greek colonization was an organised colonial expansion by the Archaic Greeks into the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea in the period of the 8th–6th centuries BC.
This colonization differed from the migrations of the Greek Dark Ages in that i ...
of
Naucratis
Naucratis or Naukratis (Ancient Greek: , "Naval Command"; Egyptian: , , , Coptic: ) was a city and trading-post in ancient Egypt, located on the Canopic (western-most) branch of the Nile river, south-east of the Mediterranean sea and the city ...
as a
Hellenistic centre in Egypt, and to be the link between Greece and the rich
Nile valley. A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt and never returned to the city during his life.
After Alexander's departure, his
viceroy Cleomenes continued the expansion. The architect
Dinocrates of Rhodes designed the city, using a
Hippodamian grid plan. Following Alexander's death in 323 BC, his general
Ptolemy Lagides took possession of Egypt and brought Alexander's body to Egypt with him. Ptolemy at first ruled from the old Egyptian capital of
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
. In 322/321 BC he had Cleomenes executed. Finally, in 305 BC, Ptolemy declared himself
Pharaoh as Ptolemy I Soter ("Savior") and moved his capital to Alexandria.
Although Cleomenes was mainly in charge of overseeing Alexandria's early development, the and the mainland quarters seem to have been primarily
Ptolemaic work. Inheriting the trade of ruined
Tyre and becoming the centre of the new commerce between Europe and the
Arabian and Indian East, the city grew in less than a generation to be larger than
Carthage. In one century, Alexandria had become the largest city in the world and, for some centuries more, was second only to Rome. It became Egypt's main Greek city, with
Greek people from diverse backgrounds.
The
Septuagint, a Greek version of the
Tanakh, was produced there. The early Ptolemies kept it in order and fostered the development of its museum into the leading Hellenistic centre of learning (
Library of Alexandria, which faced destruction during
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
's
siege of Alexandria), but were careful to maintain the distinction of its population's three largest ethnicities: Greek,
Egyptian and Jewish.
[Ptolemaic Egypt p. 42-43">] By the time of
Augustus, the city grid encompassed an area of , and the total population during the Roman
principate was around 500,000–600,000, which would wax and wane in the course of the next four centuries under Roman rule.
According to
Philo of Alexandria
Philo of Alexandria (; grc, Φίλων, Phílōn; he, יְדִידְיָה, Yəḏīḏyāh (Jedediah); ), also called Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt.
Philo's de ...
, in the year 38 AD, disturbances erupted between Jews and Greek citizens of Alexandria during a visit paid by King
Agrippa I to Alexandria, principally over the respect paid by the Herodian nation to the
Roman emperor, and which quickly escalated to open affronts and violence between the two ethnic groups and the desecration of Alexandrian synagogues. This event has been called the
Alexandrian pogroms. The violence was quelled after
Caligula intervened and had the Roman governor, Flaccus, removed from the city.
In 115 AD, large parts of Alexandria were destroyed during the
Kitos War
The Kitos War (115–117; he, מרד הגלויות, mered ha-galuyot, or ''mered ha-tfutzot''; "rebellion of the diaspora" la, Tumultus Iudaicus) was one of the major Jewish–Roman wars (66–136). The rebellions erupted in 115, when most ...
, which gave
Hadrian and his architect,
Decriannus, an opportunity to rebuild it. In 215 AD, the emperor
Caracalla visited the city and, because of some insulting
satires that the inhabitants had directed at him, abruptly commanded his troops to put to death all youths capable of bearing arms. On 21 July 365 AD, Alexandria was devastated by a
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
(
365 Crete earthquake
The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused wid ...
),
[ Ammianus Marcellinus]
"Res Gestae", 26.10.15–19
an event annually commemorated years later as a "day of horror".
Islamic era
In 619, Alexandria
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, pa ...
to the
Sassanid Persians. Although the
Byzantine emperor Heraclius recovered it in 629, in 641 the Arabs under the general
'Amr ibn al-'As invaded it during the
Muslim conquest of Egypt
The Muslim conquest of Egypt, led by the army of 'Amr ibn al-'As, took place between 639 and 646 AD and was overseen by the Rashidun Caliphate. It ended the seven-century-long period of Roman reign over Egypt that began in 30 BC. Byzantine ru ...
, after a
siege that lasted 14 months. The first Arab governor of Egypt recorded to have visited Alexandria was
Utba ibn Abi Sufyan, who strengthened the Arab presence and built a governor's palace in the city in 664–665.
After the
Battle of Ridaniya
The Battle of Ridaniya or Battle of Ridanieh ( tr, Ridaniye Muharebesi; ar, معركة الريدانية) was fought on January 22, 1517, in Egypt. The Ottoman forces of Selim I defeated the Mamluk forces under Al-Ashraf Tuman bay II. The T ...
in 1517, the city was conquered by the
Ottoman Turks and remained under
Ottoman rule
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
until 1798. Alexandria lost much of its former importance to the Egyptian port city of
Rosetta during the 9th to 18th centuries, and only regained its former prominence with the construction of the
Mahmoudiyah Canal in 1807.
Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of
Napoleon's
expedition to Egypt in 1798. French troops stormed the city on 2 July 1798, and it remained in their hands until the arrival of a British expedition in 1801. The British won a considerable victory over the French at the
Battle of Alexandria on 21 March 1801, following which they
besieged the city, which fell to them on 2 September 1801.
Muhammad Ali, the Ottoman governor of Egypt, began rebuilding and redevelopment around 1810, and by 1850, Alexandria had returned to something akin to its former glory. Egypt turned to Europe in their effort to modernize the country. Greeks, followed by other Europeans and others, began moving to the city. In the early 20th century, the city became a home for novelists and poets.
In July 1882, the city came under
bombardment
A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings.
Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, ...
from British naval forces and was occupied.
In July 1954, the city was a target of an Israeli bombing campaign that later became known as the
Lavon Affair. On 26 October 1954, Alexandria's Mansheya Square was the site of a failed assassination attempt on
Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Europeans began leaving Alexandria following the 1956
Suez Crisis that led to an outburst of
Arab nationalism. The nationalization of property by Nasser, which reached its highest point in 1961, drove out nearly all the rest.
Ibn Battuta in Alexandria
In reference to Alexandria,
Ibn Battuta speaks of a number of great saints that resided in the city; one such saint was Imam Borhan Oddin El Aaraj, who was said to have the power of working miracles. He told Ibn Battuta that he should go find his three brothers, Farid Oddin, who lived in India, Rokn Oddin Ibn Zakarya, who lived in Sindia, and Borhan Oddin, who lived in China. Battuta then made it his purpose to find these people and give them his compliments. Sheikh Yakut was another notable figure who lived in Alexandria; the disciple of Sheikh Abu Abbas El Mursi, Abu Abbas was the author of the Hizb El Bahr and was famous for piety and miracles. Abu Abd Allah El Murshidi was a great interpreting saint that lived secluded in the Minyat of Ibn Murshed. He lived alone but was visited daily by emirs, viziers, and crowds that wished to eat with him. The Sultan of Egypt (El Malik El Nasir) visited him, as well. Ibn Battuta left Alexandria with the intent of visiting him.
Ibn Battuta also visited the Pharos lighthouse on 2 occasions; in 1326 he found it to be partly in ruins and in 1349 it had deteriorated further, making entrance to the edifice impossible.
Timeline
The most important battles and sieges of Alexandria include:
*
Siege of Alexandria (47 BC)
The siege of Alexandria was a series of skirmishes and battles occurring between the forces of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII, Arsinoe IV, and Ptolemy XIII, between 48 and 47 BC. During this time Caesar was engaged in a civil war against rem ...
, Julius Caesar's civil war
*
Battle of Alexandria (30 BC), final war of the Roman Republic
*
Siege of Alexandria (619), Byzantine-Persian Wars
*
Siege of Alexandria (641)
Forces of the Rashidun Caliphate seized the major Mediterranean port of Alexandria away from the Eastern Roman Empire in the middle of the 7th century AD. Alexandria had been the capital of the Byzantine province of Egypt. This ended Eastern Rom ...
, Rashidun conquest of Byzantine Egypt
*
Alexandrian Crusade
The brief Alexandrian Crusade, also called the sack of Alexandria, occurred in October 1365 and was led by Peter I of Cyprus against Alexandria in Egypt. Although often referred to as and counted among the Crusades, it was relatively devoid of r ...
(1365), a crusade led by Peter de Lusignan of Cyprus which resulted in the defeat of the Mamluks and the sack of the city.
*
Battle of Alexandria (1801), Napoleonic Wars
*
Siege of Alexandria (1801), Napoleonic Wars
*
Alexandria expedition (1807), Napoleonic Wars
*
Bombardment of Alexandria
The Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt by the British Mediterranean Fleet took place on 11–13 July 1882.
Admiral Beauchamp Seymour was in command of a fleet of fifteen Royal Navy ironclad ships which had previously sailed to the harbor of ...
(1882), followed by the
British occupation of Egypt
The history of Egypt under the British lasted from 1882, when it was occupied by British forces during the Anglo-Egyptian War, until 1956 after the Suez Crisis, when the last British forces withdrew in accordance with the Anglo-Egyptian agree ...
Ancient layout
Greek Alexandria was divided into three regions:
;Rhakotis
:
Rhakotis (from
Coptic , "Alexandria") was the old city that was absorbed into Alexandria. It was occupied chiefly by Egyptians.
:
;Brucheum
:Brucheum was the Royal or Greek quarter and formed the most magnificent portion of the city. In
Roman times, Brucheum was enlarged by the addition of an official quarter, making four regions in all. The city was laid out as a grid of parallel streets, each of which had an attendant subterranean canal.
;
;Jewish quarter
:The Jewish quarter was the northeast portion of the city.
Two main streets, lined with
colonnades and said to have been each about wide, intersected in the centre of the city, close to the point where the Sema (or Soma) of Alexander (his
Mausoleum) rose. This point is very near the present
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
of
Nebi Daniel; the line of the great East–West "Canopic" street is also present in modern-day Alexandria, having only slightly diverged from the line of the modern Boulevard de Rosette (now Sharae Fouad). Traces of its pavement and canal have been found near the Rosetta Gate, but remnants of streets and canals were exposed in 1899 by German excavators outside the east fortifications, which lie well within the area of the ancient city.
Alexandria consisted originally of little more than the island of Pharos, which was joined to the mainland by a
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
and called the ("seven stadia"—a ''
stadium'' was a Greek
unit of length
A unit of length refers to any arbitrarily chosen and accepted reference standard for measurement of length. The most common units in modern use are the metric units, used in every country globally. In the United States the U.S. customary uni ...
measuring approximately ). The end of this abutted on the land at the head of the present Grand Square, where the "Moon Gate" rose. All that now lies between that point and the modern "Ras al-Tin" quarter is built on the silt which gradually widened and obliterated this mole. The Ras al-Tin quarter represents all that is left of the island of Pharos, the site of the actual lighthouse having been weathered away by the sea. On the east of the mole was the Great Harbour, now an open bay; on the west lay the port of Eunostos, with its inner basin Kibotos, now vastly enlarged to form the modern harbour.
In
Strabo's time (latter half of the 1st century BC), the principal buildings were as follows, enumerated as they were to be seen from a ship entering the Great Harbour.
#The
Royal Palaces, filling the northeast angle of the town and occupying the promontory of Lochias, which shut in the Great Harbour on the east. Lochias (the modern Pharillon) has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, together with the palaces, the "Private Port," and the island of Antirrhodus. There has been a land
subsidence here, as throughout the northeast coast of Africa.
#The Great Theater, on the modern Hospital Hill near the Ramleh station. This was used by
Julius Caesar as a fortress, where he withstood a siege from the city mob after he took Egypt after the
battle of Pharsalus.
#The
Poseidon, or
Temple of the Sea God, close to the theater
#The Timonium built by
Marc Antony
#The Emporium (Exchange)
#The Apostases (Magazines)
#The Navalia (Docks), lying west of the Timonium, along the seafront as far as the mole
#Behind the Emporium rose the
Great Caesareum, by which stood the two great
obelisks, which become known as "
Cleopatra's Needles," and were transported to New York City and London. This temple became, in time, the Patriarchal Church, though some ancient remains of the temple have been discovered. The actual Caesareum, the parts not eroded by the waves, lies under the houses lining the new seawall.
#The
Gymnasium and the
Palaestra are both inland, near the Boulevard de Rosette in the eastern half of the town; sites unknown.
#The Temple of
Saturn; site unknown.
#The Mausolea of Alexander (Soma) and the Ptolemies in one ring-fence, near the point of intersection of the two main streets.
#The
Musaeum
The Musaeum or Mouseion of Alexandria ( grc, Μουσεῖον τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας; ), which arguably included the Great Library of Alexandria, was an institution said to have been founded by Ptolemy I Soter and his son Ptolemy II Ph ...
with its famous
Library and theater in the same region; site unknown.
#The
Serapeum of Alexandria, the most famous of all Alexandrian temples. Strabo tells that this stood in the west of the city; and recent discoveries go far as to place it near "Pompey's Pillar," which was an independent monument erected to commemorate
Diocletian's siege of the city.
The names of a few other public buildings on the mainland are known, but there is little information as to their actual position. None, however, are as famous as the building that stood on the eastern point of Pharos island. There,
The Great Lighthouse, one of the
Seven Wonders of the World, reputed to be high, was situated. The first Ptolemy began the project, and the second Ptolemy (
Ptolemy II Philadelphus) completed it, at a total cost of 800
talents. It took 12 years to complete and served as a
prototype for all later
lighthouses in the world. The light was produced by a furnace at the top and the tower was built mostly with solid blocks of limestone. The Pharos lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century, making it the second longest surviving ancient wonder, after the
Great Pyramid of Giza. A temple of
Hephaestus
Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter B ...
also stood on Pharos at the head of the mole.
In the 1st century, the population of Alexandria contained over 180,000 adult male citizens, according to a census dated from 32 AD, in addition to a large number of freedmen, women, children and slaves. Estimates of the total population range from 216,000 to 500,000, making it one of the largest cities ever built before the
Industrial Revolution and the largest pre-industrial city that was not an imperial capital.
Geography
Alexandria is located in the country of Egypt, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. It is in the Far West
Nile delta area. Its a densely populated city, its core areas belie its large administrative area.
Notes:
2020 CAPMAS projection based on 2017 revised census figures, may differ significantly from 2017 census preliminary tabulations. The 14 kisms were reported simply as ''Alexandria city'' by CAPMAS in 2006 but given explosive growth definitions, likely informal, may have change or may be set to change. Same area with 12 kisms existed in 1996. Kisms are considered 'fully urbanized'
Climate
Alexandria has a
hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: BWh), bordering on a
hot steppe climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh). Like the rest of
Egypt's northern coast, the prevailing north wind, blowing across the Mediterranean, gives the city a less severe climate than the desert hinterland.
Rafah
Rafah ( ar, رفح, Rafaḥ) is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 (2014) is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestini ...
and Alexandria are the wettest places in Egypt; the other wettest places are
Rosetta,
Baltim
Baltim ( ar, بلطيم ) is a city in the Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, in the north coast of Egypt.
History
The second part of the town's name preserves "end, furthest part (of Egypt)".
Baltim was the beneficiary of a tax reduction und ...
,
Kafr el-Dawwar, and
Mersa Matruh
Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...
. The city's climate is influenced by the
Mediterranean Sea, moderating its temperatures, causing variable rainy winters and moderately hot and slightly prolonged summers that, at times, can be very humid; January and February are the coolest months, with daily maximum temperatures typically ranging from and minimum temperatures that could reach .
Alexandria experiences
violent storms, rain and sometimes
sleet and
hail during the cooler months; these events, combined with a poor drainage system, have been responsible for occasional flooding in the city in the past though they rarely occur anymore. July and August are the hottest and driest months of the year, with an average daily maximum temperature of .
The average annual rainfall is around but has been as high as
Port Said,
Kosseir,
Baltim
Baltim ( ar, بلطيم ) is a city in the Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, in the north coast of Egypt.
History
The second part of the town's name preserves "end, furthest part (of Egypt)".
Baltim was the beneficiary of a tax reduction und ...
,
Damietta and Alexandria have the least temperature variation in Egypt.
The highest recorded temperature was on 30 May 1961, and the coldest recorded temperature was on 31 January 1994.
Cityscape
Due to the constant presence of war in Alexandria in ancient times, very little of the ancient city has survived into the present day. Much of the royal and civic quarters sank beneath the harbour and the rest has been built over in modern times.
Pompey's Pillar
"
Pompey's Pillar", a
Roman triumphal column, is one of the best-known
ancient monument
In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument (e.g. an archaeological site) worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. The ''Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 ...
s still standing in Alexandria today. It is located on Alexandria's ancient
acropolis—a modest hill located adjacent to the city's Arab
cemetery—and was originally part of a temple colonnade. Including its
pedestal
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...
, it is 30 m (99 ft) high; the shaft is of polished red granite, in diameter at the base, tapering to at the top. The shaft is high, and made out of a single piece of granite. Its volume is and weight approximately 396 tons. Pompey's Pillar may have been erected using the same methods that were used to erect the ancient
obelisks.
The Romans had cranes but they were not strong enough to lift something this heavy. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehrner conducted several
obelisk erecting experiments including a successful attempt to erect a 25-ton obelisk in 1999. This followed two experiments to erect smaller obelisks and two failed attempts to erect a 25-ton obelisk. The structure was plundered and demolished in the 4th century when a bishop decreed that Paganism must be eradicated. "Pompey's Pillar" is a
misnomer, as it has nothing to do with
Pompey, having been erected in 293 for
Diocletian, possibly in memory of the rebellion of
Domitius Domitianus. Beneath the acropolis itself are the subterranean remains of the Serapeum, where the mysteries of the god
Serapis
Serapis or Sarapis is a Graeco-Egyptian deity. The cult of Serapis was promoted during the third century BC on the orders of Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt as a means to unify the Greeks and Egyptians in his r ...
were enacted, and whose carved wall niches are believed to have provided overflow storage space for the ancient Library. In more recent years, many ancient artifacts have been discovered from the surrounding sea, mostly pieces of old pottery.
Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
Alexandria's
catacombs, known as ''
Kom El Shoqafa'', are a short distance southwest of the pillar, consist of a multi-level labyrinth, reached via a large
spiral staircase, and featuring dozens of chambers adorned with sculpted pillars, statues, and other
syncretic
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
Romano-Egyptian
religious symbols
A religious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific religion, or a specific concept within a given religion.
Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as the United States military chapl ...
, burial niches, and
sarcophagi
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
, as well as a large Roman-style banquet room, where memorial meals were conducted by relatives of the deceased. The catacombs were long forgotten by the citizens until they were discovered by accident in 1900.
Kom El Deka
The most extensive ancient excavation currently being conducted in Alexandria is known as
Kom El Deka. It has revealed the ancient city's well-preserved theater, and the remains of its
Roman-era baths.
Temple of Taposiris Magna
The temple was built in the Ptolemy era and dedicated to Osiris, which finished the construction of Alexandria. It is located in Abusir, the western suburb of Alexandria in Borg el Arab city. Only the outer wall and the pylons remain from the temple. There is evidence to prove that sacred animals were worshiped there. Archaeologists found an animal necropolis near the temple. Remains of a Christian church show that the temple was used as a church in later centuries. Also found in the same area are remains of public baths built by the emperor Justinian, a seawall, quays and a bridge. Near the beach side of the area, there are the remains of a tower built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The tower was an exact scale replica of the destroyed Alexandrine
Pharos Lighthouse.
Citadel of Qaitbay
Citadel of Qaitbay is a defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast. It was established in 1477 AD (882
AH) by the
mamluk Sultan
Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay. The Citadel is located on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the
Eastern Harbour. It was erected on the exact site of the famous
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the rei ...
, which was one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built on an area of 17,550
square metres.
Excavation
Persistent efforts have been made to explore the antiquities of Alexandria. Encouragement and help have been given by the local
Archaeological Society, and by many individuals. Excavations were performed in the city by Greeks seeking the tomb of Alexander the Great without success.
The past and present directors of the museum have been enabled from time to time to carry out systematic excavations whenever opportunity is offered;
D. G. Hogarth made tentative researches on behalf of the
Egypt Exploration Fund and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies in 1895; and a German expedition worked for two years (1898–1899). But two difficulties face the would-be excavator in Alexandria: lack of space for excavation and the underwater location of some areas of interest.
Since the great and growing modern city stands immediately over the ancient one, it is almost impossible to find any considerable space in which to dig, except at enormous cost.
Cleopatra VII's royal quarters were inundated by earthquakes and tsunami, leading to gradual
subsidence in the 4th century AD. This underwater section, containing many of the most interesting sections of the Hellenistic city, including the palace quarter, was explored in 1992 and is still being extensively investigated by the French underwater archaeologist
Franck Goddio and his
team. It raised a noted head of
Caesarion. These are being opened up to tourists, to some controversy. The spaces that are most open are the low grounds to northeast and southwest, where it is practically impossible to get below the Roman
strata.
The most important results were those achieved by Dr. G. Botti, late director of the museum, in the neighborhood of "Pompey's Pillar", where there is a good deal of open ground. Here, substructures of a large building or group of buildings have been exposed, which are perhaps part of the Serapeum. Nearby, immense
catacombs and ''columbaria'' have been opened which may have been appendages of the temple. These contain one very remarkable vault with curious painted reliefs, now artificially lit and open to visitors.
The objects found in these researches are in the museum, the most notable being a great basalt bull, probably once an object of cult in the Serapeum. Other catacombs and tombs have been opened in
Kom El Shoqafa (Roman) and Ras El Tin (painted).
The German excavation team found remains of a Ptolemaic colonnade and streets in the north-east of the city, but little else. Hogarth explored part of an immense brick structure under the mound of
Kom El Deka, which may have been part of the Paneum, the Mausolea, or a Roman fortress.
The making of the new foreshore led to the dredging up of remains of the Patriarchal Church; and the foundations of modern buildings are seldom laid without some objects of antiquity being discovered.
Places of worship
Islam
The most famous mosque in Alexandria is
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque
The Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque ( ar, جامع أبو العباس المرسي) is an Egyptian mosque in the city of Alexandria. It is dedicated to the 13th century Murcian Andalusi Sufi saint Abul Abbas al-Mursi, whose tomb it contains.
It is ...
in
Bahary. Other notable mosques in the city include
Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in Somouha,
Bilal mosque, al-Gamaa al-Bahari in Mandara, Hatem mosque in Somouha, Hoda el-Islam mosque in Sidi Bishr, al-Mowasah mosque in Hadara, Sharq al-Madina mosque in Miami, al-Shohadaa mosque in Mostafa Kamel, Al Qa'ed Ibrahim Mosque, Yehia mosque in Zizinia, Sidi Gaber mosque in Sidi Gaber, Sidi B esher mosque, Rokay el-Islam mosque in Elessway, Elsadaka Mosque in Sidibesher Qebly, Elshatbi mosque and Sultan mosque.
Alexandria is the base of the
Salafi movements in Egypt.
Al-Nour Party
)
, foundation =
, newspaper = The New Light
, headquarters = 601 Horrya Way, Zezenia, Alexandria
, ideology = SalafismIslamismWahhabismMadkhalism
, position = Far-right
, colours = Blue, red, wh ...
, which is based in the city and overwhelmingly won most of the Salafi votes in the
2011–12 parliamentary election, supports the president
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Christianity
Alexandria was once considered the third-most important see in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, after
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and
Constantinople. Until 430, the Patriarch of Alexandria was second only to the
bishop of Rome. The
Church of Alexandria
The Church of Alexandria in Egypt is the Christian Church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria. It is one of the original Apostolic Sees of Christianity, alongside Rome, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem.
Tradition holds that the Church ...
had jurisdiction over most of the continent of Africa. After the
Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, the Alexandrian Church split between the
Miaphysites
Miaphysitism is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the " Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one 'nature' ('' physis'')." It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches and differs from the Chalcedonian posi ...
and the
Melkites. The Miaphysites went on to constitute what is known today as the
Coptic Orthodox Church. The Melkites went on to constitute what is known today as the
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
. In the 19th century,
Catholic and
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
missionaries converted some of the adherents of the Orthodox churches to their respective faiths.
Today the Patriarchal seat of the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church is
Saint Mark Cathedral (though in practice the Patriarch has long resided in Cairo). The most important Coptic Orthodox churches in Alexandria include
Pope Cyril I Church in Cleopatra,
Saint George's Church in Sporting,
Saint Mark &
Pope Peter I Church in Sidi Bishr,
Saint Mary Church in Assafra, Saint Mary Church in Gianaclis,
Saint Mina Church in Fleming, Saint Mina Church in Mandara and
Saint Takla Haymanot's Church in Ibrahimeya.
The most important
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
churches in Alexandria are
Agioi Anárgyroi Church, Church of the
Annunciation,
Saint Anthony Church,
Archangels Gabriel &
Michael Church, Taxiarchon Church,
Saint Catherine Church, Cathedral of the
Dormition in Mansheya, Church of the Dormition,
Prophet Elijah Church,
Saint George Church,
Saint Joseph Church in Fleming,
Saint Joseph of Arimathea Church,
Saint Mark &
Saint Nektarios Chapel in Ramleh,
Saint Nicholas Church,
Saint Paraskevi Church,
Saint Sava
Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...
Cathedral in Ramleh,
Saint Theodore Chapel and the
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
church of
Saint Alexander Nevsky in Alexandria, which serves the Russian speaking community in the city.
The
has jurisdiction over all
Latin Catholics in Egypt. Member churches include Saint Catherine Church in Mansheya and Church of the
Jesuits in Cleopatra. The city is also the nominal see of the
Melkite Greek Catholic titular Patriarchate of Alexandria (generally vested in its leading Patriarch of Antioch) and the actual cathedral see of its
Patriarchal territory of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan, which uses the
Byzantine Rite, and the nominal see of the
Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Alexandria (for all Egypt and Sudan, whose actual cathedral is in Cairo), a suffragan of the
Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia, using the
Armenian Rite.
The Saint Mark Church in
Shatby
Shatby Beach
Shatby ( ar, الشاطبي ') is a neighborhood in Alexandria, Egypt.
Institutions
Many important institutes are located in Shatby, such as:
*Alexandria University
*Bibliotheca Alexandrina
*Collège Saint Marc
* El Nasr Boys' Schoo ...
, founded as part of
Collège Saint Marc, is multi-denominational and holds liturgies according to Latin Catholic,
Coptic Catholic and Coptic Orthodox rites.
In antiquity Alexandria was a major centre of the cosmopolitan religious movement called
Gnosticism (today mainly remembered as a Christian heresy).
Judaism
Alexandria's Jewish community declined rapidly following the
1948 Arab–Israeli War, after which negative reactions towards
Zionism among Egyptians led to Jewish residents in the city, and elsewhere in Egypt, being perceived as Zionist collaborators. Most Jewish residents of Egypt moved to the newly settled
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
,
France,
Brazil and other countries in the 1950s and 1960s. The community once numbered 50,000 but is now estimated at below 50. The most important
synagogue in Alexandria is the
Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue
Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is a synagogue in Alexandria, Egypt built in the Neo-Gothic style. It is located in Nabi Daniel street. An earlier synagogue was built on the site in 1354, but was bombed and destroyed by the French during their invasion ...
.
Education
Colleges and universities
Alexandria has a number of higher education institutions.
Alexandria University
Alexandria University ( ar, جامعة الإسكندرية) is a public university in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1938 as a satellite of Fouad University (the name of which was later changed to Cairo University), becoming an indepen ...
is a public university that follows the Egyptian system of higher education. Many of its faculties are internationally renowned, most notably its
Faculty of Medicine &
Faculty of Engineering. In addition, the
Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology in
New Borg El Arab city is a research university set up in collaboration between the Japanese and Egyptian governments in 2010. The
is a semi-private educational institution that offers courses for high school, undergraduate level, and postgraduate students. It is considered the most reputable university in Egypt after the AUC
American University in Cairo because of its worldwide recognition from board of engineers at UK & ABET in US.
Université Senghor is a private French university that focuses on the teaching of humanities, politics and international relations, which mainly recruits students from the African continent. Other institutions of higher education in Alexandria include
Alexandria Institute of Technology (AIT) and
Pharos University in Alexandria.
Schools
Alexandria has a long history of foreign educational institutions. The first foreign schools date to the early 19th century, when French missionaries began establishing French charitable schools to educate the Egyptians. Today, the most important French schools in Alexandria run by
Catholic missionaries include
Collège de la Mère de Dieu, Collège Notre Dame de Sion,
Collège Saint Marc, Écoles des Soeurs Franciscaines (four different schools), École Girard, École Saint Gabriel, École Saint-Vincent de Paul, École Saint Joseph, École Sainte Catherine, and Institution Sainte Jeanne-Antide. As a reaction to the establishment of French religious institutions, a secular (laic) mission established Lycée el-Horreya, which initially followed a French system of education, but is currently run by the Egyptian government. The only school in Alexandria that completely follows the French educational system is Lycée Français d'Alexandrie (École Champollion). It is usually frequented by the children of French expatriates and diplomats in Alexandria. The Italian school is the
Istituto "Don Bosco".
English-language schools in Alexandria are the most popular; those in the city include: Riada American School, Riada Language School, Alexandria Language School, Future Language School, Future International Schools (Future IGCSE, Future American School and Future German school), Alexandria American School,
British School of Alexandria, Egyptian American School, Pioneers Language School,
Egyptian English Language School
Egyptian English Language School (EELS) is a private school in Alexandria, Egypt. It was founded in 2002 and offers: national education, IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language bas ...
, Princesses Girls' School, Sidi Gaber Language School, Zahran Language School, Taymour English School, Sacred Heart Girls' School,
Schutz American School,
Victoria College,
El Manar Language School for Girls (previously called Scottish School for Girls), Kawmeya Language School, El Nasr Boys' School (previously called British Boys' School), and
El Nasr Girls' College
El Nasr Girls' College (EGC) ( ar, كلية النصر للبنات) is a school in Shatby, Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1935, and was originally known as ''English Girls College''.
History
The college was founded in 1935 to comme ...
(previously called English Girls' College).
There are only two German schools in Alexandria which are
Deutsche Schule der Borromärinnen (DSB of Saint Charles Borromé) and
Neue Deutsche Schule Alexandria, which is run by Frau Sally Hammam.
The
Montessori educational system was first introduced in Alexandria in 2009 at
Alexandria Montessori
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
.
Women
Around the 1890s, twice the percentage of women in Alexandria knew how to read compared to the same percentage in Cairo. As a result, specialist women's publications like ''
al-Fatāh'' by
Hind Nawal, the country's first women's journal, appeared.
[Kendall, Elisabeth. "Between Politics and Literature: Journals in Alexandria and Istanbul at the End of the Nineteenth Century" (Chapter 15). In: Fawaz, Leila Tarazi and C. A. Bayly (editors) and Robert Ilbert (collaboration). ''Modernity and Culture: From the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean''. Columbia University Press, 2002. , 9780231114271. Start: p]
330
. CITED: p
340
.
Transport
Airports
The city's principal airport is currently
Borg El Arab Airport, which is located about away from the city centre.
From late 2011,
El Nouzha Airport (Alexandria International Airport) was to be closed to commercial operations for two years as it underwent expansion, with all airlines operating out of
Borg El Arab Airport from then onwards, where a brand new terminal was completed there in February 2010. In 2017, the government announced that Alexandria International Airport will shut down permanently and will no longer reopen.
Port
Alexandria has four ports; namely the Western Port also known as ''Alexandria Port'', which is the main port of the country that handles about 60% of the country's exports and imports, Dekhela Port west of the Western Port, the Eastern Port which is a yachting harbour, and Abu Qir Port at the northern east of the governorate. It is a commercial port for general cargo and phosphates.
Highways
*International Coastal Road (
Mersa Matruh
Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...
– Alexandria –
Port Said)
*
Cairo–Alexandria desert road (Alexandria – Cairo – , 6–8 lanes)
*Cairo-Alexandria Agriculture Road (Alexandria –
Cairo)
*Mehwar El Ta'meer – (Alexandria –
Borg El Arab)
Rail
Alexandria's intracity
commuter rail system extends from Misr Station (Alexandria's primary intercity
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
) to
Abu Qir, parallel to the
tram line. The commuter line's
locomotives operate on
diesel, as opposed to the
overhead-electric tram.
Alexandria plays host to two intercity railway stations: the aforementioned
Misr Station (in the older Manshia district in the western part of the city) and
Sidi Gaber railway station (in the district of Sidi Gaber in the centre of the eastern expansion in which most Alexandrines reside), both of which also serve the commuter rail line. Intercity passenger service is operated by
Egyptian National Railways
Egyptian National Railways (ENR; ar, السكك الحديدية المصرية, Al-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah al-Miṣriyyah) is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA; ar, الهيئة الق� ...
.
Trams
An extensive tramway network was built in 1860 and is the oldest in Africa. The network begins at the
El Raml district in the west and ends in the
Victoria district
Victoria District was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1871 to 1872.
History
It was created at the time of that province's entry into Confederation in 1871. ...
in the east. Most of the vehicles are blue in colour. Some smaller yellow-coloured vehicles have further routes beyond the two main endpoints. The tram routes have one of four numbers: 1, 2, 5, and 6. All four start at El Raml, but only two (1 and 2) reach Victoria. There are two converging and diverging points. The first starts at
Bolkly (Isis) and ends at
San Stefano. The other begins at
Sporting and ends at Mostafa Kamel. Route 5 starts at San Stefano and takes the inner route to Bolkly. Route 6 starts at Sidi Gaber El Sheikh in the outer route between Sporting and Mustafa Kamel. Route 1 takes the inner route between San Stefano and Bolkly and the outer route between Sporting and Mustafa Kamel. Route 2 takes the route opposite to Route 1 in both these areas. The tram fares used to be 50 piastres (0.50 pounds), and 100 piastres (1.00 pounds) for the middle car, but have been doubled sometime in 2019. Some trams (that date back the 30s) charge a pound. The tram is considered the cheapest method of public transport. A café operates in the second floor of the first car of tram 1 (a women-only car) which costs 5 L.E per person, also offering a WiFi service. A luxury light blue tram car operates from San Stefano to Ras El Tin, with free WiFi and movies and songs played inside for 5 L.E per ticket.
Stations:
#nasser (means victory) – (Victoria) (Number 1)
#Al Seyouf
#Sidi Beshr
#El Saraya
#Laurent Louran
#Tharwat
#San Stefano
#Gianaklis
#Schutz
#Safar
#Abou Shabana (Baccos)
#Al Karnak (Fleming)
#Al Wezara (The Ministry)
#Isis Bolkly Bulkley
#Roushdy
#Mohammed Mahfouz
#Mustafa Kamil
#Sidi Gaber Al-Sheikh
#Cleopatra Hammamat (Cleopatra Baths)
#Cleopatra El Soghra
#El Reyada El Kobra (Sporting El Kobra)
#El Reyada El Soghra (Sporting Al Soghra)
#Al Ibrahimiyya
#El Moaskar (Camp Caesar)
#Al Gamaa (The university)
#Al Shatby
#El Shobban El Moslemin
#El Shahid Moustafa Ziean
#Hassan Rasim (Azarita)
#Gamea' Ibrahim (Mosque of Ibrahim)
#Mahattet Al Ramleh (Ramlh Station)
Route 2 serves:
#El Nasr – Victoria (Number 2)
#Al Seyouf
#Sidi Beshr
#El Saraya
#Louran
#Tharwat
#San Stefano
#Kasr El Safa (Zizini Al Safa Palace)
#Al Fonoun Al Gamella (The Fine Arts)
#Ramsis (Glym or Gleem)
#El Bostan (Saba Pasha)
#Al Hedaya (The Guidance)
#Isis Bolkly
#Roushdy
#Mohammed Mahfouz
#Mustafa Kamil
#Sidi Gaber El Mahata (Railway station)
#Cleopatra (Zananere)
#El Reyada El Kobra (Sporting El Kobra)
#El Reyada El Soghra (Sporting Al Soghra)
#Al Ibrahimiyya
#El Moaskar (Camp Chezar)
#Al Gamaa (The university)
#Al Shatby
#El Shobban El Moslemin
#El Shahid Moustafa Ziean
#Hassan Rasim (Azarita)
#Gamea' Ibrahim (Mosque of Ibrahim)
#Mahattet Al Ramlh (Ramlh Station)
Metro
Construction of the
Alexandria Metro was due to begin in 2020 at a cost of $1.05 billion.
Taxis and minibuses
Taxis in Alexandria sport a yellow-and-black
livery and are widely available. While Egyptian law requires all cabs to carry
meters, these generally do not work and fares must be negotiated with the driver on either departure or arrival.
The
minibus share taxi
Share may refer to:
* Share, to make joint use of a resource (such as food, money, or space); see Sharing
* Share (finance), a stock or other financial security (such as a mutual fund)
* Share, Kwara, a town and LGA in Kwara State, Nigeria
Share ...
system, or ''
mashrū''' operates along well-known traffic arteries. The routes can be identified by both their endpoints and the route between them:
*Corniche routes:
**
El Mandara – Bahari
**
El Mandara –
El Mansheya
**
Asafra – Bahari
**
Asafra –
El Mansheya
**El Sa'aa –
El Mansheya
*Abu Qir routes:
**
El Mandara –
El Mahata (lit. "the Station", i.e. Misr Railway Station)
**Abu Qir –
El Mahata
**Victoria –
El Mahata
**
El Mandara – Victoria
*Interior routes:
**Cabo – Bahari
**
El Mansheya – El Awayid
**
El Mansheya – El Maw'af El Gedid (the New Bus Station)
**
Hadara –
El Mahata
The route is generally written in Arabic on the side of the vehicle, although some drivers change their route without changing the paint. Some drivers also drive only a segment of a route rather than the whole path; such drivers generally stop at a point known as a major hub of the transportation system (for example, Victoria) to allow riders to transfer to another car or to another mode of transport.
Fare is generally L.E. 5.00 to travel the whole route. Shorter trips may have a lower fare, depending on the driver and the length of the trip.
Culture
Libraries
The Royal
Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, was once the largest library in the world. It is generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, during the reign of
Ptolemy II of Egypt. It was likely created after his father had built what would become the first part of the library complex, the temple of the
Muses—the
Museion, Greek ''Μουσείον'' (from which the
Modern English word ''
museum'' is derived).
It has been reasonably established that the library, or parts of the collection, were destroyed by fire on a number of occasions (library fires were common and replacement of handwritten manuscripts was very difficult, expensive, and time-consuming). To this day the details of the destruction (or destructions) remain a lively source of controversy.
The
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...
was inaugurated in 2002, near the site of the old Library.
Museums
*The
Alexandria National Museum was inaugurated 31 December 2003. It is located in a restored Italian style palace in Tariq El Horreya Street (formerly Rue Fouad), near the centre of the city. It contains about 1,800 artifacts that narrate the story of Alexandria and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
. Most of these pieces came from other Egyptian museums. The museum is housed in the old Al-Saad Bassili Pasha Palace, who was one of the wealthiest wood merchants in Alexandria. Construction on the site was first undertaken in 1926.
*
Cavafy Museum
*
The Graeco-Roman Museum – its Director from 2004 to 2010 was archaeologist
Mervat Seif el-Din
Mervat Seif el-Din, Arabic: ميرفت سيف الدين (born 1954) is a classical archaeologist from Egypt, who was Director of the Graeco-Roman Museum of Alexandria from 2004 to 2010. A specialist in the archaeology of Alexandria, el-Din is an ...
*The Museum of Fine Arts
*The
Royal Jewelry Museum
Theaters
*
Alexandria Opera House, where classical music, Arabic music, ballet, and opera are performed and Bearm Basha Theatre in Shatby.
Architecture
Throughout Alexandria, there is art that resembles some of the oldest architectural styles of the Hellenic city, and its ancient decorations, especially in the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...
, is based on reviving the ancient
Library of Alexandria. The Kom el shoqafa Catacombs are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages and date back to the 2nd century. The remnants of Pompey's Pillar still remain today. This single pillar represents the elaborate temple which once stood in Alexandria. It remains at the site of the Serapeum, Alexandria's acropolis. The Serapeum, which stood for ancient tradition, conflicted with the rise of Christianity. It is a large tourist destination, today. the Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria is another popular destination. Here, there remains a stage with around seven hundred to eight hundred seats. They also have numerous galleries of statues and details leftover form this time. Alexandria's tourism office announced plans to reserve some beaches for tourists in July 2018.
File:Shalalat gardens.JPG, Shalalat Gardens
File:Tree House.jpg, Montaza Garden
File:Zentrum der Kunst in Alexandria, Ägypten.jpg, Alexandria Art Centre
File:Pict0179.jpg, Alexandria Opera House
File:Fawzia fahmy palace.jpg, Fawzia Fahmy Palace
File:مقابر اللاتين (103).jpg, Alexander the Great's statue
File:Monument of the Navy Unknown Soldier in Alexandria (6).jpg, Monument of the Unknown Navy Soldier
File:King Farouk palace.jpg, Montaza Palace
Montaza Palace ( ar, قصر المنتزه) is a palace, museum and extensive gardens in the Montaza district of Alexandria, Egypt. It was built on a low plateau east of central Alexandria overlooking a beach on the Mediterranean Sea.
History
...
File:015 fhdrمسجد القائد ابراهيم.jpg, Al Qa'ed Ibrahim Mosque
Sports
The main sport that interests Alexandrians is football, as is the case in the rest of Egypt and Africa.
Alexandria Stadium is a
multi-purpose stadium in Alexandria,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and was used for the
2006 African Cup of Nations. The stadium is the oldest stadium in Egypt, being built in 1929. The stadium holds 20,000 people. Alexandria was one of three cities that participated in hosting the
African Cup of Nations in January 2006, which
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
won. Sea sports such as
surfing,
jet-skiing and
water polo are practiced on a lower scale. The Skateboarding culture in Egypt started in this city. The city is also home to the
Alexandria Sporting Club
Alexandria Sporting Club, also commonly known as Sporting Alexandria and Sporting between the locals, is an Egyptian sports club based in Alexandria, Egypt. Founded in 1890, the club is one of the oldest clubs in Egypt and Africa. The club was tak ...
, which is especially known for its basketball team, which traditionally provides the
country's national team with key players. The city hosted the
AfroBasket, the continent's most prestigious basketball tournament, on four occasions (1970, 1975, 1983, 2003).
Alexandria has four
stadiums:
*
Alexandria Stadium
*
Borg El Arab Stadium
The Borg El Arab Stadium ( ar, ستاد برج العرب), sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Army Stadium or El Geish Stadium - Alexandria ( ar, ستاد الجيش ببرج العرب), is a stadium commissioned in 2005 in the Mediterranea ...
*El Krom Stadium
*
Harras El Hodoud Stadium
Other less popular sports like tennis and
squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
are usually played in private
social and
sports clubs, like:
*Alexandria Sporting Club – in "
Sporting"
*
Smouha Sporting Club – in "
Smouha"
*
Al Ittihad Alexandria Club
*
Olympic Club
*
Haras El Hodoud SC Club
*
Koroum Club
*Lagoon Resort Courts
*Alexandria Country club
Alexandria is also known as the yearly starting point of
Cross Egypt Challenge and a huge celebration is conducted the night before the rally starts after all the international participants arrive to the city.
Cross Egypt Challenge is an international cross-country motorcycle and scooter rally conducted throughout the most difficult tracks and roads of Egypt.
Twin towns and sister cities
Alexandria is
twinned with:
*
Almaty, Kazakhstan
*
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, United States
*
Bratislava, Slovakia
*
Catania, Italy
*
Cleveland, United States
*
Constanța, Romania
*
Durban, South Africa
*
Incheon, South Korea
*
Kazanlak
Kazanlak ( bg, Казанлък , Thracian and Greek Σευθόπολις (''Seuthopolis''), tr, Kazanlık) is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountai ...
, Bulgaria
*
Limassol, Cyprus
*
Odesa, Ukraine
*
Paphos, Cyprus
*
Port Louis, Mauritius
*
Saint Petersburg, Russia
*
Shanghai, China
*
Thessaloniki, Greece
See also
*
Baucalis
*
Cultural tourism in Egypt
*
List of cities and towns in Egypt
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
List of cities founded by Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great founded, substantially re-established, or renamed numerous towns and cities.
Below are some of these cities (with present-day locations):
Modern Bulgaria
* Alexandropolis Maedica
Modern Turkey
* Alexandria by the Latmus, ...
*
Of Alexandria
*
Alexandria on the Indus
Alexandria on the Indus ( el, Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἐπὶ Ἰνδῷ, likely modern Uch, Pakistan) was a city founded by Alexander the Great at the junction of the Indus and the Acesines river. Arrian tells that colonists, mainly Thracian v ...
References
Further reading
*A. Bernand, ''Alexandrie la Grande'' (1966)
*A. Bernard, E. Bernand, J. Yoyotte, F. Goddio, et al., ''Alexandria, the submerged royal quarters'', Periplus Publishing Ltd., London 1998,
*A. J. Butler, ''The Arab Conquest of Egypt'' (2nd. ed., 1978)
*
*P.-A. Claudel, ''Alexandrie. Histoire d'un mythe'' (2011)
*A. De Cosson, ''Mareotis'' (1935)
*J.-Y. Empereur, ''Alexandria Rediscovered'' (1998)
*E. M. Forster, ''Alexandria A History and a Guide'' (1922) (reprint ed. M. Allott, 2004)
*P. M. Fraser, ''Ptolemaic Alexandria'' (1972)
*
Franck Goddio, David Fabre (eds), ''Egypt's Sunken Treasures'', Prestel Vlg München, 2008 (2nd edition), Exhibition Catalogue,
*M. Haag, ''Alexandria: City of Memory'' (2004)
0th-century social and literary history*M. Haag, ''Vintage Alexandria: Photographs of the City 1860–1960'' (2008)
*M. Haag, ''Alexandria Illustrated''
*R. Ilbert, I. Yannakakis, ''Alexandrie 1860–1960'' (1992)
*R. Ilbert, ''Alexandrie entre deux mondes'' (1988)
*
Judith McKenzie et al., ''The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt, 300 B.C.–A.D. 700.'' (Pelican History of Art, Yale University Press, 2007)
*Philip Mansel, ''Levant: Splendour and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean'', London, John Murray, 11 November 2010, hardback, 480 pages, , New Haven, Yale University Press, 24 May 2011, hardback, 470 pages,
*Don Nardo, ''A Travel Guide to Ancient Alexandria'', Lucent Books. (2003)
*D. Robinson, A. Wilson (eds), ''Alexandria and the North-Western Delta'', Oxford 2010,
Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology
The Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology (OCMA) is a specialist research group within the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford in England.
Overview
Established in 2003 with the ongoing support of the Hilti Foundation, the OCMA is ...
,
*V. W. Von Hagen, ''The Roads that Led to Rome'' (1967)
External links
*
*
Details on the archaïc port with a pdf of Gaston Jondet's report, 1916Map of Alexandria, ca.1930 Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The National Library of Israel.
Photos of Alexandriaat the
American Center of Research
{{Authority control
Alexandria
Governorate capitals in Egypt
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Egypt
Populated places in Alexandria Governorate
Populated coastal places in Egypt
Metropolitan areas of Egypt
Roman towns and cities in Egypt
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Egypt
Populated places along the Silk Road
Cities in Egypt
Cities founded by Alexander the Great
330s BC establishments
330s BC
Populated places established in the 4th century BC
Former capitals of Egypt
Historic Jewish communities in North Africa