Alexandria

Alexandria was located on the earlier Egyptian settlement, which was called Rhacotis (Ancient Greek: Ῥακῶτις, romanized: Rhakôtis), the Hellenised form of Egyptian r-ꜥ-qd(y)t (Bohairic Coptic: ⲣⲁⲕⲟϯ, romanized: Rakoti). As one of many settlements founded by Alexander the Great, the city he founded on Rhacotis was called Alexándreia hḗ kat' Aígypton (Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ κατ' Αἴγυπτον), which some sources translated as "Alexandria by Egypt", as the city was, at that time, in the periphery of Egypt proper (the area beside the Nile). Some of the Alexandrian and Greek populaces, e.g., Hypsicles, also referred to the city as Alexándreia hḗ prós Aígypton (Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ πρός Αἴγυπτον, "Alexandria near Egypt"). In the course of Roman rule in Egypt, the city's name was Latinised as Alexandrēa ad Aegyptum. …

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 after that. 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: rꜥ-qdy.t, '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 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 and Heracleion. …

Alexandria is located in the country of Egypt, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. It is in the Far West Nile delta area. The very large Lake Mariout was located directly south of Alexandria in ancient times. Ancient Alexandria thus also possessed a long lake waterfront on its southern side. The ancient geographer Strabo praised this feature of Alexandria's geography because it opened Alexandria to the Nile delta and Egypt. A port city named Portus Mareoticus was located there. Due to the desiccation of Maryut Lake, this waterfront shifted away from the city in the 9th century CE. So Alexandria canal was then constructed to link the city to the Nile. Alexandria is a densely populated city; its core areas belie its large administrative area. …

The Royal Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, 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 was inaugurated in 2002, near the site of the old Library. …

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, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built on an area of 17,550 square metres. "Pompey's Pillar, a Roman triumphal column, is one of the best-known ancient monuments 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, it is 30 m (99 ft) high; the shaft is of polished red granite, 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in diameter at the base, tapering to 2.4 m (7. …

The city's principal airport is currently Alexandria International Airport, which is located about 25 km (16 mi) away from the city centre, which is now composed of 2 Terminals. Terminal 1 is the old terminal which was opened in February 2010 whereas Terminal 2 is the Brand New Terminal and was inaugurated in 2025. Among the most important are three main roads that run parallel and connect the city center to its eastern parts: Alexandria Corniche (or El-Geish Road), which is approximately 17 km long and connects the Bahary area in the west to the Mandara area in the east; Al-Horreya Road (or Abu Qir Road), about 10 km long, linking the Shallalat area in the west to the Victoria area in the east; and Al-Mahmoudia Axis, which is 23 km long and connects the El Qabary area in the west to the Abis villages in the southeast. …