Alexandria, Egypt was founded by Alexander the Great in April 331 BC ,and became the capital of the Graeco-Egyptian world. The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria also was called "The Pearl of the Mediterranean". The ancient port city was home for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - The Pharos of Alexandria (The Lighthouse of Alexandria).
Alexandria, Egypt was founded by Alexander the Great in April 331 BC ,and became the capital of the Graeco-Egyptian world. The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria also was called "The Pearl of the Mediterranean". The ancient port city was home for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - The Pharos of Alexandria (The Lighthouse of Alexandria).
The port served as a primary center for commerce and trade linking Europe with the Middle East and all other points along the Mediterranean Sea. It was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times that allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region. Within a few generations Alexandria become the largest city in the world second only to Rome. Much of the city design and construction came under the rule of Ptolemy and his successors, later by the Roman Empire. The city was not only a center for trade but also became the worlds first center for cultural and scientific research.
The Musaeum at Alexandria (Museum of Alexander) also known as the Library of Alexandria become an important world center for Greek music, poetry, a philosophical school and library. The famous institution brought together some of the best scholars of the Hellenistic world paving the way for advancing the study of mathematics, astrology, anatomy to name a few. Alexandria also served as the setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The city remained an important trading port until a series of earthquakes and tidal waves pushed the city into decline. By the time Napoleon landed he found a sparsely populated fishing village.
