Alexandria

 Glory and decline Built in 332 BC, by Alexander the great, on the location of the old harbour Rakotis, Alexandria became the capital of the Ptolemaics… an extension was built to join the main land to Pharos island, on which rose the 1st light-house in history  Alexandria grew up and became a cosmopolitan city: harbour and trading centers, the great library, the academy which attracted the best artists and scientists of the Old World: Antophilos (painter), Euclide (Mathematics), Erathostenes (Physics)…. Under the Roman occupation, which started in 48 BC, Alexandria became the second city of the Roman Empire…. The decline started in 383, when Alexandria became a Christian center, destruction of temples, schools and the academy was considered a blow to paganism…. Still, when the Arab army entered Alexandria in 641, it retained some of its glamour: 4000 palaces, 4000 public bathes, 1200 gardens, 400 circus and entertaining centers, 500000 inhabitants.  But it's commercial power as well as its population decreased very quickly…. During the rule of Mohamed Aly and his successors, Alexandria regained its position as a commercial and a military harbour, connected to the Nile by a canal in 1819 The population increased from 6000 to 200 000 persons (50 000 foreigners)…. Today, Alexandria is the 2nd largest city in Egypt (5 000 000 inhabitants) and is one of the best summer resorts on the Mediterranean Sea, with its beaches extending to the length of 40Km, its luxurious hotels, its restaurants, its theaters and park  Explore Alexandria Born 2330 years ago, little remains from its glorious past… the catacombs, Pompey pillar, the roman theatre, Kaytbay fort built on the location of Pharos, Montazah palace…. Many summer resorts exist actually to the west of Alexandria: Agami, Marakia, Marina, Sedy Abdel rahman… and many more, extending to the city of Marsa Matrouh known for its large beaches and its clear blue sea. The recent excavations revealed the glory of Alexandria lying at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

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