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Alexandria ,Egypt

Alexandria

The Greeks and their enemies the Persians had already been active in Egypt starting from the sixth century BC, after the fall of the Assyrian empire in Mesopotamia and the end of the twenty-sixth (Saite) dynasty, Egypt established increasingly close trading links with the Greeks. In 525 BC it became a satrapy of the Persian Empire, until regaining its independence at the end of the fifth century BC. With the assistance of the Greeks, Egypt successfully resisted subsequent Persian attacks until 343 BC when they finally conquered it and the reign of the last native Pharaoh, Nectanbo II, ended. The Persians showed no respect to the Egyptian gods and religion at the time, and it was a little time later in 332 BC when Alexander the Great advanced to Egypt from east after putting an end to the Persian rule in Asia Minor, Syria, Jerusalem, and Gaza. Alexander was considered a liberator by the Egyptians as h showed respect to the people and their religion. He was even pronounced son of Amun (royal Egyptian deity) at the temple of the Oracle (still remains) in Siwa oasis in the Libyan (western) desert. Then Alexander chose the site for his new city, Alexandria (named after him) where there was a natural harbor already in use by c. 400 BC as some kind of port or mooring place. It had the Egyptian name Raqote (Rhakotis).

Greek city

Just east of the site, in ancient times (where Abu Qir Bay is now), there was marshland and several islands. As early as the 7th century BC, there existed important port cities of Canopus and Heracleion. From the name of the former was derived the word (canopic) and canopic jars for preserving the viscera of the deceased in ancient Egypt as there was a temple of god Osiris, god of afterlife, in Canopus. The latter was recently rediscovered under water.

It is said that Alexander the Great himself designed the plan for the city, but anyway it was the task of architect Dinocrates and Alexander left Alexandria and never returned as he died in Babylon in 323 BC and his body was later entombed in Alexandria.

Just off the coast of Rhakotis is a little island called Pharos. Architect Dinocrates linked the island of Pharos with the mainland village Rhakotis by the Heptstadium (Heptastadion in Greek) was the man-made causeway or breakwater, so called because of its length of seven stadia (Greek unit of length) (c. 1260 m). It joined the island of Pharos to the mainland creating the two main harbors (eastern and western). It silted up so that the Ottoman town was built on it. The Heptastadium provided protection, by creating the two main harbors giving protection regardless of the seasonal direction of the prevailing winds and swell. The city was laid out as a grid of parallel streets, each of which had an attendant subterranean canal

Greek Alexandria was divided into 3 regions:

Rhakotis

The old city of Rhakotis absorbed into Alexandria. It was occupied mainly by Egyptians.

Brucheum

The Royal or Greek quarter, forming 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 Jewish quarter

forming the northeast portion of the city

Two main streets, lined with colonnades and said to have been each about 60 meters (200 feet) wide, intersected in the center 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 of Nebi Daniel; and the line of the great East–West "Canopic" street (now Sharia or rue Fouad). German excavators found Traces of its pavement and canal near the Rosetta Gate, but remnants of streets and canals were exposed in 1899 by outside the east fortifications situated within the area of the ancient city.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy I Soter (the Savior) became satrap of Egypt in 323 BC and ruled as king from 306 BC until 282 BC. He was responsible for the construction of the most basic of the city's features: the fortification walls, palace, temples and the burial place of Alexander. Ptolemy I also founded the city's major research institution, the Museum (Mouseion in Greek) -derived from the Muses who provided inspiration to scholars.

The Library of Alexandria

The library, begun under Ptolemy I (305-285 BC) was completed by Ptolemy II (285-246 BC) who sent invitations to rulers and scholars asking them to contribute books According to historians Oakes and Gahlin, “There was room for up to 70,000 papyrus scrolls. Most of the items were bought but other means were sometimes used. In order to obtain desired works, all ships entering the harbor were searched. Every book found was taken to the Library where it was decided whether to give it back or confiscate it. And replace it with a copy” (230). No one knows how many books were held in the library at Alexandria but estimates have been made of 500,000. It is said that Mark Antony gave Cleopatra 200,000 books for the library but this claim has been disputed since antiquity. Mangasarian the historian writes,

One of the earliest well-known inhabitants of Alexandria during the Ptolemaic reign was the geometry and number-theorist Euclid.

Ptolemy I and his successors finished the famous lighthouse of Pharos that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the temple of god Serapis, Serapeum (Serapion in Greek). The Serapeum had some Egyptian features, such as the foundation plaques, Nilometer, and Egyptian style sculpture, while its architectural decoration is classical, giving the Impression of a Greek building.

The city grew in less than a generation to be larger than Carthage. In a century, Alexandria had become the largest city in the world. And for some centuries more, was second only to Rome. Alexandria was not only a center of Hellenism but was also home to the largest Jewish community in the world. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Torah and other writings), was produced there. Completed in 132

Caesar came to Alexandria and helped Cleopatra VII against her brother then returned to Rome where he was assassinated.

Roman Alexandria

Following Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, his right-hand man, Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) became Cleopatra’s consort and left Rome for Alexandria. The city became his base of military operations until he and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian Caesar at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next year, Cleopatra and Antony both committed suicide and, with her death, the Ptolemaic line came to an end. Octavian became first emperor of Rome and took the title `Augustus’. Alexandria now became a simple province of the Roman Empire under the rule of Augustus Caesar.

Alexandria was not only the capital of Roman Egypt but the principal city of the Roman Empire after Rome (in size and wealth) why?

1 The wealth it provided as a trading port

2 Its role as a commerce center and the source of Rome's grain supply.

3 It was a major center of learning.

In approximately 42 AD the church was established by Saint Mark, an apostle and evangelist.

In 115 AD Alexandria was destroyed during the Jewish-Greek civil wars ( Kitos War)which gave Hadrian 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, he ordered his troops to put to death all youths capable of bearing arms. This brutal order seems to have been carried out even beyond the letter, for a general massacre ensued. According to historian Cassius Dio, over 20,000 people were killed.

In the 3rd century AD, Alexander's tomb was closed to the public, and now its location has been forgotten.

Late Roman and Byzantine period

Even as its main historical importance had sprung from pagan learning, Alexandria now acquired new importance as a center of Christian theology and church government. There Arianism came to prominence and there also Athanasius (to him is attributed the Nicean Creed), opposed both Arianism and pagan reaction against Christianity, experiencing success against both and continuing the Patriarch of Alexandria's major influence on Christianity into the next two centuries.

In 365, a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Crete hit Alexandria.

In 391, Emperor Theodosius I ordered the destruction of all pagan temples, and the Patriarch Theophilus complied with his request.

The Brucheum and Jewish quarters were desolate in the 5th century, and the central monuments, the Soma and Museum, fell into ruin. On the mainland, life seemed to have centered in the vicinity of the Serapeum and Caesareum, both which became Christian churches. The Pharos and Heptastadium quarters, however, remained populous and were left intact.

Arab rule

In 616, the city was taken by Khosrau II, King of Persia. Although the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered it a few years later.

in 641 the Arabs, under the general Amr ibn al-As during the Muslim conquest of Egypt, captured it decisively after a siege that lasted fourteen months. The city received no aid from Constantinople during that time.

In 645 a Byzantine fleet recaptured the city, but it fell for good the following year. Thus ended a period of 975 years of the Greco-Roman control over the city.

the city suffered many earthquakes during the years 956, 1303 and then in 1323.

Modern history

Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798. French troops stormed the city on July 2, 1798 and it remained in their hands until the arrival of the British expedition in 1801. The British won a considerable victory over the French at the Battle of Alexandria on March 21, 1801, following which they besieged the city which fell to them on 2 September 1801

Mohammed Ali, the Ottoman Governor of Egypt, began rebuilding the city around 1810, and by 1850, Alexandria had returned to something close to its former glory. In July 1882 the city came under bombardment 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. Only a few months later, Alexandria's Manshia Square was the site of the famous, failed assassination attempt on the life of Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Now Alexandria is the second largest city, the biggest seaport, and a major economic center in Egypt. Its population is about 5m and it extends about 32 km along the Mediterranean coast. It is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast.

What to see?

Citadel of Qaitbay: Built by Mameluke Sultan Qa'it Bay in 1477 AD on the site of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse, to protect the city from the crusaders, military raids who used to attack the city by sea.

Kom el-Shouqafa: meaning "mound of shards" or "potsherds." Its actual ancient Egyptian name was Ra-Qedillies, and it lies on the site where the village and fishing port of Rhakotis, the oldest part of Alexandria that predates Alexander the Great, existed. The underground tunnels of the catacombs lie in the densely populated district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria. The catacombs were most probably used as a private tomb, for a single wealthy family, and later enlarged to become a public cemetery. They are composed of a ground level construction that probably served as a funerary chapel, a deep spiral stairway and three underground levels for the funerary ritual and entombment. The catacombs are unique both for their plan and for their decoration, which represents an integration of the cultures and traditions of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. They were considered one of the seven wonders of the middle Ages.

Pompey's Pillar,in the area of Karmouz. An ancient monument, this 27-meter-high granite column was constructed in honor of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 297 for saving Alexandria from famine . The confined area where the column stands also has other ruins and sculptures such as the Serapium remains( Nilometer sanctuary , etc.)

Roman Theatre: ,in the area of Kom El-Dikka Built in the 2nd century AD, this Roman amphitheater has 13 semicircular tiers made of white and gray marble, with marble seats for up to 800 spectators, galleries and sections of mosaic-flooring. In Ptolemaic times this area was the Park of Pan, a pleasure garden surrounded by Roman villas and baths. In the same complex are displayed the newly discovered underwater monuments.

Alexandria National Museum: history Museum with more than 1800 archaeological pieces exhibited chronologically: the basement is devoted to Prehistoric and Pharonic times; first floor to the Graeco-Roman period; second floor to the Coptic and Islamic era that highlights artifacts raised during recent underwater excavations.

Montazah Palace, in the area of El Montazah Built in 1892 by Abbas Hilmi Pasha, the last khedive of Egypt. One of the palace buildings, the Haramlek, now contains a casino on the ground floor and a museum of royal relics on the upper levels, while the Salamlek has been converted into a luxury hotel (see Sleep). Parts of the extensive gardens (over 200 acres) are open to the public.

Following Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, his right-hand man, Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) became Cleopatra’s consort and left Rome for Alexandria. The city became his base of operations over the next thirteen years until he and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian Caesar at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. The next year, Cleopatra and Antony both committed suicide and, with her death, the Ptolemaic line came to an end. Octavian became first emperor of Rome and took the title `Augustus’. Alexandria now became a simple province of the Roman Empire under the rule of Augustus Caesar.
Alexandria was not only the capital of Roman Egypt but the principal city of the Roman empire after Rome (in size and wealth) Why?
1 The wealth it provided as a trading port
2 Its role as a commerce center and the source of Rome's grain supply.
3 It was a major centre of learning.
In 115 AD Alexandria was destroyed during the Jewish-Greek civil wars ( Kitos War)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. This brutal order seems to have been carried out even beyond the letter, for a general massacre ensued. According to historian Cassius Dio, over 20,000 people were killed.
In the 3rd century AD, Alexander's tomb was closed to the public, and now its location has been forgotten.

***Late Roman and Byzantine period
Even as its main historical importance had sprung from pagan learning, Alexandria now acquired new importance as a center of Christian theology and church government. There Arianism came to prominence and there also Athanasius, opposed both Arianism and pagan reaction against Christianity, experiencing success against both and continuing the Patriarch of Alexandria's major influence on Christianity into the next two centuries.
In 365, a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Crete hit Alexandria.
In 391, Emperor Theodosius I ordered the destruction of all pagan temples, and the Patriarch Theophilus complied with his request.
The Brucheum and Jewish quarters were desolate in the 5th century, and the central monuments, the Soma and Museum, fell into ruin. On the mainland, life seemed to have centered in the vicinity of the Serapeum and Caesareum, both which became Christian churches. The Pharos and Heptastadium quarters, however, remained populous and were left intact.

***Arab rule
In 616, the city was taken by Khosrau II, King of Persia. Although the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered it a few years later.
in 641 the Arabs, under the general Amr ibn al-As during the Muslim conquest of Egypt, captured it decisively after a siege that lasted fourteen months. The city received no aid from Constantinople during that time.
In 645 a Byzantine fleet recaptured the city, but it fell for good the following year. Thus ended a period of 975 years of the Greco-Roman control over the city.
the city suffered many earthquakes during the years 956, 1303 and then in 1323

***Modern history
Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798. French troops stormed the city on July 2, 1798 and it remained in their hands until the arrival of the British expedition in 1801. The British won a considerable victory over the French at the Battle of Alexandria on March 21, 1801, following which they besieged the city which fell to them on 2 September 1801
Mohammed Ali, the Ottoman Governor of Egypt, began rebuilding the city around 1810, and by 1850, Alexandria had returned to something akin to its former glory. In July 1882 the city came under bombardment from British naval forces and was occupied (see Egypt under Muhammad Ali and his successors).
In July 1954, the city was a target of an Israeli bombing campaign that later became known as the Lavon Affair. Only a few months later, Alexandria's Manshia Square was the site of the famous, failed assassination attempt on the life of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

331 BCE - Rhacotis renamed "Alexandria" by Alexander the Great (approximate date).
323-30 BCE - Egypt's capital under Ptolemaic dynasty.
283 BCE - Library of Alexandria opens (approximate date).
247 BCE - Lighthouse of Alexandria built (approximate date).
1st century BCE - Caesareum built.
80 BCE - Romans in power.
48 BCE - Julius Caesar conquers Alexandria.
48 BCE - Great Royal Library of Alexandria burned.
47 BCE - Siege of Alexandria.
47 BCE - Caesar victorious.
44 BCE - Assassination of Julius Caesar in Rome.
30 BCE - Battle of Alexandria.
29 BCE - Augustus takes city.
25 BCE - Strabo, the Greek geographer and philosopher, visits Alexandria.

38 CE - Pogrom against Jews.
115 CE - City sacked during Jewish-Greek conflict.
122 CE - Hadrian rebuilds city.
176 CE - Catechetical School of Alexandria (oldest such school in the world) founded. Some recotds say 190 A.D.
297 CE - Pompey's Pillar (column) built.
365 CE - Tsunami.
391 CE - Theodosius I orders destruction of pagan temples.
619 CE - City besieged; Sassanid Persians in power.
641-642 CE - City besieged; Arabs in power;capital of Egypt relocates from Alexandria to Fustat.
645 CE - Byzantines in power.
680 CE - Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral rebuilt.
956 CE - Earthquake.
1303 CE - Earthquake.
1323 CE - Earthquake.
1354 CE - Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue built.
1365 CE - October: City besieged by Cypriot forces.
1381 CE - Zaradel Synagogue established[5]
1477 CE - Citadel of Qaitbay established.

1775 - El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque built.
1798
2 July: City besieged by French forces.
Population: 8,000.
1801
21 March: Battle between French and British forces.
17 August - 2 September: City besieged by British forces.
2 September: Capitulation to British.
1819 - Mahmoudiyah Canal constructed.
1821 - Population: 12,528.
1829 - Dockyard and arsenal open.[citation needed]
1833 - April: Luxor Obelisk shipped to Paris.
1834 - Ras el-Tin Palace construction begins.
1840 - Population: 60,000.
1847 - Ras el-Tin Palace built.
1850 - Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue restored.
1853 - Azouz Synagogue rebuilt.
1856
Cairo-Alexandria railway begins operating.
Cathedral of Evangelismos dedicated.
1859
Institut d'Egypte founded.
Theatre Europeen reopens.
1860 - Alexandria Ramleh Train Station established.
1862 - Theatre Zizinia built.
1861 - Cotton boom.
1863
Horse-drawn trams begin operating.
Population: 170,000.
1865 - Gas lighting introduced.
1865-1869 - New port created.

8 1872 - Population ca. 200,000 (ca. 20% foreigners).

1873
Breakwater built in harbour.
Statue unveiled in Midan Muhammad Ali.
1875 - Al-Ahram newspaper begins publication.
1877 - One of Cleopatra's Needles shipped to London.
1880 - The Egyptian Gazette launched in Alexandria.
1880 - One of Cleopatra's Needles shipped to New York City.
1880 - Zaradel Synagogue restored.
1881 - al-Tankit wa al-Tabkit newspaper begins publication.
1882
11 July: Anti-European riots; city bombarded by British naval forces.
Population: 232,626.[6]
1883 - Alexandria Stock Exchange founded.
1887 - El-Hakaneia Palace built.
1892
Graeco-Roman Museum established.
Salamlek Palace built.

1901 - Green Synagogue established.
1902
Electric trams begin operating.
Victoria College founded.
1903 - Khedivial yacht club built.
1905 - Sea wall constructed.
1907 - Population: 332,246.
1910 - Hellenic Football Club Alexandria formed.
1910 - Sasson Synagogue established.
1914 - Alexandrian Union Club (football) formed.
1917 - Population ca. 460,000 (ca. 20% foreigners).
1919 - Princess Fatma Al-Zahra palace built.
1920 - Castro Synagogue established.
1920 - Nezah Israel Synagogue established.
1921 - Alexandria Opera House opens.
1922 - Shaaré Tefila Synagogue established.
1925 - Scottish School for Girls founded.
1927 - Population ca. 600,000 (ca. 17% foreigners).
1928 - Collège Saint Marc founded.
1929
Alexandria Stadium opens.
English Boys' School established.
1930 - Alexandria Aquarium opens.[citation needed]
1932 - Al-Haramlik Palace built.
1934 - Corniche constructed.
1935 - English Girls College founded.
1937 - Eliahou Hazan Synagogue established.
1938 - Publication of The Egyptian Gazette moved from Alexandria to Cairo.
1941 - 19 December: Conflict between Italian and British naval forces.
1942 - Farouk University established.
1947 - Population ca. 950,000 (ca. 7% foreigners).
1950 - Hassab hospital established.
1952 - Egyptian Revolution.
1954 - 26 October: Attempted assassination of Nasser during speech in Mansheya.
1958 - Alexandria Zoo opens.
1960 - Siddiq Abdul-Latif becomes mayor.
1964 - September: Arab League summit held.
1965 - Population ca. 1.5 million.
1969 - St. Takla Haymanot's Church consecrated.
1986
Ismail El-Gawsaqi becomes mayor.
Port of Dekheila constructed.
Royal Jewelry Museum inaugurated.
1990 - Senghor University founded.
1996 - Alexandria Institute Of Technology founded.
1997 - Abdel-Salam El-Mahgoub becomes mayor.
1999 - Swedish Institute Alexandria established.

2001 - Alexandria Center of Arts opens.
2002 - Bibliotheca Alexandrina inaugurated.
2003
Harras El-Hedoud Stadium opens.
Alexandria National Museum inaugurated.
2006
Adel Labib becomes mayor.
January–February: 2006 Africa Cup of Nations held.
Population: 4,110,015.
Pharos University established.
2007
Borg El Arab Stadium opens.
San Stefano Grand Plaza built.[citation needed]
2009 - Sadat Museum inaugurated.
2010 - Population: 4,358,439.
2011
Egyptian revolution
1 January: Bombing of Saints Church.
2012 - Protests against state president Mohamed Morsi.
2013 - January: Anti-Morsi protests.