Alexandria History

Alexandria History In the Northwest of Egypt and on the Coast of the Meditteraenean is the Ancient City of Alexandria, which lived through the Greek, Roma, Byzantine and Islamic Civillizations, and was the largest and most prosperious City in the Ancient World. After the victory of Alexandria the Great in Persia, he made his way to Egypt and conquered it, and the people welcomed him as their liberator. After his conquest of Egypt and his coronation as King, he began to plan his construction of his Capital in Egypt, he had chosen a a Location not Alexandria, however before he started to establish it, he had a dream that Homer visited him and spoke to him about the Odyssey and in his dream there was a reference made to the Egyptian Island of Pharaohs in the Meditteraenean Sea. So the next Morning Alexander journeyed to the Island of Pharos and stood on the Rocks holding a Golden Casket and staring at a forgotten Coastal Stretch, then after a long Silence nodded his head, and that was the signal to start the building of Alexandria. Located in the Ancient settlement of Rakotis which dates back fifteen hundred BC, Alexander found many elements in the Site which helped establish the City, the most important being the fresh water from Lake Mariout which feeds from the Canopic part of the Nile. Alexandria which is named after Alexander the Great,, is considered to be Egypt’s second Capital reason being because of the Historical importance and population, and is Egypt’s second largest City. In three hundred and thirty two BC, the young twenty five Year old Alexander founded the City. His chief architect Dinocrates was appointed to head this project which was intended to see Alexandria replace Naucratis as a Hellenistic Centre in Egypt, also to be the link between Greece and the Rich Nile Valley. The Egyptian Fishing Village of Rhakotis – Ra – Kedet in Egyptian already existed on the Shore, and later gave it’s name to Alexandria, which became the Egyptian quarter of the New City. After only a few months following it’s foundation, Alexander left the City which was named after him and was never to return, however one of his favourite Generals Ptolemy struggled with other successors of Alexander. On becoming Govenor of Egypt, Ptolemy succeeded in bringing Alexander’s Body back to Alexandria. The main Ptolemaic work in the City appears to have been the Heptastadion and the Mainland quarters, however Cleomenes was responsible for the oversight of Alexandria’s continuing development upon inheriting the Trade of the ruined Tyre, Alexandria grew to be larger than Carthage, in less than a Generation becoming the Centre of the New commerce between Europe and the Arabian and Indian East . Only a Century after it’s foundation, Alexandria became the largest City in the World and the Centuries later was second only to Rome. It became the Major Greek City in Egypt with a remarkable combination of Greeks from several Cities and backgrounds. In addition to being a Centre of Hellenism, Alexandria was Home to the World’s largest Jewish Community, so it was here that the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible , the Septuagint was written. The early Ptolemies fostered the development of a Temple of the Muses hence the word Museum, into what was to become the Great Library of Alexandria, which was the leading centre of Hellenistic learning throughout the World. Whilst the Ptolemies carefully maintained the Ethnic distinction of the Greek, Jewish and Egyptian populations, the largest groups of the population created diversions and tensions which began under the Reign of Ptolemy Philopater who ruled from two hundred and four to two hundred and twenty one BC. The civil unrest which came out of these tensions developed into Civil Warfare and the purges of Ptolemy VIII Physcon who Reigned from one hundred and sixteen until one hundred and forty four BC, Josephus Antiquities while Alexandria had been under Roman influence for over one hundred Years, it was in Eighty BC, that it passed under Roman jurisdiction, which was in accordance with the will of Ptolemy Alexander. Civil War broke out between King Ptolemy XIII, and his advisors against the renowned Queen Cleopatra VII, Julius Ceasar intervened in the Civil War in forty seven BC, and captured the City. On August the first in thirty BC, Octavian the future Emperor Augustus, finally conquered Egypt. The name of the Month was later changed to August to commemorate his Victory. Most of the City of Alexandria was destroyed during the Kitos War in one hundred and fifteen AD. This allowed the Emperor Hadrian an opportunity to rebuild the City through the work of his architect Decriannus. Emperor Caracalla visited the City in two hundred and fifteen AD and having been offended by some insulting Satires directed at him by the Citizens, he commanded his Troops to put to death the Youths capable of bearing arms. On the twenty first of July three hundred and sixty five the three hundred and sixty five Crete Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged Alexandria and seventeen hundred Yeears later this tragedy is still commemorated as a Day of Horror. In the late three hundreds the persecution of Pagans by newly Christianized Romans intensified, which culminated in the destruction of all Pagan Temples in Alexandria by Patriarch Theophilus who was acting under the orders of Emperor Theodosius I. The City’s Jewish quarters along with the Brucheum were desolate by the fifth Century. On the Mainland it appeared that Life revolved around the Area of the Serapeum and Caesareum , both constructions becoming Christian Churches. However the Pharos and Heptasadium quarters remained populous and intact. Alexandria fell to the Sassanid Persians in their conquest of six hundred and and nineteen to be briefly recovered in six hundred twenty nine by the Emperor Heraclius. In six hundred and forty one after a fourteen Month Seige, the City was captured by General Amr Ibn Al – As. It played a major part in Napoleon’s Military Operations during his expedition to Egypt in seventeen ninety eight until the French were routed by the British in a notable Victory at the Battle of Alexandria on the twenty first of March eighteen hundred and one. The ensuing Seige of the Town, resulted in the fall of Alexandria to the British on the Second of September eighteen hundred and one. The reconstruction and redevelopment of the City, commenced around eighteen hundred and ten , under Mohammed Ali, the Ottoman Govenor of Egypt. By eighteen hundred and fifty Alexandria had been restored to something of it’s former Glory, however it was bombarded by British Naval Forces in July eighteen eighty two and occupied. In July of Nineteen fifty four the City became the target of an Isreali bombing campaign which later became known as the Lavon Affair. An attempt to assassinate Gamel Abdel Nasser failed in Alexandria’s Mansheyya Square in October of that same Year. Egypt Travel Packages. Come and explore Egypt with a collection of all Tours in Egypt which is tailored to your own Personal Taste.