Alexandria was founded as a Greek city by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE when he took control of Egypt on his way to fight the Achaemenid Persians in the east. Following his death in Babylon in 323 BCE, Alexander's successors carved up his territory into various kingdoms; one of his generals, Ptolemy, established himself as Ptolemy I (taking on Egyptian pharonic titles) and he and a thin layer of Greek elites ruled Egypt until Rome annexed it in 31 BCE. During the Graeco-Roman period, Alexandria was the Greek city and a center of literary and scientific culture. The Ptolemaic dynasty was known for its patronage of intellectual pursuits, and in the 3rd century BCE the famous Library of Alexandria was constructed to compile and store all the known works of the Greek world, and the Ptolemies appointed various Greek intellectuals to run the library. Although the library was ultimately destroyed (the sources for its destruction are conflicting) in 2002 Egypt, with the help of external funding, resurrected the library by building a new version of it. Just as in ancient times, the new Biblioteca Alexandrina is a cultural hotspot in downtown Alexandria. It is connected via skybridge to the adjacent University of Alexandria, and its reading room and environs are full of students, locals and visitors. The library also has small museums and exhibition space. After seeing the Pyramids, we thought this modern resurrection of the famous library was a great counterpoint.
In addition to its status as a literary center, Alexandria was known for having talented scientists and engineers. In the 3rd century BCE the Ptolemies commissioned the construction of a lighthouse to guide ships safely to the harbor. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and remained standing until the mid-15th century when one of the Mamluk Sultans, Qaitbey, demolished it and built a fortress. You can see the fortress (heavily restored, I think) and a schema of the original lighthouse, based on ancient descriptions of the monument.
In addition to its status as a literary center, Alexandria was known for having talented scientists and engineers. In the 3rd century BCE the Ptolemies commissioned the construction of a lighthouse to guide ships safely to the harbor. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and remained standing until the mid-15th century when one of the Mamluk Sultans, Qaitbey, demolished it and built a fortress. You can see the fortress (heavily restored, I think) and a schema of the original lighthouse, based on ancient descriptions of the monument.
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