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Alexandria

geography Maturity 11-13

Alexandria is a big city in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
It sits by the blue sea. It has a busy port for ships.
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
People visit to see old things. It is a very special place. Do you want to visit the sea?

50 words

Alexandria is a big city in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
It sits by the blue sea.

A man named Alexander founded the city.

Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
He wanted a large city on the coast.

The city has a busy port for ships.

The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
Many goods come to the port.

People visit to see old things. They can see a large library. They can also see a museum.

It is a very special place. Do you want to visit the sea?

87 words

Alexandria is a major city in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
It sits on the northern coast by the Mediterranean Sea. The city is near the Nile River Delta. It is Egypt's main seaport. It is also the second largest city in the country.
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg

Alexander the Great founded the city in 331 BC.

Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
He wanted a large Greek city on the coast. In the past, it was one of the biggest cities in the world. It was famous for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city also had a Great Library. It was the largest library in the ancient world.

Today, Alexandria is a busy place for trade and industry. It has a large shipyard and many banks. People visit to see the culture. You can visit the Alexandria National Museum. You can also see the Museum of Fine Arts. The city even hosts a film festival. It is a very important place in Africa and the Middle East.

182 words

Alexandria is a major city in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
It sits along the northern coast of the country. The city is located at the western edge of the Nile River Delta. It is the largest city on the Mediterranean coast.
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg
People often call it the "Bride of the Mediterranean." Others call it the "Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast." It is Egypt's most important seaport. It is also the second largest city in Egypt after Cairo.

This city works as a huge center for trade and industry.

Alexandria red double decker bus.jpg
Alexandria red double decker bus.jpg
It has a large financial sector and many banks. The city is home to the Alexandria Shipyard. Its ancient port is one of the busiest in the country.
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
Alexandria is a major hub for science and culture. It hosts the annual Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival. This festival takes place at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
مكتبة الإسكندرية الجديدة.jpg
مكتبة الإسكندرية الجديدة.jpg
The city also has an opera house and several famous museums.

Alexander the Great founded the city in 331 BC.

Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
He wanted to build a large Greek city on the coast. He chose a site near an old settlement called Rhacotis.
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN.svg
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN.svg
A leader named Ptolemy I Soter later made it a capital. The city became a center for the Ptolemaic Kingdom. It was a leading place for learning during the Hellenistic age. At one time, it was the most populous city in the ancient world. It remained a leading city for almost a thousand years.

Many amazing things happened in Alexandria throughout history.

PhareAlexandrie.jpg
PhareAlexandrie.jpg
It was home to the Great Library of the ancient world. The city also had the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Alexandria historic buildings DSCF5543 (cropped).jpg
Alexandria historic buildings DSCF5543 (cropped).jpg
Another famous site was the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. These were one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The city was also a very important center for early Christianity. It served as a major trading hub for goods like spices and silk.

Today, Alexandria is a very large and busy place.

Alexandria tram.jpg
Alexandria tram.jpg
In 2023, the population was about 6,100,000 people. It is the sixth-largest city in the Arab world. It is also the seventh-largest city in the Middle East. It is the eleventh-largest city in Africa. Visitors come to see the many museums and sporting events. The city connects the Mediterranean Sea to the rich Nile valley. It remains a vital part of the modern world.

437 words

Alexandria is a major city located in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
It sits on the country's northern coast at the western edge of the Nile River Delta. The city is the largest on the Mediterranean coast. It is also Egypt's principal seaport.
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg
Corniche of Alexandria.jpg
Because of its beauty, people call it the "Bride of the Mediterranean." Others call it the "Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast." Today, it serves as a massive industrial and financial hub. It is the second largest city in Egypt, following Cairo.

The city functions as a vital center for international trade and industry.

Alexandria red double decker bus.jpg
Alexandria red double decker bus.jpg
It is home to the Alexandria Shipyard. Its ancient port remains one of the busiest in the country.
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats.jpg
The city also has a large financial sector. Alexandria is a major destination for culture and science. It hosts the annual Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival. This event takes place at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
مكتبة الإسكندرية الجديدة.jpg
مكتبة الإسكندرية الجديدة.jpg
The city also features the Alexandria Opera House and several national museums.

Alexandria was founded in April 331 BC by Alexander the Great.

Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
He wanted to create a large Greek city on the Egyptian coast. He chose a site near an ancient settlement called Rhacotis.
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN.svg
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN.svg
Alexander envisioned a causeway to the island of Pharos. This would create two great natural harbors. After Alexander left, his viceroy Cleomenes expanded the city. The architect Dinocrates of Rhodes designed the city using a Hippodamian grid plan. This is a system of straight, intersecting streets.

Following Alexander's death, the city became the capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. Ptolemy I Soter moved the capital there in 305 BC. During the Hellenistic age, Alexandria became a global center for commerce and learning. It grew faster than the city of Carthage. At one time, it was the most populous city in the ancient world. It was second only to Rome for several centuries. The city maintained a diverse population of Greeks, Egyptians, and Jews. This diversity helped make it a leading intellectual hub.

The city is famous for several incredible ancient structures.

PhareAlexandrie.jpg
PhareAlexandrie.jpg
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, or Pharos, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city also held the Great Library, the largest in the ancient world. Another famous site was the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. These were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
113KOM EL SHOQAFA CATACOMBS.jpg
113KOM EL SHOQAFA CATACOMBS.jpg
Alexandria was also a major center for early Christianity. It hosted the Patriarchate of Alexandria, a leading Christian center in the Eastern Roman Empire.

Alexandria has seen many shifts in power and history. It fell to the Sassanid Persians in 619 AD. Later, the Arabs captured the city in 641 AD after a 14-month siege. During the Islamic era, the city remained a massive commercial port. It was a gateway for goods from Arabia, India, and Africa.

Alexandria historic buildings DSCF5543 (cropped).jpg
Alexandria historic buildings DSCF5543 (cropped).jpg
Traders brought spices, pearls, and precious stones through the city. In the 19th century, Muhammad Ali began a period of modernization. He implemented new infrastructure projects to rebuild the city's strength.

In the modern era, Alexandria is a massive urban center.

Alexandria tram.jpg
Alexandria tram.jpg
In 2023, the population was approximately 6,100,000 people. It ranks as the sixth-largest city in the Arab world. It is also the seventh-largest city in the Middle East. It is the eleventh-largest city in Africa. The city continues to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Nile valley. It remains a vital part of Egypt's economy and culture.

606 words
🖼️ Images & Media (32)
File:Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN.svg
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein...
File:PhareAlexandrie.jpg
PhareAlexandrie.jpg
File:Alexandrie et phare.jpg
Alexandrie et phare.jpg
File:Louis-François Cassas, Alexandrie, nommée par les Arabes, Eskanderyeh.jpg
Louis-François Cassas, Alexandrie, nommée...
File:Bombardamento Alessandria 1882.jpg
Bombardamento Alessandria 1882.jpg
File:Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
Macedonian Army Alexander.jpg
File:Canopic Street Alexandria 1784 by LF Cassa.png
Canopic Street Alexandria 1784 by LF Cassa.png
File:S03 06 01 018 image 2380.jpg
S03 06 01 018 image 2380.jpg
File:EWUG visit to Alexandria, April 2025 - 08.jpg
EWUG visit to Alexandria, April 2025 - 08.jpg
File:Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431).jpg
File:View from Montaza.jpg
View from Montaza.jpg
File:Bibliotheca Alexandrina - 20080720e.jpg
Bibliotheca Alexandrina - 20080720e.jpg

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