Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🗺️

Alexandria

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Alexandria is a major city located in Egypt.

Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431)
Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast (154431)

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
Corniche of Alexandria

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
Alexandria red double decker bus

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
The citadel of qaitbay with fishing boats

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
مكتبة الإسكندرية الجديدة

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
Macedonian Army Alexander

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
Plan of Alexandria c 30 BC Otto Puchstein 1890s EN

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
PhareAlexandrie

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
113KOM EL SHOQAFA CATACOMBS

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)
Alexandria historic buildings DSCF5543 (cropped)

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
Alexandria tram

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.

565 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ 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

+ 20 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.