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Alexandria History, Egypt

Alexandria was the second largest city in egypt with a population of 4.1 million. It is also known for having great seaports that provide about 80% of Egyptian imports and export which helps Egyptians in many ways like it serves as their means of transportation and means in thier income. Alexandria is known also for its significant tourist resort which is a great place for the visitors.

Alexandria is one of the cities undertaken and established by Alexander the Great in his time, around 332 BC. Although some historians disputed this date, it remained to be the official foundation date until such time that a concrete one is published. Alexander was one of the most popular military commander in history and he was never beaten in a battle. With Alexander the Great’s architect Dinocrates, they took the time to layout the overall plan of the structrure of the city drawing the draft on grains due to lack of drawing materials such as chalk. Dinocrates was Alexander the Great adviser, he is famous in planning the Alexandria city. This was the most significant account that many historians noted about Alexandria’s foundation.

There were other fanciful accounts of the city’s foundation however, they were to good to be true and most were just myths and can harldly proven like Alexander scaring a sea-monster away that prevented the creation of the city, by putting up metal images on the beach. One of the historian Arrian tells how Alexander accepted to lay out the city’s main plan and he was one of the best sources on the campaigns of Alexander.

Alexandria’s purpose was to succeed Naucratis as a Hellenistic center in Egypt, to be the connection between Greece ant the wealthy Nile Valley. The place also gave exclusive security against the attacking armies: the huge Libyan Desert to the west and the Nile Deltato to the east. Rhakotis was an Egyptian fishing village that was already placed before Alexandria on the shore and was a place with lots of fishermen and pirates. Rhakotis was the original name of Alexandria, to be found on the northern coast of Egypt, before Alexander renamed it. Between the strip of Lake Mareotis and the sea has five local villages scattered, according to a story of Alexander credited to the author named Pseudo-Callisthenes.

Alexander left Egypt for the East a few months after the foundation and never came back to his city. After Alexander left, his Cleomenes maintained the development of the city.

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