Alexandria

In the northwest part of Egypt, running alongside of the Mediterranean Sea is a city called Alexandria . The city was named after Alexander the Great, who founded it around 334 BC during his epic conquests. There were many Alexandrias founded during Alexander the Great's conquering trips, but none so famous, large, or wealthy.

If not for Rome, the Alexandria of Egypt would have been the largest and wealthiest city at the time. The purpose of the city was to work as middle ground between Greece and the Nile Valley . There were already small towns and villages in what was decidedly the best spot for such a town. One of these small communities was Rhacotis, a haven for fisherman and pirates alike.

Deinocrates of Rhodes was the chief architect put in place to build this magnificent city, and after Alexander left, Cleomenes, his viceroy, was put in charge of expansion. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the Phoenician city of Tyre; Alexandria took on its trade and within a decade was bigger than the Greek city of Carthage , which had been founded five centuries before Alexandria .

After Alexander died, his body was brought to Alexandria by his general, Ptolemy, who later became king of Egypt . The coffin of Alexander was put on display and brought many visitors to the city.

During Ptolemy I's reign, he began the construction of the Great Lighthouse, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World . After twelve years and a change of rulers, the lighthouse was finished during Ptolemy II's reign. It stood 450 feet (138m) high and remained intact until the 14th century AD when an earthquake hit the area that the lighthouse could not handle.

In 51 BC, one of Ptolemy I's descendants, Cleopatra VII (though known only as Cleopatra) co-ruled Egypt with her young brother and husband, Ptolemy XIII. She was 18, he was 12, and the power struggle between the two lasted until a rebellion started by the young queen was put down and she was forced into exile. When Egypt came under the wing of Rome , Cleopatra was able to return from exile and spent a fair amount of time in Alexandria with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

The city survived the fall of the Roman Empire and with the rise of Christianity; many of the city's temples and libraries were closed or destroyed. Along with this, Alexandria slowly detached itself from Egypt and as the peace that had allowed the city to prosper to begin with snapped, halting trade significantly.

Alexandria 's final decline came with the founding of Cairo, and by the time of the Ottoman Empire (which started in 1299 AD), Alexandria had turned into a fishing village -- quite a difference from the great city it had been during its earlier years, but more similar to what had been there before Alexandria was even a twinkle in Alexander's eye.