Alexandria Egypt: A Mediterranean City of History and Memory
Alexandria, Egypt, reveals its history through fragments, stories and layers of architecture. Unlike Rome or Athens, where surviving monuments give the ancient city a more visible presence, much of Alexandria’s past must be pieced together from scattered remains: a column, a stone, a buried chamber or the remembered location of a vanished landmark.
The city’s history brings together Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, the ancient Library and the Serapeum. Alongside this ancient legacy stands another Alexandria: the city of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings, cafés, hotels and apartments celebrated by Constantine Cavafy, E. M. Forster and Lawrence Durrell.
Its Mediterranean setting gives Alexandria a character distinct from Cairo. Sea breezes, pale façades and the coastal atmosphere connect the city with the wider Mediterranean world to which ancient Alexandria belonged.
Alexander the Great and the Founding of Alexandria
Alexander the Great entered Egypt in November 332 BC and travelled directly to Memphis. Early in 331 BC, he sailed north along the Nile towards the coast, where he established the city that would carry his name.
The guide recounts a dream associated with this decision. A grey-haired figure appeared beside Alexander and recited lines from Homer’s Odyssey describing Pharos, an island off the coast of Egypt. The following morning, Alexander went to Rhakotis, described in the account as a settlement of goatherders.
The city’s foundation became one of Alexander’s most enduring contributions. He did not remain long enough to see its buildings rise. After visiting Siwa and returning across the desert to Memphis, he continued his campaigns in Asia.
A City Shaped by Its Harbours
Alexandria’s coastal geography helped define its development. Two limestone ridges run parallel to the shore: the inner ridge provides a firm setting above Egypt’s shifting alluvial ground, while the outer ridge breaks the incoming waves.
A causeway connecting the ridges created two sea harbours. Behind the city, another harbour on Lake Mareotis linked Alexandria with the Nile, drawing the resources of Egypt towards its Mediterranean port.
Together, these connections gave the city access to both the sea and the country’s inland waterways.
The Founder’s Burial Traditions
Alexander died eight years later, at the age of 33. Traditions surrounding the journey and burial of his body became part of Alexandria’s founding story.
The AUC Guide recounts that his body was first brought to Memphis, where priests opposed its burial. In their account, the presence of his tomb would bring unrest and conflict to the city that held it.
The narrative then follows his body north to Alexandria, wrapped in gold and enclosed in a glass coffin. It describes his burial near the city’s central crossroads, where Alexander became a civic hero and protective presence in the city’s imagination.
This is the burial narrative presented by the guide, rather than an identification of a tomb that visitors can locate today.
Alexandria Under the Ptolemies
After Alexander’s death, one of his Macedonian generals took control of Egypt and made Alexandria his capital. Ruling as Ptolemy I Soter, he founded the dynasty that continued until the suicide of Cleopatra VII.
Under the Ptolemies, Alexandria became a gathering place for artists, poets and scholars. Its influence was especially strong in mathematics and science, while its political and cultural importance reached a further high point under Cleopatra and Antony.
A Centre of Science and Philosophy
Alexandria’s intellectual life brought together thinkers whose work shaped later understanding of the world.
Euclid developed theories of numbers and of plane and solid geometry, demonstrating the power of rational reasoning. Eratosthenes determined the circumference of the Earth, while Aristarchus of Samos proposed a heliocentric explanation of the heavens approximately 1,800 years before Copernicus.
Erasistratus advanced the study of the human body, approaching an understanding of blood circulation and distinguishing between motor and sensory nerves.
Philosophy continued to flourish during the Roman period. The guide describes scholars exploring questions about the universe while maintaining belief in God, in contrast with some earlier Greek thinkers.
Literature, Architecture and the Memory of the City
Alexandria remained a cosmopolitan city until the 1950s. Its nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture preserves another layer of its identity, remembered through the writings of Cavafy, Forster and Durrell.
The guide also describes two ways in which the city has reconnected with its ancient past. Underwater archaeological investigations in and around the Eastern Harbour have explored the remains of Cleopatra’s Alexandria. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, meanwhile, was conceived in the spirit of the ancient Ptolemaic Library and its exceptional collection of knowledge.
Together, these layers connect Alexandria’s Mediterranean setting with its enduring history of scholarship, literature and cultural exchange.
Alexandria: Weather and Seasonal Highlights
- February: Cold sea winds and rain, with occasional storms. Fog may disrupt road travel from Cairo.
- April / Spring: Coptic Holy Week and Easter celebrations are followed by Sham El Nessim picnics and kite-flying. Dates vary each year.
- May: Around 27°C by day and 16°C in the evening, with sea temperatures near 21°C—pleasant conditions for Corniche walks.
- July: A lively summer beach season, with Alexandria’s National Day celebrated on 26 July.
- August: Hot, humid conditions, with humidity around 68%. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Summer Festival adds cultural performances; check the annual programme.
- September: Sea temperatures remain around 28°C. Crowds generally ease late in the month, and hotel rates may fall.
- October: Remembrance events mark the anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein around 23 October. Some seasonal beach resorts close towards the month’s end.
Alexandria Highlights
Featured Cultural Highlights
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Inspired by the ancient Ptolemaic Library, it connects Alexandria with its enduring tradition of knowledge and learning.
- Graeco-Roman Museum: A cultural highlight for exploring Alexandria’s Greek and Roman heritage.
Sights and Places to Explore
- Abu Abbas Al Mursi Mosque
- Alexandria National Museum
- Coptic Cemetery
- El Shorbagi Mosque
- Fort Qaitbey
- Greek Club Beach
- Greek Orthodox Cemetery
- Jewish Cemetery
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Terbana Mosque
Dining
- Abu Ashraf
- Basilico
- Cilantro
- Croissant d’Alexia
- El Nezamy
- El Sheikh Wafik
- Farag Fish
- Gelati Fahmy
- Hosny Grill
- Kebdet Sami
- Koshary Masrawy
- Samakmak
- Seaside
- Sidra By the Citadel
- Talaat Patisserie
- White & Blue
Cafés and Nightlife
- El Qobesi
- Farouk Café
Shopping
- Al Midan Fish Market
- Zane’t El-Setta