Alexandria

Alexandria ; , Standard romanisation: , ; Egyptian Arabic romanisation: , }} is a major city in Egypt. Lying at the western edge of the Nile River Delta, it extends about along the country's northern coast. It is Egypt's principal seaport, the second largest city after Cairo, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria is one of the largest and most important cities of antiquity and a leading hub for science, culture, and scholarship.

Nicknamed the "Bride of the Mediterranean" and "Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast", the city is a popular tourist destination and a major industrial centre. It is the sixth-largest city in the Arab world and in the Middle East, and the eleventh-largest city and urban area in Africa. The city is located in Alexandria Governorate, and is the host city of the annual Alexandria International Film Festival, held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The city is also home of Alexandria Opera House, Alexandria Museum of Fine Arts and Alexandria National Museum. It also has a large financial sector, and its port Alexandria is one of the busiest ports in Egypt. The city hosts many sporting events, and is the home of the association football club Al Ittihad. Alexandria extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits as well as its urban agglomeration, with a population of 5,362,527 in 2023 over an area of 1,661 km²(641 sq mi).

Alexandria was established originally near an ancient Egyptian settlement named Rhacotis, which later became its Egyptian quarter. The city was made the capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and became the foremost commercial, intellectual, and cultural centre for much of the Hellenistic age and late antiquity; at one time, it was the most populous city in the ancient world. Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria (''Pharos''), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its Great Library, the largest in the ancient world; and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

Alexandria retained its status as one of the leading cities of the Mediterranean world for almost a millennium, through the period of Roman and Byzantine rule until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641 AD, when a new capital was founded at Fustat, now part of Cairo. The city was a major hub of early Christianity and hosted the Patriarchate of Alexandria, one of the leading Christian centres in the Eastern Roman Empire; the modern Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria both lay claim to this ancient heritage.

By the mid seventh century, Alexandria had already been largely plundered and lost its significance, although it persisted as a trading hub and naval base. From the late 18th century, it was a major centre of the international shipping industry and one of the most important trading centres in the world, owing to the easy overland connection between the Mediterranean and Red Seas and the lucrative trade in Egyptian cotton. Alexandria's rebirth began in the early 19th century under Muhammad Ali, considered the founder of modern Egypt, who implemented infrastructure projects and modernisation efforts. Provided by Wikipedia