History glossary
Alexandria
a city founded by Alexander the Great in Egypt, now a major city on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.
- Category
- City
- Region
- Modern Egypt
- Date range
- founded 331 BCE
What it means
Alexandria was founded in 331 BCE on Egypt's Mediterranean coast and became a major Hellenistic capital under the Ptolemies. In modern Egypt it remains a major port city. In ancient history it was famous for scholarship, trade, Greek-Egyptian culture, and its great library.
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