Alexandria, Egypt, has survived invasions, fires, and earthquakes. It was once one of the most powerful cities in the world. Alexandria’s story began thousands of years ago.
332 B.C. Alexander the Great was one of history’s mighty military generals. But he was also curious about the world. When he conquered Egypt, he ordered a great city to be built. That city became known as Alexandria. The famous general was buried there.
283-48 B.C. Alexandria’s Great Library was the largest in the ancient world. It grew because people were hungry to learn. The library was filled with books from every field of learning. There were close to 700,000 books! The library caught fire and was destroyed when Julius Caesar had his army burn enemy ships in the city’s harbor.
247 B.C.-A.D. 1323 The Pharos Lighthouse was 350 feet tall, towering over almost every other structure in world. At a cost of 800 talents of silver, it took 12 years to build. A huge fire was kept burning at the top. The tower stood until it was finally toppled during an earthquake in the 14th century. Today, parts of the lighthouse can still be found underwater in Alexandria’s harbor.
A.D. 50-60 In Bible times, Alexandria was an important city. During Jesus’ life, it was the capital of Egypt. In Alexandria, scholars translated the Bible from Hebrew into Greek. We read about the great city in in the New Testament book of Acts twice. Early Christian writers reported that the Apostle Mark preached there, possibly in about the years A.D. 50 to 60. Maybe he started one of the city’s first churches. When Christianity spread to Alexandria, it grew strong. Alexandria was one of the church centers in the ancient world. The strong city was a strong home for Christians!
A.D. 100-300 The Kom El Shoqafa catacombs are Egyptian tombs. A circular staircase leads 100 feet down into the tombs—some of the oldest in the world.
297 Pompey’s Pillar was erected to celebrate a military victory. It is the largest Roman column ever built outside of Rome and Constantinople. Made of a single piece of granite, the column is 88 feet tall and weighs 285 tons.
1477 The Citadel of Qaitbay is a medieval fortress in Alexandria. It sits atop the ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse. It is on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The fort defended Egypt against invaders.
