Difference between revisions of "Alexandria"
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[[Ptolemy I Soter]] witnessed the birth of Alexandria and wanted her to be the cultural and intellectual capital of the world. Under the reign of Soter, the golden age of Alexandria, the new capital of Egypt, started. It was the site of the [[Pharos]] Lighthouse, one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], as well as the [[Great Library]]. | [[Ptolemy I Soter]] witnessed the birth of Alexandria and wanted her to be the cultural and intellectual capital of the world. Under the reign of Soter, the golden age of Alexandria, the new capital of Egypt, started. It was the site of the [[Pharos]] Lighthouse, one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], as well as the [[Great Library]]. | ||
| − | The Pharos lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos off the coast. The Library at Alexandria was conceived largely as an attempt to bring together in Alexandria the whole of the earlier Greek science, art, and literature. At one point the Library held close to fifty thousand books. The eventual fate of the Library is unknown. | + | The Pharos lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos off the coast. The Library at Alexandria, founded under the reign of Ptolemy II, was conceived largely as an attempt to bring together in Alexandria the whole of the earlier Greek science, art, and literature. At one point the Library is believed to have held close to fifty thousand books. The eventual fate of the Library is unknown. |
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Revision as of 19:45, December 3, 2008
Alexandria was the center of the Hellenistic intellectual world. The city was built by the Greek architect Dinocrates (332-331 BC) at the orders of Alexander the Great. Egypt was ruled from Alexandria by Ptolemy's descendants until the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC.
Ptolemy I Soter witnessed the birth of Alexandria and wanted her to be the cultural and intellectual capital of the world. Under the reign of Soter, the golden age of Alexandria, the new capital of Egypt, started. It was the site of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as well as the Great Library.
The Pharos lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos off the coast. The Library at Alexandria, founded under the reign of Ptolemy II, was conceived largely as an attempt to bring together in Alexandria the whole of the earlier Greek science, art, and literature. At one point the Library is believed to have held close to fifty thousand books. The eventual fate of the Library is unknown.
Today Alexandria is the second largest city and the main port of Egypt. [1]