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Alexandria

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria was one of the most important and influential cities of the ancient  world. Located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, Alexandria served as a major center of trade, culture, and scholarship.

Under the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt after Alexander's death, Alexandria became a hub of learning and  innovation. The city was home to the famous Library of Alexandria, one of the  largest and most important libraries in the ancient world, which housed  thousands of scrolls and texts on a wide range of subjects, from science and  philosophy to literature and history.

The city was home to some of the most  renowned scholars, scientists, and philosophers of the ancient world, including  Euclid, Eratosthenes, and Hypatia.

A late 19th-century painting of Act IV, Scene 15 of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra: Cleopatra holds Antony as he dies. Source: Alexandre Bida/ CC BY-SA 4.0

Battle of Alexandria 30 BC - The End of Antony and Cleopatra (Video)

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AI image of a cave. Source: ToonArt/Adobe Stock

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1700, Cellarius Map of Asia, Europe and Africa according to Strabo. (Right) Drawing of Strabo. Source: PicturePast/Adobe Stock, Public Domain

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Incredible orange sunrise at the temple of Philae, a Graeco-Roman construction seen from the Nile river, a temple dedicated to Isis, goddess of love. (unai/Adobe Stock)

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A depiction of the Great Library of Alexandria, a symbol of the intellectual epicenter of the ancient city of Alexandria. Right: Detail of Raphael's (1509–1511) impression of Euclid, teaching students 	Source: Microgen / Adobe Stock

What Made Alexandria the Intellectual Capital of the Ancient World?

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Inside the Catacomb of Kom El Shoqafa. The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa `Mound of Shards` is a historical archaeological site located in Alexandria, Egypt, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders.  Source: mekarim/Adobe Stock

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Libraries of ancient wisdom that helped shape our understanding of the world. Source:  tilialucida/Adobe Stock

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Deriv: Ptolemy as Pharaoh in the British Museum (Stella / CC BY-SA 4.0) and Ptolemy I, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Cleopatra testing poisons on condemned prisoners.

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Temple of Bel, an ancient temple in Palmyra, Syria. The temple was destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Source: Janos/Adobe Stock

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The underground tunnel found beneath Taposiris Magna. Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

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Hero’s trumpet automaton was a type of early doorbell, announcing the arrival of guests and dignitaries	Source: Vibe Images / Adobe Stock

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Karnak temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Source: Calin Stan / Adobe Stock

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Cleopatra. Source: Lumixera / Adobe Stock

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Compilation of the overall appearance of the statue based on Greek and Roman statuettes of the Sun-God and corresponding reconstruction of the 120m (393 ft) tall tower, designed by ©Andrew Michael Chugg

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The Alexander the Great statue and many other artifacts were unearthed at the al-Shatby district of Alexandria shown in the image.               Source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

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Greek ceramics recently discovered in the Nile Delta at the legendary Thonis-Heracleion site, just off the coast from Alexandria, Egypt. Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

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Thonis-Heracleion Sunken City

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Mummy With Golden Tongue Found At Possible Site Of Cleopatra’s Tomb

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Is Cleopatra's tomb at Taposiris Magna's temple?

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