History & Archaeology

A “forgotten Alexandria” on the Tigris is being pulled back into focus by archaeologists using drones and geophysics, revealing what appears to have been a vast, carefully planned metropolis in southern Iraq. The site, known today as Jebel Khayyaber, has long sat in a difficult border region, but new mapping shows streets, temples, industrial zones, canals and blocks so large they may rank among the biggest known from antiquity. The rediscovery matters because this was not a minor outpost. Researchers argue it functioned for centuries as a crucial hub linking river traffic up Mesopotamia with maritime routes to the Persian Gulf and trade networks reaching toward India and beyond. Seleucia And Ctesiphon, Opposite Jewels On the Banks Of The Tigris