Uncovering Alexandria: Top 13 Fun Facts Revealing the Wonders of Egypt's Ancient Port City

1. Cleopatra's City Confusion

If Cleopatra had a diary, it would probably read, "Note to self: Alexander the Great founded Alexandria, not me. #PharaohProblems!": In 331 BC, Alexander the Great established the city of Alexandria, aiming for it to become a trading hub and a connection between Greece and the Nile Valley. Under Ptolemaic rule, it flourished and rivaled even Rome as the largest city of the era. The legendary Great Library of Alexandria was a beacon of knowledge, only to meet a tragic end during Caesar's siege in 47 BC.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Canal Layaway Plan

Whoever said "you can't put a canal on layaway" never met the ancient Egyptians: Alexandria's freshwater canal, built during the early Ptolemaic period, quenched the city's thirst from the Canopic branch of the Nile for centuries, despite needing occasional revamps and dredging due to pesky siltation issues.
Source => researchgate.net

Did you know the Great Pyramid of Giza is made up of around 2.3 million stones, weighing a massive 6 million tonnes? Uncover more secrets about this ancient wonder!

=> Fun Facts about Cairo

3. Donkey Discovers Catacombs

In a classic case of "donkey does the darnedest things": the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa in Alexandria, Egypt were rediscovered in 1900 when a befuddled donkey tumbled into the access shaft! This ancient tomb mashup, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages, blends Roman, Greek, and Egyptian cultures in a unique underground burial ground used from the 2nd to 4th century AD.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Cleopatra: Scholar and Glam Queen

Move over, Hermione! Cleopatra was the original smarty-pants and glam queen combo: As a queen, scholar, and author, Cleopatra VII excelled in mathematics, philosophy, language studies, and even wrote books on medicine and cosmetics, frequently consulting with the finest minds in Alexandria.
Source => historyextra.com

5. Time-Traveling Scuba Adventure

Ahoy, oceanic explorers and time-traveling scuba-enthusiasts! Ever dreamt of taking a dip in history's deepest depths, and swimming among ancient Egyptian ruins still wearing their soaked slippers? Well, gather round and grab your snorkels: Alexandria, Egypt hosts over 1300 submerged historical sites where visitors can dive near Faros Island and roam through underwater remnants of the once glorious ancient city, fractured by earthquakes and offering unique views of monuments like the fabled lighthouse.
Source => toursbylocals.com

6. Ancient Alexandrian MasterChef

If Cleopatra were on MasterChef, she'd whip up quite the feast with an ancient Alexandrian cookbook: Archaeological studies of faunal remains in Alexandria, Egypt reveal that inhabitants during the Hellenistic period enjoyed a diverse menu of meat, poultry, wildlife, and fish, along with revealing methods of meat preparation and uses for shells within their homes.
Source => researchgate.net

7. Alextrifying Cultural Fusion

In a city where the pharaohs partied like it was 331 BCE and bookworms had a field day, the fusion of Egyptian and Greek vibes was truly "Alextrifying": Alexandria, Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great, was not only the capital for over a millennium, but also housed the legendary Library of Alexandria, with its massive book collection, and was home to Cleopatra herself.
Source => britannica.com

8. Divine Bouncer at the Serapeum

Once upon an ancient rave, the Greeks were known to party with a deity who had their back - like a divine bouncer, if you will: Behold the Serapeum of Alexandria, an enormous temple built by Ptolemy III Euergetes for Serapis, their MVP and protector of the city, which also hosted a side gig as an offshoot of the legendary Library of Alexandria. Nowadays, it whispers its grand tales through the remains of none other than Pompey's Pillar. So, folks, never forget to raise the roof for Serapis!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Lageion: Chariot-Free Party Zone

Hold onto your togas, folks, because this ancient party spot had it all... minus the Fast and Furious, chariot-style: The Lageion, also known as the Hippodrome of Alexandria, was a massive stadium that hosted athletics and ceremonies during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods in Egypt but notably lacked the adrenaline-fueled chariot races one might expect.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Ancient Cool Waterpark

One might say ancient Alexandria had the world's first "cool" waterpark, complete with slides, wave pools, and an underground twist: The city boasted an intricate network of underground aqueducts that not only quenched their thirst but also naturally cooled their bustling metropolis with refreshing sea breezes. No season pass required: The "city of cisterns" was a testament to efficient water storage and drainage systems, evidenced by ruins of buildings and public baths that showcase the brilliant engineering behind ancient Alexandria’s wastewater management.
Source => researchgate.net

11. Pompey's Pillar: Monument Mixup

In a classic case of mistaken identity, Alexandria's breathtaking Pompey's Pillar was wrongly accused of being someone else's monument: Turns out, this 26.85-meter-high column of pink granite was actually dedicated to the Roman emperor Diocletian and only ended up under Pompey's name due to a misreading of the Greek inscription at its base! This stunning column, still standing tall in its original location, once sported a colossal 7-meter-tall statue of Diocletian in armor, proving that sometimes life, just like history, can leave some huge shoes to fill.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Heptastadion: Harbor Flirtation

In a world where size matters and distance makes the heart fonder, there once stood an ancient causeway playing hard to get with two harbors: Behold, the Heptastadion of Alexandria! This magnificent barrier stretched over three-quarters of a mile, connecting the flirty Pharos Island to the mainland while splitting the two harbors and keeping their coastlines coy. Acting as a part-time aqueduct and full-time road, it now sleeps beneath the modern city of Alexandria, dreaming of its legendary past.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. Astrolabe: Ancient GPS

Before smartphones and Siri showed us the way, a brainy bunch in Alexandria got their kicks by gazing at the stars and creating ancient GPS tools: Around 530 AD, a member of the Library of Alexandria first described astrolabes, which were instrumental in determining celestial positions. These ingenious devices found favor among Arab scientists and merchants, who used them to navigate the seas and facilitate trading. Why, you ask? Because astrolabes boasted amazingly accurate star position tables, which inevitably contributed to the earth-shattering (or rather, earth-ellipsing) discovery of our planet's orbit around the sun!
Source => coinsweekly.com