Alexandria, "The Pearl of the Mediterranean"

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports. Alexandria is also an important tourist resort.


    Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in

April 331 BC. Alexandria became the capital of  Graeco-Roman Egypt until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641 when a new capital was founded at Fustat (Fustat was later absorbed into Cairo).
   
    In ancient times, Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. Alexandria was known because of its lighthouse (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its library (the largest library in the ancient world); and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Ongoing maritime archaeology in the harbour of Alexandria, which began in 1994, is revealing details of Alexandria both before the arrival of Alexander, when a city named Rhacotis existed there, and during the Ptolemaic dynasty.

    This section of Alexandria is known to us more from books then what we may actually see in the area. Where the  Pharos Lighthouse once stood, is now occupied by the Fort of Quit Bay ,out on the area that circles up around the top of Eastern Harbor forming the eastern section of the top of the T. Heading south from the Fort of Quit Bay, we come to the stunning Abu El-Abbas Mosque .West of this is the Anfushi Tombs , some of the oldest in Alexandria and well worth a visit.

    Most of the citizens of Alexandria adhere to the religion of Islam. The most famous mosque in Alexandria is Abu el-Abbas el-Mursi Mosque in Anfoushi. Other notable mosques in the city include Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in Somouha, Bilal mosque, El-Gamee el-Bahari in Mandara, Hatem mosque in Somouha, Hoda el-Islam mosque in Sidi Bishr, El-Mowasah mosque in Hadara, Sharq el-Madina mosque in Miami, El-Shohadaa mosque in Mostafa Kamel, Qaed Ibrahim mosque, Yehia mosque in Zizinya, Sidi Gaber mosque in Sidi Gaber, and Sultan mosque.


Reference:
http://www.touregypt.net/alexandria/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria
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