Alexandria, the “Pearl of the Mediterranean,” is a city to explore at random; it's as important to enjoy its unique atmosphere, as it is to see its sights. It was built about 2300 years ago at the orders of Alexander the Great, and quickly flourished into a prominent cultural, political and economic metropolis. As in ancient times when it was home to Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Alexandria still has a very special ambience and a character of its own.
Greco-Roman Alexandria
Alexandria was once the world's intellectual capital, and the center of learning in ancient times. Its library, built 2400 years ago, was the world's first university in the world with its college scholars such as Euclid of Alexandria, who is often referred to as the “Father of Geometry”, and it also served as a publishing house. Tragically, a fire destroyed the Ancient Library, but an international project to revive it was completed in 2000. It now houses over 4 million volumes, 100,000 manuscripts, a conference center, science museum, planetarium and a school of information studies.