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The Geography of Alexandria is very interesting. The layout of the ancient city is now a matter of historical and archeological significance. Very little of the ancient city has survived into the present day. Much of the royal and civic quarters went under the harbor due to earthquake subsidence and much of the rest has been rebuilt in modern times. Features of Geography of Alexandria
Alexandria originally consisted of little more than the island of Pharos which
was joined to the mainland by a seawall nearly a mile long and it was called
the Heptastadion.
The end part of it bordered the land at the head of the present Grand Square
where the Moon Gate stood.
The site of the actual lighthouse having been weathered away by the sea, the
Ras et-Tin quarter is all that is left of the island of Pharos.
The Great Harbor was on the east of the seawall. This is now an open bay.
On the west, lay the port of Eunostos with its inner basin Kibotos.
It has now been vastly enlarged to form the modern harbor.
The ancient Alexandria was divided into three regions – Brucheum, the Jews'
quarter and the Rhakotis.
Brucheum, the Royal or Greek quarter, formed the most magnificent section of
the city.
During the Roman times, Brucheum was expanded another official quarter was
added making up four regions in all.
The city was laid out as a network of parallel streets each of which had a
subterranean canal.
The Jews' quarter formed the northeast portion of the city.
The Rhakotis region was occupied mainly by the Egyptians.
There were two main streets lined with arcades each of which was about 60 meters
wide.
These colonnades intersected each other at the centre of the city, close to
the point where the Sema of Alexander, his Mausoleum stood.
This point is very close to the mosque of Nebi Daniel and the line of the great
East-West Canopic Street.
The location was only slightly diverged from the point of the modern Boulevard
de Rosette.
Traces of its pavement and canal have been found near the Rosetta Gate and
more remains of streets and canals were exposed in 1899 by German excavators
outside the east fortifications which lie within the area of the ancient city.
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