The second largest city in modern Egypt was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great. Pharos, the monumental lighthouse that marked the entrance to the port was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Great Library of Alexandria considered the largest archive of knowledge at the time. Until the rise of Rome, Alexandria is believed to have been the largest city in the ancient world, and concentrated most of intellectual and cultural activity of the Hellenistic period.

Unfortunately, fate reserved a wave of cruel blows for the city. Pharos was destroyed by three major earthquakes and the Great Library was set on fire. Part of the old city has disappeared under the sea. The 19th century marked a period of rebirth, when Alexandria became one of the main commercial centers of the Mediterranean. The Alexandria Modern Library (or Alexandrina Library), founded in 2002, is the city's greatest symbol, considered the cultural capital of Egypt.