Who studied at Alexandria?

Eratosthenes (l. c.276-194 BCE) calculated the circumference of the earth to within 50 miles (80 km) at Alexandria. Euclid taught at the university there. Archimedes (l. 287-212 BCE) the great mathematician and astronomer may have taught there and was certainly studied there.

What is the city of Alexandria most famous for?

Hellenistic Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its Great Library (the largest in the ancient world); and the Necropolis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

What scholars studied at the Library of Alexandria?

Many important and influential scholars worked at the Library during the third and second centuries BC, including, among many others: Zenodotus of Ephesus, who worked towards standardizing the texts of the Homeric poems; Callimachus, who wrote the Pinakes, sometimes considered to be the world’s first library catalogue;

What is Alexandria Egypt famous for?

The second largest Egyptian city, after Cairo, and one of the largest ports on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria was a major centre of civilization in the ancient world, controlling commerce between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and has continued throughout its long history to act as a vital crossing point for

Who actually built the Library of Alexandria?

1) The ancient library of Alexandria was founded by Demetrius of Phaleon, an Athenian politician who fell from power and fled to Egypt.

Why did Julius Caesar burn the Library of Alexandria?

Ammianus Marcellinus thought that it happened when the city was sacked under Caesar, and Caesar himself reported the burning of Alexandria as an accidental consequence of his war against his great rival Pompey, in 48–47 BCE.

What is the capital of Alexandria?

Once among the greatest cities of the Mediterranean world and a centre of Hellenic scholarship and science, Alexandria was the capital of Egypt from its founding by Alexander the Great in 332 bce until its surrender to the Arab forces led by ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ in 642 ce.

What was Alexandria Egypt called before?

Historians generally agree that Rhakotis, or Râ-Kedet, was a settlement established before the fourth century B.C. in the area subsequently developed as Alexandria.

Why was Alexandria such a cultural center?

As an important trading post between Europe and Asia, it profited from the easy overland connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. During its three earliest centuries, it was perhaps the leading cultural center of the world, home to people of different religions and different philosophies.

How far back did the burning of the Library of Alexandria set humanity?

Once the largest library in the ancient world, and containing works by the greatest thinkers and writers of antiquity, including Homer, Plato, Socrates and many more, the Library of Alexandria, northern Egypt, is popularly believed to have been destroyed in a huge fire around 2000 years ago and its volumous works lost.

Is the Library of Alexandria one of the Seven Wonders of the World?

Its lighthouse, the Pharos, was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. But a greater legacy was the Ancient Library of Alexandria. The library was open to scholars from all cultures. Girls and boys studied regularly at the Ancient Library.

Does the Library of Alexandria still exist?

Located in the royal district of the city, the Library of Alexandria may have been built with grand Hellenistic columns, native Egyptian influences, or a unique blend of the two– there are no surviving accounts of its architecture.

Is Alexandria worth visiting?

If you happen to find yourself in Cairo and have one more day to spare, Alexandria in Egypt is worth a visit. Unlike Giza, it does not have momentous monuments like the Pyramids to show for, but it does have a great waterfront view, and is a refuge from the chaos of downtown Cairo.

Is Alexandria beautiful?

This beautiful city on the Mediterranean simply resonates with the richness of its history and culture, and Egypt’s second largest city maintains an atmospheric juxtaposition between old and new.

Is Alexandria Egypt safe to visit?

Alexandria is somewhat safe and although there is some crime in this city, it’s mostly petty crime and rarely violent. Pickpockets are a problem in Egypt’s major cities, like Alexandria. When it comes to violent crime, it is rare, and you shouldn’t worry too much about being mugged or robbed.