~IIWY EM MAAT~ "SHINNING PEARL OF" "THE MEDITERRANEAN" Prior to the founding of Alexandria, there were 16 villages in the area that the city now encompasses. The administrative center of this collection was a village known as Ra'qedyet. Located on the coast, not far from the island of Pharos, Ra'qedyet became an important maritime location because of the 12 canals that ran through the city. Alexander the Great came to Ra'qedyet, saw the potential the location held as the center of a great city, and ordered his chief architect, Dinocrates, to begin designing a magnificent Greek metropolis in that area. Not a sailor, Alexander realized he needed help in determining where to found the great city he believed he was destined to establish. Several Greek advisors were requested to assist Alexander in the process of laying out the groundwork for the city. Although many believed the north coast of Egypt to be "practically harborless," the harbor on the island of Pharos was well known to the Greek sailors and traders. The experts who were working with Alexander were aware of the potential relationship between the harbor on the island and the great city being planned. The currents in the Mediterranean Sea that flowed from west to east would keep the harbor navigable and free of silt. By joining the island of Pharos with the mainland, waves would be broken, creating a safer docking point for seagoing vessels. In order to protect vessels from the harsh sea, the team of architects, sailors, and traders developed a causeway between Ra'qedyet and Pharos. The Heptastadion, as it was called, consisted of a dyke seven stades (approximately 600 feet) long. This landmass served to enlarge the city area, break the currents, and create a double harbor. The eastern area became known as the Great Harbor and the western waters were called Eunostos. The Great Harbor was at the time, and still is, the best harbor in Egypt. Due to the careful planning and effective construction of the harbor, Alexandria became a hub for international trade. Goods from China to Britain passed in and out of Alexandria's harbor, prompting a 1st Century geographer, Strabo, to describe Alexandria as "the greatest emporium in the inhabited world." Excavations in 1915 reveal that the original structures were built of stones weighing up to 6 tons. A large quay (a wharf for loading and unloading) has recently been uncovered that points to the magnitude of the trade coming in and out of the harbor.

Our good life in Alexandria was brief, but how potent were the perfumes, how splendid the bed on which we lay, and to what sensual delights did we give our bodies to? "wealth, palaestrae, power, prosperity, glory, shows, philosophers, gold, youth, the temple of the Adelphoi, the generous king, Mouseion, wine, all the good things you may desire, and women more numerous than heavenly stars who could compete in beauty with the goddesses who sought the judgment of Paris." Visitors to this Iwyt So far today, December 4 , 2008 - members 2 guests 2 pageviews Since this journal started on January 28 , 2008 : 5 members 139 guests 152 pageviews The Articles of Niewtet-net-Ra'qedyet: Sort by: Featured Date | Date | Title Write an article for Niewtet-net-Ra'qedyet... The Discussions of Niewtet-net-Ra'qedyet: Serapeum