Alexandria of the period

Alexandria, Egypt  

 Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandra became the center of the Ptolemy dynasty. It was a glorious center of business, learning, art, and politics. It was here that Cleopatra’s palace was located.

 One of the most famous features of the time was the lighthouse, which was described by many travelers. The Alexandria lighthouse was erected during the reign of Ptolemy II. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse was 200 feet high and is regarded by many historians as the first lighthouse of the world. Its beam could be seen 34 miles out to sea.

 Another famous feature is Alexandria’s Library. The library was built to be the greatest monument to knowledge in the world. Alexandria was already the center of trade and could easily attract scholars and artists from all over the world. The library continued to grow and possibly held as many as seven hundred thousand scrolls. These priceless scrolls were damaged or destroyed by a fire.