Discoveries: Alexandria : Jewel of Egypt (Discoveries (Abrams))

Alexandria, the Mediterranean's largest city, has an illustrious history dating from its founding in 332 bc by Alexander the Great. The city has absorbed an astonishing variety of cultural influences, from Roman and early Christian to Byzantine and Muslim, experiencing massive cycles of renewal and near-abandonment in the process. This comprehensive overview focuses on the city's celebrated monuments-such as the royal libraries and the Alexandria lighthouse-and archaeological artifacts of its cultural splendor, as well as its continuing role as a dynamic marketplace where Occident and Orient meet.