Alexandria is a city in the country of Egypt and has a population of just over 4.1 million people, which makes the city the second largest city in the country. Alexandria is located on the northern portion of Egypt and lies directly on the Mediterranean Sea. The location on the sea makes Alexandria a major seaport which handles a vast majority of Egypt’s imports and exports. Tourism is the other major part of the Alexandrian economy. The beautiful weather, ancient ruins and museums are the major reason why tourist love to visit the city.
Alexandria was founded in 331 BC and named after its founder, Alexander the Great. Alexander left the city only a few months after its foundation and he would never return. Construction of the city continued to follow Alexander’s wishes of making the city feel as much like Greece as possible. After Alexandria was finally finished it shortly became one of the largest cities in the world. Alexandria would become home for Egyptians, Greeks and Jews. This led to tension for many years until the city was taken over by Julius Caesar and put under Roman rule in the year 47 BC. Alexandria would be the home of many battles throughout the years, which would partially destroy the city. The city would undergo redevelopment in the early 19th century which restored it to early days.
The beautiful weather and amazing beaches have allowed Alexandria to become a large resort town. Outside of the winter months, the weather is perfect with little to no rain fall occurring. The winter months of December, January and February will see average high temperatures between 16 and 18 °C. Winters in Alexandria are also known for their heavy rain and violent storms. The other nine months of the year, the average temperatures will range from 24 to 30 °C. With no rain falling during this time, the weather is absolutely perfect for the beach and sightseeing.
One of the most popular attractions found in the city is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Alexandria was once the home to the world’s oldest libraries, but most of them were all destroyed. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the Egyptian governments attempt to recreate the experience found in the ancient libraries. The new library lies in the same area of the old library and holds thousands of ancient books that can not be seen anywhere else. There are currently over 1 million books at the library, but it is far from being at full capacity. Along with the library, there are also several museums and exhibitions located in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
One of the major features found in the library is the Planetarium Science Center. There are 5 different shows that are shown throughout the day in the planetarium. Located next to the planetarium is an area where the visitors can interacts with some of the science exhibits. Other major attractions found in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina include the Sadat museum, World of Shadi Abdel Salam exhibition and four art galleries.
