CChronica Maps

Alexandria: History, Former Names & Timeline

Laid out by Alexander himself and capital of the Ptolemies, famous across the ancient world for its lighthouse and great library.

Map showing Alexandria in 100 BCAlexandria
Border map for 100 BC. See Europe in 100 BC.

Explore Alexandria in the interactive map

Former names of Alexandria

FromNameNote
331 BCAlexandreiafounded by Alexander the Great
AD 641al-Iskandariyya

Timeline of Alexandria

YearEvent
331 BCAlexander the Great founds the city
280 BCThe Pharos lighthouse is built; the Library flourishes
48 BCCaesar intervenes in the Ptolemaic civil war; part of the Library burns
30 BCCleopatra VII takes her own life; Egypt becomes Roman
AD 641Arab armies take Alexandria

Who ruled Alexandria

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

PeriodState
500 BC–324 BCAchaemenid Empire
323 BC–301 BCEmpire of Alexander
300 BC–2 BCPtolemaic Kingdom
1 BC–299Roman Empire
300–399Rome (Diocletianus)
400–699Eastern Roman Empire
700–799Umayyad Caliphate
800–999Abbasid Caliphate
1000–1299Fatimid Caliphate
1300–1599Mamluk Sultanate
1600–1814Ottoman Empire
1815–todayEgypt

Landmarks in and around Alexandria

Nearby cities