Alexandria, with a population of 4.2 million, is the second largest city in Egypt. The city is the country’s economic hub and is the largest seaport, serving about 80 percent of Egypt's imports and exports. Alexandria is also an important tourist destination.

Alexandria extends about 32 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in north central Egypt. It is home to the new Library of Alexandria, and is an important industrial centre because of its oil and natural gas pipelines from Suez, a seaport town in north-east of the city. Alexandria was an important trading centre between Asia and Europe, since it derived benefits of the land connection between the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world in ancient times. It was founded around a small town around 331 B.C. by Macedonian king Alexander the Great. Even though it remained Egypt's capital for almost a thousand years, the Muslims conquered the Egypt in 641 A.D. and a new capital was founded at Fustat , which is in Greater Cairo area.

Alexandria was famous for the Lighthouse of Alexandria which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Library of Alexandria which is the largest library in the ancient world, and the Catacombs of Kom-el Shokafa which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Maritime archaeology in the harbour of Alexandria is revealing the details of Alexandria before the arrival of Alexander.