Home From Alexander to the Middle Ages The 16th Century The 17th and 18th Centuries The 19th Century The evidence of travellers Back to Alexandria Home Page

The ideal position of Alexandria and its ports in antiquity is obvious. It is at this position on the sea-lane between the Orient and Occident, that Alexander decided to establish his new capital, as a connecting point for all the earth. But in the centuries that followed, besides controlling Mediterranean trade, Alexandria also became an important transhipment centre, as goods arriving from the Far East via the Red Sea could be carried forward by caravans and river transportation to Alexandria. From there, cargoes were loaded onto vessels destined for the markets of the West. Mariners had the choice of using one of the two ports: the Megas Limin or the Eunostos - which intercommunicated in antiquity - according to the sea conditions and the direction of the winds. The ports of Alexandria flourished during the Hellenistic, and the Roman periods up to the last decade of the 4th century AD. During the period that followed, called Late Roman, Christian and Byzantine, Alexandria continued to maintain relative importance, and her ports received a large number of trading vessels. After the Arab conquest, although gradually losing its importance, Alexandria was still a trading centre and the second city of Egypt. The two centuries of the Crusades saw the ports of Alexandria often attacked by Christian fleets, but it is known that throughout this period, notwithstanding repeated papal interdictions, trade between the Islamic World and the Christian states continued and Alexandria had its share of the traffic. In 1480 Quaid Bey built the fortress that bears his name, to protect both ports, the Western that was exclusively reserved for Islamic vessels, and the Eastern Port available to the Christian ships. Although the Mediterranean was infested at that time with pirate ships, there was a gradual increase in travellers calling at Alexandria on board western vessels. From the middle of the 14th century, travellers described their visits in documents which provide valuable information on trade and movement at the ports.