History of Alexandria Timeline

Nearly two centuries after the Arab conquest, between the years 814 and 827, Alexandria came under the control of pirates of Andalusia (Spain today), later to return to Arab hands.

The city suffered many earthquakes over the centuries, beginning with a major quake in 956 that damaged its buildings and foreshadowed further destruction to come in the medieval period.

As early as the 12th century, the major trading cities had funduqs and consuls in Alexandria, reflecting the city's enduring role as a vital hub of Mediterranean commerce despite its earlier decline.

Image source: Caravanserai

In 1290, Genoa signed a treaty with Sultan Qalawun providing for preferential tariffs for Genoese merchants who came to trade in Alexandria via a commercial circuit controlled by the sultan at Alexandria customs.

Image source: Qalawun

The Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century, erasing the most iconic monument of ancient Alexandria from the skyline.

Image source: Lighthouse of Alexandria

Later, in the 14th century, the Latin trade in Alexandria was also very important for the sultans, as it enabled them to obtain supplies of mameluks (slave-soldiers) often sold by Genoese merchants.

Image source: Mamluk

Years after the quake of 956, the city suffered another devastating earthquake in 1303, part of a series of seismic disasters that progressively ravaged Alexandria's ancient monuments.

Image source: 1303 Crete earthquake

The city suffered yet another destructive earthquake in 1323, completing a trio of seismic catastrophes in 956, 1303, and 1323 that left Alexandria heavily damaged.

In the year 1365, Alexandria was brutally sacked after being taken by the armies of the Crusaders, led by King Peter of Cyprus, in an attack that inflicted enormous damage on the city and its inhabitants.

Image source: Alexandrian Crusade

By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Venice had eliminated the jurisdiction and its Alexandrian warehouse became the center of the distribution of spices, making the city a crucial node in the lucrative Eastern spice trade.

Image source: Republic of Venice

Venice's Alexandrian warehouse became the center of the distribution of spices to the Portuguese Cape route to open in 1498, which marked the commercial decline of Alexandria, worsened by the Turkish invasion.

Image source: Portuguese India Armadas

After the Lighthouse was destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century, by 1700 the city was just a small town amidst the ruins, a shadow of its former greatness after centuries of decline.

Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798, as the French sought to control this strategic gateway to Egypt.

Image source: French campaign in Egypt and Syria

Two French savants assessing the population of Alexandria in 1798 estimated 8,000 and 15,000, documenting how greatly the once-mighty metropolis had shrunk from its ancient peak.

French troops stormed the city on July 2, 1798, capturing Alexandria for Napoleon and beginning the French occupation of Egypt.

The city remained in French hands until the British victory at the Battle of Alexandria on March 21, 1801, a decisive engagement that turned the tide against Napoleon's forces in Egypt.

Image source: Battle of Alexandria (1801)

Following the Battle of Alexandria, the British besieged the city, which fell to them on September 2, 1801, ending French rule and beginning a long period of British influence over Alexandria.

Image source: Siege of Alexandria (1801)

The city grew in the early 19th century under the industrialization program of Mohammad Ali, the viceroy of Egypt, whose ambitious modernization projects revived Alexandria's economy and population.

Image source: Muhammad Ali of Egypt

Muhammad Ali, the Ottoman Governor of Egypt, began rebuilding the city around 1810, and by 1850, Alexandria had returned to something akin to its former glory as a thriving port metropolis.

In July 1882 the city was the site of the first battle of the Anglo-Egyptian War, when it was bombarded and occupied by the Royal Navy, marking the start of British dominance over Egypt.

Image source: Bombardment of Alexandria

These clashes culminated in the Egyptian coup of 1952, during which the army occupied Alexandria and drove King Farouk from his residence at Montaza Palace, ending the monarchy and ushering in a new era for Egypt.

Image source: Egyptian revolution of 1952

In July 1954, the city was a target of an Israeli bombing campaign that later became known as the Lavon Affair, a covert operation that caused a major political scandal in Israel.

Image source: Lavon Affair

Lawrence Durrell, working for the British in Alexandria during World War II, achieved international success with the publication of The Alexandria Quartet (1957–1960), immortalizing the cosmopolitan city of his wartime years in literature.

Image source: The Alexandria Quartet

In July 2018, archaeologists led by Zeinab Hashish announced the discovery of a 2,000-year-old 30-ton black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria, one of the largest ever found in the city and a sensation worldwide.

Image source: Alexander Sarcophagus

In June 2022, archaeologists from The Cairo Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of an alabaster bust of Alexander the Great as well as molds and other materials for creating amulets for warriors and for statues of Alexander the Great.

Image source: Alexander the Great