Speaking of the Nile Delta,
we obviously mean the embouchure of the river Nile where its waters mingle with
those of the Mediterranean Sea.
The
problem, however, is to picture the ancient cities and harbors along that coastline.
There are several elements to be taken into account.
Historically,
we best know the role played by Alexandria
and Pelusium, situated on opposite sides of the Delta, roughly 250 kilometers apart.
Pelusium, about 30 kilometers south of modern Port Said,
was looking to the East. This city was the entrance gate for conquerors coming
from the east. Alexander entered Egypt through Pelusium,
as did the Hittites and Persians before him. For the Egyptian pharaohs, it was
their gateway to the lands on the eastern Mediterranean.
The city played an essential role as a transit station for the goods coming
from and going to the lands around the Red Sea
(see: The fame of elusive Pelusium).
Alexander
founded Alexandria after he returned from visiting the oracle in Siwah. It arose
on the most westerly end of the Delta, on the Canopic Branch of the Nile. The city was intentionally oriented towards Crete
and Greece,
creating a close trading route with his homeland.
The
Greeks had already established thriving trade emporiums in the area. Best known
is Naucratis,
settled as early as the 7th century BC (see: Egypt, land of
the free for ancient Greeks?) As mighty Egypt
allowed them to operate a lucrative business, even granting them special
privileges, Naucratis
eventually became a melting pot of Greek and Egyptian art and culture where
they lived in harmony with each other. In its heyday, it was home to at least
16,000 people who appear to have lived in high-rise buildings three to six
floors high, not unlike the mud-brick houses we encounter today in Yemen.
Archaeological
research has found proof that the Canopic Branch of the Nile
was navigable all the way down to the heart of the city. However, Herodotus
gave us the impression that the freight from the ships arriving from the
Mediterranean was to be transshipped into barges which would sail to reach Naucratis (see: An
update about Naucratis).
A
look at the above map illustrates that vessels heading for the harbor of Naucratis
had to sail an extra distance from the Mediterranean. Alexandria was obviously more accessible.
[Mosaic from Madaba, Jordan, showing the Nile with Pelusium]
The
Egyptians had founded the city of Marea,
as highlighted on the map, in the 7th century BC. It actually lies
on the southern shore of Lake Mareotis, modern Lake
Maryut, and 45 kilometers
southwest of Alexandria.
Speaking of strategic locations!
The
last major city in the Nile Delta is Heliopolis,
the City of the Sun, which Alexander saw in full glory with its
countless temples and at least 30 towering obelisks. The sunrise over Heliopolis must have been a sight for sore
eyes when the first sunrays hit the golden pyramidal point on the obelisks
(see: Buried secrets of Heliopolis)!
This
religious center was a meeting place where the priests studied philosophy,
astronomy, and theology. Many Greeks like Homer, Pythagoras, Plato, and Solon
consulted the available library that contained the entire history of Egypt. This
seat of learning was eventually moved to Alexandria once the city was completed.
For
centuries, every single Pharaoh made it to the sacred city of Heliopolis, where
the gods would confer him their power. When Alexander, who fully
understood the importance of this ritual, followed suit, he was accepted by the
Egyptians as their new Pharaoh.
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