The City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria

In the central horizontal strip, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria is represented as a walled city with a gate.  The Greek letters ΑΛΕΧΑΝ[Δ]ΡΙΑ (= Alexandria)  above it label it as such.  To the right of the city is a circular tower that represents the Pharos, the famous lighthouse of Alexandria—one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The horseman to the right of Alexandria carries a torch, or perhaps a bouquet of flowers. Notice the ΙΖ (= 17) to the left of the horse and rider.


The "Nile Festival Building" is the name given to a large house or public structure, that was uncovered by a team from the Hebrew University led by Ehud Netzer and Zeev Weiss.  It measures 165 x 115 ft.  Rooms were built around a central courtyard and the structure may have served as a Basilica.  It is situated near the center of the Byzantine city on the east side of the Cardo—the main street of the city. It was built around A.D. 400 and was destroyed by an earthquake in the seventh century.