City of Alexander the Great rediscovered after almost two thousand years

Discovery of Ancient City Founded by Alexander the Great

Archaeologists have pinpointed the location of a long-forgotten city established by Alexander the Great. This city, once a bustling trading hub, has remained hidden for centuries.

Known as Alexandria on the Tigris River, the city lies near the Persian Gulf in southern Iraq. It was founded in the 4th century BC, serving as a crucial port that connected trade routes from India with Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean.

After the 3rd century AD, changes in the Tigris River’s course led to the city’s disappearance from historical records.

In recent years, researchers have utilized drone imagery and advanced geophysical scans to map the city’s walls, street layouts, and blocks. While archaeological work at the site began in the 2010s, during ISIS’s control over Iraq, the full extent of the lost city is only now being uncovered.

According to a press release from Germany’s University of Konstanz on January 28, excavations are conducted under strict military or police supervision.

Researchers have discovered temple complexes, workshops equipped with kilns, and remnants of the city’s port and canal systems. Professor Stefan R. Hauser from the University of Konstanz remarked that despite suffering from repeated floods, the city remains surprisingly well-preserved.

He also noted similarities between this Alexandria and its more famous counterpart in Egypt, highlighting their locations at the confluence of river and sea. This city was critically important for southern Mesopotamia, which required a new port for Indian trade.

Hauser referred to ancient texts, specifically mentioning Pliny the Elder, to illustrate that Alexander himself chose this site in 324 BC for its strategic positioning.

He expressed amazement at the city’s size, which spans 2.5 square miles—quite vast for an ancient metropolis. “The block size is extraordinary,” he stated, even surpassing major cities like Seleucia on the Tigris and Alexandria on the Nile.

He praised the quality of the geophysical evidence collected, noting that the condition of the structures is unexpectedly good, with walls beginning to be identified just beneath the surface.

This research initiative, which started in 2016, involved British archaeologists Jane Moon, Robert Killick, and Stuart Campbell, who were pivotal in reviving the project.

However, excavating in this area poses challenges, notably the extreme summer temperatures that can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, along with air pollution concerns.

Moving forward, the research team plans to explore the city’s districts, workshops, and kilns, pending available funding.

Hauser emphasized the potential for these ruins to provide insights into the Parthian Empire, which governed the area centuries after Alexander. He described this empire as one of antiquity’s lesser-explored powers.

He lamented the lack of comprehensive historical accounts regarding the Parthians’ history and culture, asserting that this site is exceptionally conducive for research due to its untouched state since ancient times.