Submitted by babushkalauncher t3_ylcpl7 in history
Some sources say that Alexander founded up to 70 cities. Not all of them were named ‘Alexandria’ but quite a few were. Today very few of them exist, and some we don’t even know the exact location of. However a handful have become major metropolitan areas. The Alexandrias we know the exact locations of are:
- Alexandria (the most famous one and the second largest city in Egypt)
- Alexandria on the Latmus (Alinda, now present day Karpuzlu, Turkey)
- Alexandria on the Bay of Issus (Iskanderun, Turkey. Previously known as Alexandretta)
- Alexandria in Mygdonia (Erbil, Iraq. It is unknown if Alexander founded a new city close to Arbela (Irbil) or simply renamed the existing city. Very close to where the Battle of Gaugamela took place).
- Alexandria in Susiana (Now abandoned, near Maysar, Iraq. Was also called Antiochia in Susiana and Charax Spasinu.)
- Alexandria in Carmania (Location unknown but highly likely it was located near the village of Gulashkird, Iran, now present-day Faryab)
- Alexandria in Aria (Herat, Afghanistan)
- Alexandria Prophthasia (Farah, Afghanistan)
- Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan)
- Alexandria Opiana (Ghazni, Afghanistan)
- Alexandria in the Caucasus (Bagram, Afghanistan)
- Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan, now destroyed)
- Alexandria Tharmata (Not known if this was the exact name. Located by present day Termez, Uzbekistan)
- Alexandria Eschate (Khojand, Tajikistan)
- Alexandria Bucephalia (Jhelum, Pakistan. Named after Alexander’s horse Bucephalus)
- Alexandria Hyphasis (Near Amritsar, India)
- Alexandria on the Indus (Uch, Pakistan)
- Port of Alexander/Alexandrou Limen/Xylinepolis (near Karachi, Pakistan)
- Alexandria in Rhambacia (Near modern day Bela, Pakistan)
In addition, Alexander also founded these cities which were not named after him:
- Nicaea in Afghanistan, located near the city of Jalalabad, Afghanistan
- Gaza, Palestine. Whether he founded it or destroyed an existing settlement and rebuilt it is disputed. Gaza is the Greek name for the city.
- Arigaeum, exact location unknown but it was in northern Afghanistan
- Nicephorium (Although some historians believe this city was founded by Seleucus). Present day Raqqa, Syria.
- Patala, located near present day Thatta, Pakistan.
Other potential cities that we don’t know the exact location of:
- Alexandria on the Pallakopas, potentially near Najaf, Iraq
- Alexandria Soriana (Maybe Shorkot, Pakistan) but the existence of the city is disputed
- Nicaea in India, located close to Alexandria Bucephalus.
- Alexandria of the Sogdoi, located on the Indus River in Pakistan
- Alexandria on the Acesines (located near the modern Chenab river in Pakistan)
- Alexandria on the Oxus. Location unknown, but identified as either Ai-Khanoum in Afghanistan or Kampir Tepe in Uzbekistan
- Alexandria in Sacastene, potentially near Zaranj, Afghanistan although this may also just be Alexandria Prophthasia
- Alexandropolis Maedica, unknown location in present day Bulgaria
- Alexandropolis in Parthia, potentially another name for the Parthian capital of Nisa in Turkmenistan but this is disputed
- Alexandria near Bactra, close to Balkh, Afghanistan. May have been Alexandria Tharmata or Alexandria on the Oxus.
SOURCES:
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The Hellenistic Settlements in the East (Getzel M. Cohen, 2013)
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pleiades.stoa.org
-
Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites
Stalins_Moustachio t1_iuzsoez wrote
His legacy in modern day Afghanistan, and beyond, continues to astound me. It's such a shame that we will likely never find his body or burial site. Damn you Caligula!!