Alexandria’s Double Harbour The ancient city of Alexandria in Egypt lies at the western edge of the Nile Delta on the Mediterranean Sea. The nation’s chief port and second largest city (after Cairo), it was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC and has been a port and cultural centre ever since. Alexandria’s harbour is divided in two by a T-shaped peninsula; the eastern side is a shipping port, and the western side serves as Egypt’s main naval base. .