You're Dead to Me Alexandria (Radio Edit)
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Jan 9, 2026 
Join Professor Islam Issa, a leading historian on Middle Eastern culture, and comedian Athena Kugblenu as they explore the fascinating history of Alexandria. They discuss how Alexander the Great founded this multicultural hub of science and philosophy, home to the monumental library and renowned scholars like Euclid. The conversation dives into its rise and fall, from Ptolemy's ambitious plans and the impact of Christianity to its eventual decline and role in Arab nationalism, all spiced with Athena's comedic insights.
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Founding Made It A Global Hub
- Alexandria was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great at the Nile's mouth and quickly became a major port and capital of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- The city's location linked Africa, Asia and Europe, making it a strategic hub for trade, irrigation and cultural exchange.
Library As Ancient Global Archive
- The Library of Alexandria aimed to collect "every book in the world," making it the ancient world's knowledge hub.
- Estimates ranged up to a million texts, transforming Alexandria into an intellectual centre attracting scholars worldwide.
Genius Residents And Inventive Outputs
- Scholars like Euclid, Eratosthenes and Aristarchus worked in Alexandria and pushed fields from geometry to heliocentrism.
- Inventors such as Hero created early machines including a steam engine and vending devices there.
