Archaeologists have confirmed the rediscovery of Alexandria on the Tigris, the long-lost city founded by Alexander the Great in 324 BC in southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf. They say the settlement sprawled across approximately 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), rivaling or even surpassing the era’s great capitals and exceeding the scale of Alexandria on the Nile. It served as a strategic port that linked river traffic on the Tigris with maritime routes across the Gulf and beyond to India, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean world, according to the Mirror.
A research team led by scholars from the University of Konstanz began systematic work at the site in the 2010s. They have mapped the buried city using high‑resolution geophysical scanning and drone imagery. The surveys revealed a meticulously planned metropolis: long fortification walls enclosing a dense street grid; industrial quarters with workshops, kilns, and furnaces; temple complexes; and an extensive port and canal system whose elements continue beneath the present ground surface.
Researchers note that the size of the building blocks surpasses those known from cities such as Seleucia on the Tigris or Alexandria on the Nile. Despite the city’s exposure to repeated floods over centuries, the preservation of its walls and urban fabric is described as unexpectedly good.
The Tigris shifted its course
After the 3rd century CE, the Tigris River shifted its course, cutting the settlement off from its lifelines and leading to abandonment and obscurity. In its prime, Alexandria on the Tigris functioned as a vital hub for trade, knowledge exchange, and travel between Mesopotamia and the wider ancient world.
Fieldwork conditions have been challenging. Researchers reported summer temperatures exceeding 49 degrees Celsius. The area’s more recent past as a battlefield has imposed strict safety measures and limited access. Work was confined to the surface and conducted under close supervision by soldiers or police.
The team’s lead archaeologist, Stefan R. Hauser of the University of Konstanz, said the city was flooded multiple times but was “miraculously well preserved,” and described the site as a “time capsule” because it has never undergone later construction, enabling a full reconstruction of an ancient metropolis, according to KOHA.net.