Serapeum, Alexandria

Serapeum, Alexandria

The Serapeum was a temple built by Ptolemy III and dedicated to Serapis, the syncretic Hellenistic-Egyptian god who was made the protector of Alexandria. The Serapeum was the largest and most magnificent of all temples in the Greek quarter of Alexandria. Besides the image of the god, the temple precinct housed an offshoot collection of the great Library of Alexandria. The Serapeum in Alexandria was destroyed by a Christian crowd or Roman soldiers in 391.

A film called Agora was released in 2009 depicting these and other events, with semi-historical accuracy . The destruction of the Serapeum, described by Christian writers Tyrannius Rufinus and Sozomen, was but the most spectacular of such conflicts, according to Peter Brown. Several other ancient and modern authors, instead, have interpreted the destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria as representative of the triumph of Christianity and an example of the attitude of the Christians towards pagans.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Serapeum on Map

Sight Name: Serapeum
Sight Location: Alexandria, Egypt (See walking tours in Alexandria)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Alexandria, Egypt

Create Your Own Walk in Alexandria

Create Your Own Walk in Alexandria

Creating your own self-guided walk in Alexandria is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour III

Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour III

Alexandria is a beautiful city, surrounded by marvelous monuments and buildings. It is considered to be one of the most historical cities of Egypt. The city of Alexandria features a large number of wonderful mosques, palaces and other buildings, which are mostly remains from Roman times. These amazing attractions are unique and worth seeing. Take the following self-guided tour to explore beautiful...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 8.0 Km or 5 Miles
Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour II

Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour II

Alexandria is a beautiful city, surrounded by marvelous monuments and buildings. It is considered to be one of the most historical cities of Egypt. The city of Alexandria features a large number of wonderful mosques, palaces and other buildings, which are mostly remains from Roman times. These amazing attractions are unique and worth seeing. Take the following self-guided tour to explore beautiful...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.4 Km or 4 Miles
Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour I

Alexandria Introduction Walking Tour I

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria used to be one of the most significant and famous cities in the world. Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was Egypt's capital for about a thousand years. The city was well known because of its library, the biggest in the ancient world, the light house and many other outstanding buildings. Check out Alexandria's top attractions in the...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles