The evolution of historical topography of Egyptian Alexandria in early Byzantine time

This article examines the topographical features of one of the largest trading cities of the late Roman Empire, Egyptian Alexandria. The problems and achievements of the study of the city's topography are highlighted. On the basis of the complex analysis of written, cartographic sources and the results of archaeological research the peculiarities of the development of topography in the Early Byzantine period are defined. The rational use of the city's geographical position predetermined its development in the next centuries. In the Early Byzantine period the transformation of urban topography took place mainly within the existing urban area due to the natural space limitation.