Indigenous Rhakotis

by Lea Celik Sommerseth Shaw

Rhakotis is the ancient Egyptian name of the Mediterranean coast integrated into the city called Alexandria after Alexander the great who named the city after himself.

Rhakotis has long fascinated historians, archaeologists, and linguists. Although often overshadowed by the grandeur of Alexandria, Rhakotis represents a unique example of cultural continuity: an Egyptian nucleus that survived and adapted within a Hellenistic, Roman, and later Byzantine metropolis. This research article draws on classical sources, archaeological findings, and modern scholarship to reconstruct the settlement’s history and identity.

The term Rhakotis is believed to derive from the Egyptian verb rqj, meaning “to build” or “to found.” Classical sources reference Rhakotis as the pre-existing settlement on the site of Alexandria. Later sources occasionally used the term as a synonym for Alexandria itself, indicating the persistence of local memory.

Rhakotis occupied a strategic position on the northwestern Nile Delta, near the island of Pharos. The natural harbors and coastal defenses made it ideal for both fishing and military functions. With the construction of the Heptastadion causeway in the Hellenistic period, the geography of the area transformed: the settlement’s harbor became part of the two great basins of Alexandria.

Rhakotis existed as a modest fishing village, Its location near the Nile Delta made it a frontier outpost for monitoring maritime routes. During the Ptolemaic dynasty, Alexandria rose as the intellectual and commercial capital of the Mediterranean. Rhakotis, though overshadowed, remained distinct as the settlement of the native Egyptian population, contrasting with the Greek-dominated quarters.
In Roman times, Rhakotis continued to be associated with the Egyptian identity of Alexandria, and in some accounts, the whole city was called “Rhakotis.” The persistence of indigenous Egyptian traditions, rooted in the Rhakotis quarter.

Rhakotis was not simply a footnote in Alexandria’s history. It was a living Egyptian settlement exemplifies cultural continuity amid political transformation, and underscores the Egyptian contribution.

Lea Celik Sommerseth Shaw/ISIK

Friday 26 September 2025 Nile City