Caesareum of Alexandria
| Caesareum | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Built as a temple; converted to a Christian church (late-4th century) |
| Town or city | Alexandria |
| Country | Egypt |
| Completed | 1st century BC |
| Renovated | 4th century (converted to Christian church) |
| Destroyed | 19th century |
| Client | • Cleopatra VII (started) • Augustus (finished) |
The Caesareum of Alexandria is an ancient temple in Alexandria, Egypt. It was conceived by Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, to honour her dead lover Julius Caesar. The edifice was finished by Augustus, after he defeated Antony and Cleopatra. He destroyed all traces of Antony in Alexandria, and apparently dedicated the temple to his own cult.
Converted to a Christian church in the late 4th century, the Caesareum was the headquarters of Cyril of Alexandria, the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444.
The philosopher and mathematician Hypatia was murdered at the Caesareum by a Christian mob in 415; they stripped her naked and tore her to pieces.
Elements of the temple survived until the 19th century. Cleopatra's Needles, obelisks from the temple, now stand in Central Park in New York City and on the Thames Embankment, in London;.
Today, a large statue of the Alexandrine nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul (1859–1927) stands on the Caesareum site.
Coordinates: 31°12′03″N 29°53′58″E / 31.2009°N 29.8994°E
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