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• Archaeologists have finally identified the location of a long-lost city established by Alexander the Great in southern Iraq.
• The settlement, known as 'Alexandria on the Tigris', was a thriving port that connected ancient Mesopotamia to Persian Gulf trading networks. Initial reports describe the discovery as "absolutely stunning".
• Established in the fourth century BC, the city was one of numerous 'Alexandrias' created by the Macedonian conqueror across his vast empire. Unlike Egypt's famous Alexandria, this settlement had remained frustratingly elusive until now.
• High-resolution geophysical scans and drone imagery have revealed fortification walls, street grids, city blocks and industrial districts. Temple complexes, workshops with kilns and furnaces, and traces of a harbour-and-canal system have also been uncovered.

• Stefan Hauser, archaeology professor at the University of Konstanz, said the quality of evidence is "absolutely stunning", with building walls appearing just below the surface and preservation "surprisingly good".
• The city's footprint spans approximately 2.5 square miles, rivalling major capitals of the era. Work at the site began in the 2010s under British archaeologists, though progress was hampered by conflict and extremist control.
• The discovery provides a rare snapshot of an ancient metropolis that served as a crucial junction for merchandise, knowledge and travellers between Mesopotamia and the broader ancient world.

READ THE FULL STORY: Legendary long-lost city of Alexandria has finally been found after thousands of years