Alexandria has been the source of invention, innovation, and beauty for millennia — capturing the imagination of Napoleon, the Prophet Muhammad and, of course, Alexander the Great. He envisioned a place that thrived on cultural, intellectual, economic, political and religious exchange. IDEAS examines the big ideas of this port city in Egypt with Islam Issa, author of Alexandria: The City That Changed the World.

Part three in our ongoing series about how port cities shaped the world as we know it.

Listen to Part Two: How port cities of Elmina shaped the world

Listen to Part One: How port cities like Singapore shaped the world