Learn about the Serapeion of Alexandria and its function within the city.
In a city of numerous magnificent attractions, the Serapeion was considered to be the most beautiful temple of Alexandria.
Located southwest of the city on a small hill known as the Acropolis, the sanctuary was constructed during the reign of Ptolemy III, upon foundations which had existed since the reign of Ptolemy I Soter.
Visitors of the Serapeion climbed a hundred steps to reach the courtyard.
Libraries were installed in the porticoes surrounding the square building, with its roof and columns adorned with gold and gilded bronze. Pharaohs were generous to the temple, as were several Roman emperors after Egypt's conquest.
An inner temple housed the statue of Serapis, dedicated to healing the sick.
Since the 26th dynasty, Greeks in Egypt had gradually integrated the Egyptian cult of the Apis bull to their own rituals.
With the establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the cult of Apis was further integrated into Greek religion.
During his rule, Ptolemy I chose to merge Egyptian and Hellenic gods into a syncretic divinity named Serapis. This name was the result of the amalgamation of Osiris and Apis.
With this new deity, the Ptolemaic dynasty managed to accommodate similar belief sets for two different cultures, bringing about a new dynastic cult.
Serapis was also associated to other deities, including Asclepius, a Greek god of healing.
It is possible that as with the Serapis temple of Kanopos, the sick would visit this sanctuary, sleeping there overnight in the hopes of being healed within its hallowed halls.