Alexandria Carmania
Alexandria Carmania was one of the seventy-plus cities founded or renamed by Alexander the Great.
The town was founded by Alexander in January 324 BC after his army had reunited with Nearchus and his men who had beached their boats near the mouth of the Minab River.
Location
The exact site of the city in Carmania is still unknown but several locations have been proposed:- The most commonly cited location is the village of Gulashkird, Iran
- The unexplored ruins to the north and northwest of Gulishkird.
- The village of Gav Koshi nearby to the east of Gulishkird has also been popular.
- Sykes says it was in Rudbar 5km north of Gulishkird, based on surface finds of Greek pottery he made in that location.
- A less likely option is the village of Shahr-i Dakyanus near Jiroft, Iran.
- Sites at Sirjan and Tepe Yahya have also been postulated.
- Fraser, taking a typically conservative position thinks that Alexandria in Carmainai never existed.
- The 1569 world map of Gerardus Mercator, taken from Ptolemy's second century world map, shows Alexandria Carmania further to the west on the Salarus River, in the arid area north of the modern town of Haregī, Iran.
The city still existed in the medieval period being known as Camadi, when Marco Polo visited. If Galashkird is the now lost city it was described by Arab geographer Mukaddasi who described it as "a strongly fortified town with a castle Kushah," and lush orchards and fields supported by extensive qanat irrigation.