'' by
Louis-François Lejeune The remains of many ancient buildings from the Egyptian, Greek and Roman periods can be found near the town. About southeast of the town are the ruins of the Ancient Egyptian coastal town of
Canopus. A little farther east, the now-dry Canopic branch of the
Nile once entered the Mediterranean. The wide
Abu Qir Bay (Khalīj Abū Qīr) stretches eastward from the town as far as the
Rosetta mouth of the Nile. On 1 August 1798 the bay was the location of the
Battle of the Nile, fought by the British Admiral
Horatio Nelson. The battle is often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay", though this title is more properly applied to
Battle of Abukir of 1799, an engagement between the French expeditionary army and the Turks under
Mustapha Pasha fought on 25 July the following year. Later in the war, on 8 March 1801 at the beginning of the
Battle of Alexandria, units of the British army commanded by
Sir Ralph Abercromby landed from their transports near the town, and faced strenuous opposition from General Louis Friant's French forces entrenched on the beach. The battle continued further down the peninsula toward Alexandria and did not end until 22 March. In 2000, an Italian archaeological team discovered the remains of British officers, sailors, marines, women, and children on
Nelson's Island, which lies in the bay. ==Climate==