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Why did Alexander the Great choose the site of Alexandria for a new city?

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Abu El-Abbas mosque in Alexandria, Egypt, featuring ornate domes, arched entrances, intricate stonework, and a large patterned courtyard in the foreground. — Alexandria The mosque of Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mursī, Alexandria, Egypt.

Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 332 BCE to serve as the capital of his new Egyptian dominion and as a strategic naval base to control the Mediterranean Sea.12

He chose the specific site, which included the ancient settlement of Rhakotis, for two primary geographic advantages:

Water Supply: The location offered an abundance of fresh water from Lake Maryūt, which was fed by a spur of the Canopic Nile.1
Maritime Infrastructure: The island of Pharos provided excellent natural anchorage for ships, making it an ideal location for a major port.1

By establishing the city here, Alexander created a vital mercantile center that eventually became one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and a renowned hub for science and scholarship.13