Rosetta

Rosetta
رشيد
Rashid
View of North Rosetta
Dome of the St. Mark Church
Old town
Location in Beheira Governorate
Rosetta
Location in Egypt
Rosetta
Rosetta (Egypt)
Coordinates: 31°24′16″N 30°24′59″E / 31.40444°N 30.41639°E / 31.40444; 30.41639
CountryEgypt
GovernorateBeheira
Established850
Area
 • Total
196.6 km2 (75.9 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (6.6 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
301,795
 • Density1,535/km2 (3,976/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Rosetta (/rˈzɛtə/ roh-ZET) or Rashid (Arabic: رشيد, romanizedRašīd, IPA: [ɾɑˈʃiːd]; Coptic: ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ, romanized: ti-Rashit) is a port city of the Nile Delta, 65 km (40 mi) east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Rosetta Stone was discovered in nearby Fort Julien in 1799.

Founded around the 9th century on the site of the ancient town of Bolbitine, Rosetta boomed with the decline of Alexandria following the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517, only to wane in importance after Alexandria's revival. During the 19th century, it was a popular British tourist destination, known for its Ottoman mansions, citrus groves and relative cleanliness.