The University of Al-Karaouine, founded by a Muslim woman, becomes the world's first university
Over the centuries, the University of Al-Karaouine became a key spiritual and educational center in the Muslim world.
North Africa
![Phoenician warship[8] with two rows of oars](https://b3818159.smushcdn.com/3818159/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Phoenician-warship8-with-two-rows-of-oars-relief-from-Nineveh-ca.-700-BC.jpg?lossy=0&strip=1&webp=1)
The Byzantine Lex Rhodia becomes perhaps the world’s first law governing the seas
The Rhodian Sea Law persisted across the Mediterranean region in influence, if not in actual practice, through the 12th century.
Construction begins on the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a lighthouse built during the reign Ptolemy II which has been estimated to be 100 meters in overall height and one of the tallest structures on Earth for many centuries.
Hanno the Navigator of Carthage explores the coasts of West Africa
In the 5th century B.C.E., the Carthaginian explorer Hanno sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules, out of the Mediterranean and into hitherto unknown territory down the Atlantic coast of Africa.
The Phoenicians found the city of Carthage in modern-day Tunisia
Originally a small port on the coast, established only as a stop for Phoenician traders to re-supply or repair their ships, Carthage grew to become the most powerful city in the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome.
Ancient Egyptians begin using papyrus as a writing surface
Papyrus is first known to have been used in ancient Egypt (at least as far back as the First Dynasty), as the papyrus plant was once abundant across the Nile Delta. Apart from a writing material, ancient Egyptians employed papyrus in the construction of other artifacts, such as reed boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets.
The Ancient Egyptians invent boat docks
The earliest known docks were those discovered in Wadi al-Jarf, an ancient Egyptian harbor dating from 2500 B.C.E. located on the Red Sea coast.
Egyptian physician Imhotep diagnoses cancer, perhaps for the first time in history
Imhotep was an Egyptian chancellor to the Pharaoh Djoser, possible architect of Djoser’s step pyramid, and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. Very little is known of Imhotep as a historical figure, but in the 3,000 years following his death, he was gradually glorified and deified. In his Pulitzer-prize winning “biography” of cancer – The Emperor of All Maladies – Siddhartha Mukherjee cites the oldest identified written diagnosis of cancer to Imhotep.
The Old Kingdom of Egypt begins
The Old Kingdom, in ancient Egyptian history, is the period in the third millennium (c. 2686-2181 B.C.E.) also known as the ‘Age of the Pyramids’ or ‘Age of the Pyramid Builders’.
Humans begin using yeast to make bread, perhaps in Ancient Egypt
Baker’s yeast is the common name for the strains of yeast commonly used as a leavening agent in baking bread and bakery products.