The battle of Alexandria, fought on the 21st of March of that year, between the French army under General Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercromby, took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Aboukir, along which the British of troops had advanced towards Alexandria after the actions of Aboukir on the 8th and Mandora on the 13th.
The British position on the night of the 10th extended across the isthmus, the right resting upon the ruins of Nicopolis and the sea, the left on the lake of Aboukir and the Alexandria canal.
Two bays are thus formed, the western being the famous Bay of Aboukir.
North-east of Mareotis was Lake Aboukir, a small sheet of water, now dry, lying S.W.
Cairo, but this Bonaparte arrived in time to defeat, and in the last week of July he inflicted a crushing defeat on the Turkish army that had landed at Aboukir, aided by the British fleet commanded by Sir Sidney Smith.