Welcome to Alexandria, Egypt’s magnificent and historically rich city that invites you to journey through time. A true gem of Ancient Egypt, Alexandria boasts remarkable landmarks that have captivated travelers for centuries. Immerse yourself in the enchanting allure of Alexandria, and uncover all this extraordinary city has to offer.
Alexander the Great founded the city in 331 BC, some 1400 years before Cairo was founded. When Alexander the Great took control of Egypt in 331 BC, he decided to build a new capital to connect the Nile Valley to the sea and his native Greece. It soon became one of the most prosperous and rich cultural cities of the ancient world. Queen Cleopatra lorded over it. Alexandria's birth and early history is a calling card of famous names. This was the Mediterranean's dazzling jewel of a city, home to the Great Library of Alexandria and the colossal Pharos Lighthouse - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Although today, unlike Cairo and Luxor, there are few actual historic monuments and things to do, Alexandria is one of the best places to visit in Egypt to capture a sense of days-gone-by grandeur.
Essential Travel Information
Before embarking on your Alexandrian adventure, here’s some essential travel information to keep in mind.
- Money: The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP). ATMs are common, especially in tourist areas, so you can quickly get cash. Major hotels and businesses will usually accept payment by credit card. However, it is not uncommon for smaller hotels and businesses to expect cash payments. Tipping or “Baksheesh” is expected in Egypt. Tips are used to show appreciation for good service and are a living, breathing part of Egyptian culture.
- Language: The main language spoken in Egypt is Arabic. Don’t worry, English is commonly taught in schools in Egypt with many of the population speaking at least some English.
- Transportation: There are regular local buses operating throughout Alexandria and Egypt as a whole. Another option is, of course, taxi travel. Taxi drivers in Egypt do not operate a standardized fare system, so you should always negotiate an upfront amount before beginning your journey.
- Culture: Public modesty is valued very highly, so be sure to dress appropriately.
Iconic Landmarks and Attractions
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a testament to ancient Alexandria’s grandeur and engineering prowess. Once towering over the city’s harbor, this magnificent structure was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built in the 3rd century BC, the lighthouse was a navigational aid for ships entering the port, guiding sailors safely to shore.
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Although the original lighthouse no longer stands, its legacy lives on, and it remains an iconic symbol of Alexandria’s glorious past, and its legacy lives on in the city.
Library of Alexandria
Visiting the Library of Alexandria is an absolute must. Most visitors to Alexandria beeline first to this modern re-imagining of Alexandria's ancient Great Library. Rebuilt on the same site as the ancient library, this modern marvel pays homage to its ancient predecessor, renowned as one of the most important centers of knowledge and learning in the ancient world. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is one of Egypt's most important contemporary landmarks and the cultural heart of the city. It contains one of the modern world's most ambitious libraries and a host of museums exploring Alexandria's history and heritage. Its architecture is centered around a giant sun disk, which presides over the waterfront Corniche.
Inside, the huge main library and its reading room can hold eight million volumes. For visitors, though, the main tourist attractions are the beautifully curated exhibition spaces below the main library. Here, Alexandria's Antiquities Museum holds a collection that romps from Ancient Egypt through to the Greco-Roman era, with its highlight exhibits displaying statuary found during underwater archaeological excavations in the harbor. Also below the library is the Manuscript Museum, displaying a collection of ancient texts and scrolls. It was built approximately on the site of the ancient library. About 1,800 works of art are presented on several floors. On the ground floor, Pharaonic, on the first floor Greek-Roman and the second floor Coptic and Islamic testimonies are presented.
Take a Tour Around the New Library of Alexandria
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa is an underground necropolis that dates back to the 2nd century AD. Descend into the depths of history as you navigate the intricate maze of burial chambers adorned with intricate artwork and a fusion of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architectural styles. The catacombs provide a captivating glimpse into the funerary practices of ancient Alexandria. They are a testament to the city’s multicultural heritage.
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The Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqqafa are hewn from the rock on the southern slopes of a hill, in the Carmous district. Thought to date from the 2nd century CE, they offer an admirable example of the characteristic Alexandrian fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles. A spiral staircase leads down into the ground to the main rotunda. To the right, you can enter the main burial chamber and also the Sepulchral Chapel with 91 loculi, each large enough to accommodate three or four mummies.
Ancient Roman Amphitheater
Visiting the Ancient Roman Amphitheater is an absolute must for enthusiasts of ancient Roman history. Located in the city’s heart, this well-preserved amphitheater once hosted thrilling spectacles and performances during the Roman era. Marvel at the impressive architecture and imagine the crowd’s roar as gladiators fought valiantly in the arena.
Kom el-Dikka Nobody thought much of the ancient rubble mound in central Alexandria until, in the 1960s, they decided to clear the site to make way for new housing. As work commenced, the area known as Kom el-Dikka ("Mound of Rubble") revealed a whole swag of ancient ruins buried beneath, including a small Roman theater. Today the area is a small archaeological park with remains from Alexandria's Greco-Roman period. As well as the theater, there are remnants of a Ptolemaic temple, a Roman bathhouse, and various Roman-era villas. Excavation work on the Villa of the Birds here unearthed well-preserved 3rd-century mosaic floors, which have been kept in situ. It is located in the city center on an area of 40,000 m² there is a Roman theatre, cisterns, baths, and residential buildings.
Fort Qaitbey
Walk the long shorefront Corniche road of the Eastern Harbor heading west, and you'll finally arrive at Fort Qaitbey. It may be a poor substitute for what was once the site of the mighty Pharos Lighthouse-one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was toppled by a violent earthquake in 1303-but this squat fort has been standing guard over Alexandria since 1480. Fort Qaitbey was built by Mamluke Sultan Qaitbey in an effort to fortify this important Egyptian port from attack, and rubble from the toppled lighthouse was used in its construction.
Pompey's Pillar
In Carmous, near the Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqqafa, is a hill littered with the remains of ancient walls, architectural fragments, and rubble on which Alexandria's only fully intact ancient monument is left standing. Pompey's Pillar rises from the ruins of the ancient and famous Serapeion (Temple of Serapis), which was once used to store the overflow of manuscripts from the Great Library of Alexandria. Underneath, there is not much to see of the badly ruined Serapeion, but you can clamber down some staircases into a substructure of chambers.
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Pompey’s Pillar is located in Karmūz in the western part of the city. The simple, 25-meter-high column is one of the most photographed monuments in the city and was erected in 297 AD in honor of Emperor Diocletian (reigned 284-305). There are several sculptures of sphinxes and a scarab nearby. A spiral staircase leads to the original burial chapel.
Montaza Palace and Gardens
Montaza Royal Garden is distinguished by its beautiful gardens and royal palaces. Although the gardens are part of the more than 350-acre grounds of the great royal house known as the Montaza Palace. Montazah Gardens is a lush haven of tall palm trees, trimmed lawns, and blossoming flowers that was once off-limits to all but the royal court and their hangers-on. Built as a hunting lodge in the 1890s by Khedive Abbas Hilmi, it was later extended substantially by King Fuad and replaced Ras el-Tin Palace as the royal family's summer house.
The eccentrically designed Montazah Palace, with its ornate Florentine-inspired towers and Rococo flourishes, is not open to the public, but everyone is welcome to stroll within the sprawling gardens, which can be a welcome slice of nature after a day spent within Alexandria's hustle. On the coastal end of the park is a small beach with a peculiarly whimsical bridge to a small island. If you need a dose of tranquility, a trip to Montazah is just the ticket to restore your sanity before diving back into the inner city fray. Minibuses heading west up the shore-front Corniche road all pass by Montazah. Montaza Palace in the city of Alexandria Egypt, was built-in 1892 by Abbas Hilmi II.
Museums
Alexandria National Museum
Alexandria's National Museum is a must-stop if you want to get to grips with the vast history of this famed city. Inside, the collection guides you from the Pharaonic era (in the basement), to the Hellenistic heyday, when Alexandria and Egypt were governed by the Ptolemy dynasty begun by Alexander the Great (on the ground floor), and up to the Byzantine and Islamic periods (on the 1st floor). The ground floor's exhibits of statuary and artifacts from the underwater archaeological explorations of the sunken port city of Heracleion-Thonis in Aboukir Bay are the museum's major highlight.
Royal Jewelry Museum
This museum, just north of Stanley Bridge, is easily reached from central Alexandria by tram. The palace itself, built in 1923, is an excellent example of the merging architectural styles of Islamic and European design. The ornate plasterwork ceilings, gilded and frescoed, of some rooms are enough of a reason to visit, but the interiors are also home to a collection of jewelry, household items and art work once owned by various members of the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty. Among the exhibits are the jewels of the Egyptian Royal Family, but no coronation insignia.
Mahmoud Said Museum
Any visitor interested in Egypt's art scene should make sure to beeline to this Italianate villa, once home to Egyptian artist Mahmoud Said, which is now an art gallery devoted to his work. Considered by many as the founder of Egyptian modern art, Mahmoud Said's work may be European in style but is infused with a distinct Egyptian identity. The collection of his work, displayed within the rooms here, ranges from throughout his painting career and covers landscapes to nudes. The museum is only a one-kilometer walk north from the Royal Jewelry Museum, so the two are easily combined together.
Cavafy Museum
One of Alexandria's most famous sons, Constantine Cavafy (1863-1933), was a Greek Alexandrian poet who found fame and recognition for his writing after his death. His apartment, on what is now Sharm el-Sheikh Street, is a tribute to his life and a major attraction for anyone on an Alexandrian literary pilgrimage. Cavafy spent his working life as a journalist and civil servant, little recognized for his poetry outside of a small group of Alexandrian-based writers (including English novelist E.M. Forster, who was a champion of Cavafy's work).
Other attractions
Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque
One of Alexandria's major landmarks, the Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque was built in 1796 over the tomb of the 13th-century Sufi holy man Abu Abbas al-Mursi. Originally from Murcia (in Spain's Andalusia region), Abu Abbas became a highly esteemed religious leader in Alexandria, and his teachings are still revered in Egypt. The mammoth cream-colored mosque that holds his name is a major pilgrimage site. For non-religious visitors, the mosque's exquisite facade of swirling Islamic calligraphy designs and motifs is the major draw-card.
Ras el-Tin Palace
Sumptuous Ras el-Tin Palace was once a summer escape for Egypt's sultans when the desert heat of Cairo got too much to bear. It's also the famed location where King Farouk-Egypt's last king-officially abdicated in 1952 before sailing out of Alexandria's harbor and into exile in Italy.
Diving in the Eastern Harbor
Unlike diving in the Red Sea, dives in Alexandria are not about colorful coral reefs and fish life. Instead, dive sites in the Eastern Harbor area are all about ancient underwater ruins. For divers, Alexandria provides a unique opportunity to dive amid the toppled statues and columns of the ancient city. Be aware that underwater visibility is low when diving in Alexandria. For underwater archaeologists, the waters off the coast here have provided plenty of riches in recent years. To the northeast of the city, in the bay of Aboukir, archaeologists discovered the port city of Heracleion-Thonis and have brought many of the treasures to the surface, now on display in Alexandria's museums. For now, though, most of the recreational diving opportunities are still centered around the Eastern Harbor. The most popular Eastern Harbor site has been (unsurprisingly) nicknamed "Cleopatra's Palace" and indeed was once a palace area - though if the great lady herself was ever in residence, we'll never know.
El Alamein War Museum and Commonwealth Cemetery
The hardscrabble township of El Alamein, about 112 kilometers west of Alexandria, holds a fascinating place in modern world history. It was across this parched piece of nondescript desert that the Allies' first decisive victory in World War II's North Africa campaign was won. The bloody battles that took place here in October 1942 killed or wounded more than 80,000 soldiers from countries as varied as Australia, New Zealand, India, and Great Britain (Allies), as well as Germany and Italy (Axis Forces). Today, the war memorials that stand are a poignant reminder of the 13 days of fighting that claimed so many lives. The rather excellent El Alamein War Museum does a good job of giving an overview to the El Alamein campaign, with plenty of military memorabilia displayed. The Commonwealth Cemetery is a beautifully kept tribute to the fallen, with the 7,000 tombstones in regimented rows between well-tended desert plants.
Alexandria’s Restaurants & Markets
Alexandria is a culinary delight that tempts food lovers with its vibrant food markets and delectable cuisine. The city is renowned for its fresh seafood, a must-try for visitors. Head to one of the local seafood restaurants or seafood markets to savor the taste of the Mediterranean Sea on your plate. Alexandria’s food markets offer a sensory feast for food enthusiasts. Explore the narrow alleys lined with spice shops, bakeries, and stalls selling local produce, where you can immerse yourself in the aromas and flavors of Egyptian cuisine.
Alexandria's main souq (market) stretches through the back streets, heading west from Midan Tahrir in the central city. You'll find everything from fresh produce to silver trinkets by poking about in this district. To be fair, there isn't much on sale to interest tourists; this is a real-deal local souq, and it's a place to visit more to capture an essence of Alexandrian life than to shop. The entire souq area is a squiggle of lanes that flow off from each other, with each alley specializing in different products.
Corniche
Downtown Alexandria's wide, waterfront Corniche Road is as much a symbol of the city as any of its monuments. Strolling the Corniche, particularly the section between the main shorefront square of Midan Saad Zaghloul to Fort Qaitbey on the Eastern Harbor's western tip, gives you a real feel for the era of cosmopolitan elegance and decadence that marked this city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much of the architecture from this era still stands along the Corniche, though these days, much of it is heavily dilapidated and falling into disrepair. These were once the grandest addresses in town, and both are featured in Lawrence Durrell's classic Alexandria Quartet novels that are set in the city. The Cecil, in its hey-day, is also famous for playing host to mystery author Agatha Christie, the British Secret Service and Winston Churchill during WWII, and Egypt's beloved singer Umm Khalthoum. There is nothing better than enjoying the sound of waves and inhaling iodine from the sea.
Where to Stay
Alexandria has a stunning array of gorgeous and luxurious hotels to choose from. When deciding on the perfect area to stay in, Alexandria, several neighborhoods offer unique experiences and convenient access to the city’s attractions.
- Corniche: With its stunning sea views, bustling cafes, and proximity to major landmarks like the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel, Corniche offers a lively and picturesque setting for your stay.
- Montaza: known for its luxurious resorts and beautiful beaches. Montaza is perfect for those seeking a relaxing seaside retreat, with its tranquil atmosphere, well-manicured gardens, and proximity to Montaza Palace.
- Ramleh: for a more authentic local experience, consider staying in the Ramleh neighborhood, rich in history and culture.
Interactive Map of Alexandria
Use this interactive map to plan your trip before and while in Alexandria. Learn about each place by clicking it on the map or read more in the article below. Here’s more ways to perfect your trip using our Alexandria map:
- Explore the best restaurants, shopping, and things to do in Alexandria by categories
- Get directions in Google Maps to each place
- Export all places to save to your Google Maps
- Plan your travels by turning on metro and bus lines
Tips for planning your trip
When traveling anywhere, there is always a list of things you should book beforehand. We recommend ensuring that your accommodation and your airport transportation are arranged before you arrive in Alexandria.
To make the most of your Alexandria adventure and explore the highlights of Cairo and Alexandria, why not book our 4-Day Highlights of Cairo & Alexandria Tour? This comprehensive tour takes you on a journey through the ancient wonders of Cairo, including the Pyramids of Giza, before immersing you in the captivating charm of Alexandria. Another great way to explore the area is with one of our amazing Alexandria Tours. If you are still hungry, consider booking one of our exceptional food tours. If you still feel spoiled for choice, why not look at our Egypt Package Tours that take care of every detail for you?
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