“The Pearl of the Mediterranean”

The City of Alexandria
Alexandria, the city of legend, is the world's gateway to the land of the Nile. Home to the great philosophers, thinkers and professers of ancient times, this great city has impacted the world more than any other city by the ingenious power of the human mind. The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by ‘Pharos,’ the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world.
Alexandria is a wonderful city to explore at random it's as important to enjoy the atmosphere as it is to see the "sights". Throw away your map and walk into a back alley and witness the extreme kindness and generosity of the Egyptian people. Listen to the stories and immerse yourself into the cultures. When the day is coming to a close, watch the sun glide under the sea while the waters of the harbor crash into the rocks below. Alexandria is still a city of legend, even though the city of the past is now only in the collective memory of writing and art. 

The Corniche

The Corniche is doted with Casinos built on stilts and rows of beach huts.  The avenue here did not always exist, for until the 20th century, the areas remained fortified by a five mile long wall with towers which had protected the city since the 13th Century.  In the early 1900s, a strip of land with a width of about 100 years was reclaimed from the sea, and the area became popular with beach goers. That is no longer the case, but it remains a lively area of Alexandria. 

Graeco Roman Alexandria: | Back

The Anfushi Tombs

Limestone tombs, dating from about 250 BCand painted to simulate alabasster and marble, decorated with pictures of Egyptian gods and daily life- and graffiti dating from the same period.

Pompey's Pillar

A 25m. red granite column constructed in honour of the Emperor Diocetian, originally from the Temple of Serapis, once a magnificent structure rivaling the Soma and the Caesareum. Nearby are subterranean galleries where the sacred Apis bulls were buried, and three sphinxes.

 The Catacombs of Kom es-Shoqafa

This warren of tombs, on three levels, also contains the Triclinium, shere relatives used to sit on stone benches to feast the dead, and a central tomb with reliefs of bearded serpents. Inside are 2nd century AD statues of Sobek and Anubis wearing Roman armour.

The Graeco-Roman Museum

The collection, which covers sthe period from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD, is a fascinating record of a civilisation in the process of change as religions merged and society evolved. In Alexandria, Graeco-Roman and pharaonic religions mingled in the cult of Serapis; the shift from pagan religions sto Christianity can also be seen in the exhibits which include mummies, Hellenistic statues, busts of Roman emperors, Tanagra figurines and early Christian antiquities.

Islamic Alexandria: | Back

The Mosque of Abu-al-Abbas al-Mursi

Fort Qaitbey

On the northern tip of the Eastern Harbour, Sultan Qaitbey's fort is an Alexandrian landmark. The Fort is on the original site of Pharos, Alexandria's ancient lighthouse, built in 279 BC to a height of 125 metres and topped with a statue of Poseidon. Although Pharos was rostored at various times it had finally crumbled by the time that the original Fort was built here, in the 1480s. Today, the Fort contains a mosque and the Naval Museum and provides wonderful views of the city and the Mediterranean.

Montazah Palace and Gardens

Acres of formal gardens and a beautiful beach make Montazah the foremost city pleasure grounds. Montazah palace, a grand structure built in a mixture of Turkish and Florentine styles, is now a state guesthouse. Pleasant afternoons can also be spent in Shallalat Gardens which include rockeries and an artificial pond, Nouzha Gardens, near Alexandria Zoo, and Antoniadis Gardens, where classical statuary is set what were once the private grounds of a Greek family.