Alexandria between antiquity and the Mediterranean

Alexandria is a coastal city and port on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. Museums, archaeological sites and gardens offer different highlights for your trip: you can explore collections, discover Roman buildings or focus on the gardens. There is also a culinary highlight: visitors can dine at one of Alexandria’s fish restaurants.

Museums and collections

The Royal Jewelry Museum displays pieces from the Egyptian royal family’s collection. The museum’s palace combines European and Islamic architectural styles. This brings the collection and the building, with its varied architectural influences, into focus together. The Alexandria National Museum complements this focus with submerged antiquities recovered during excavations in Abu Qir Bay.

The Greco-Roman Museum specializes in Greco-Roman civilization. Renovation plans called for around 20,000 artifacts from the Greek and Roman eras to be displayed there. Check its current opening status before your trip. The three museums represent different themes: royal collection pieces, finds from Abu Qir Bay and the Greco-Roman era.

Roman sites and ancient history

In the heart of Alexandria, Kom al-Dikka includes a remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheater. The theater complex includes public baths, lecture halls and a villa decorated with mosaics. These additional features make Kom al-Dikka more than a single building: the theater, baths, halls and villa together form part of the archaeological site.

Kom al-Shoqafa is a Roman catacomb near the Serapeum of Alexandria. The Column of Diocletian stands on the Serapeum site and is often, but incorrectly, called “Pompey’s Pillar.” The Al-Anfoushi Tombs, also known as the Al-Anfoushi Necropolis, offer a different insight into antiquity: they give visitors a glimpse of Ptolemaic burial practices.

The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Its picturesque design and proximity to the Mediterranean contribute to its status as a popular tourist attraction. Alexandria thus brings together different ways of exploring the past: museum objects, Roman sites, tombs and a building on the site of the ancient lighthouse.

Gardens and design

The Montazah Gardens are extensive, lush botanical gardens that once belonged to the royal family of Muhammad Ali Pasha. They include two historic palaces, a museum and a number of private beaches. The Antoniadis Villa and its gardens offer a different focus: visitors can stroll there. They were designed as a miniature version of Versailles in France.

If you want to organize your visits by theme, the collections offer a way to explore art and finds, while Kom al-Dikka brings together several features of a Roman complex. The Al-Anfoushi Necropolis focuses on burial practices, while Montazah and Antoniadis offer a different perspective through their gardens. This lets you experience Alexandria according to your interests, through ancient history, architecture or landscaped gardens.

Getting there and staying

For a scenic journey between Cairo and Alexandria, air-conditioned trains in Egypt offer one option. In Alexandria itself, you can also round out your day with a meal at one of the fish restaurants. Whether you focus on museums, archaeological sites or gardens, the city offers several distinct themes to shape your trip around.

Discover more destinations: Al Wādī, ADH Dheraa Al Bahri, Alexandria, ‘Izbat Al ‘Ulā, Qesm Al Amereyah, Qesm Borg Al Arab, Sidi Kreir, Suez.

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