Alexandria is the Mediterranean’s largest coastal city, set along a curving bay and well worth a visit to see its its Greek, Roman and European past. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC as the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt, the city is his last known resting place, where we was brought after his death in 323 BC. Besieged by Julius Caesar in 47 BC during the Roman Civil War, Alexandria was under Roman control from 30 BC after Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic ruler, was deposed.
Falling under the control of Byzantium in 395 AD after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Egypt was conquered by the Arabs in 642 and by the Ottoman Empire in 1519.
Egypt gained effective independence in 1840 from the Ottomans under Muhammed Ali, an Albanian-born Ottoman Governor who seized power and mobilized the Egyptian Army, now considered the founder of modern Egypt. Mohammed Ali and his successors reformed and modernized the Egyptian Government and economy, with Alexandria notably adopting a more European format from the mid-19th century onwards; occupied by Britain between 1882 and 1952, the city consolidated its role as a major port, naval and industrial center.
Alexandria experienced substantial Greek immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was the home of the poet Constantine Cavafy and the subject of Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet of novels. It’s an easy 3-hour train ride from Cairo and very walkable once you arrive.
Apart from strolls along the waterfront and in the sidestreets behind, the main things to see include the Qaitbay Citadel, a 15th century Mamluk Sultanate fortress guarding the bay; the Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs, stunning 2nd-century underground burial chambers that reflect Greco-Roman Alexandrine beliefs; some great Egyptian-Roman archaeology museums; and a visit to the recently re-opened Library of Alexandria.
There are also interesting street markets in the area west of Ahmed Oraby Square, although most of the side streets behind the Corniche are packed with small shops and busy. Alexandria feels very safe and lived in, but as ever take the same precautions that you would at home.
Qaitbay Citadel
Built under the Mamluk Sultanate in the late 1400s to defend against an increasingly aggressive Ottoman Empire, it is located on the site of the famously ruined Lighthouse of Alexandria.
The Citadel has two sets of walls surrounding the courtyard and central keep and contains a mosque and a prison. It was periodically modified through to the early 19th century, but was heavily damaged by the British invasion in 1882.
Kom el-Shuqafa Catacombs
Carved out of rock between the 1st-4th centuries AD, the three-level passages and chambers of the catacombs were used for burial ceremonies and interment and reflect the merging of Egyptian, Roman and Greek religious influences amongst the Alexandrine elite. At the entrance, a circular staircase takes you down to a reception area and then to the tombs. The central main tomb is adorned with superbly preserved wall carvings that represent Egyptian deities, such as the jackal-headed Anubis, protector of graves and embalmer, dressed as a Roman soldier, standing over a mummified body.
The catacombs – called the Mound of Shards in Arabic, were covered over by the discarded shards of eating and drinking vessels – were rediscovered around 1900. Of all the sites, see this one first thing in the morning – the tour groups start turning up mid-morning and pack the place out.
The main tomb entrance is flanked by an Agathos Daimon, a Hellenic household god who was adopted as a protector of the city.
Be sure to see the Tigran Street tomb, located in the garden above the catacombs, which was moved here from the eastern part of Alexandria. This is a 2nd-3rd century AD Roman tomb that was originally underground. The main fresco shows the deceased flanked by the Egyptian goddesses Isis and Neftis.
After seeing the catacombs, you can walk to the nearby Serapeum, which contains a fairly ordinary set of Greco-Roman ruins and a single red Aswan granite column from Pompey’s era.
Archaeology Museums
Alexandria’s principal archaeology museum, the recently renovated and comprehensive Greco-Roman Museum http://www.alexandria.gov.eg/Alex/english/Graeco%20Roman%20Museum.html, covers the Greek, Roman and Coptic eras. Largely containing exhibits recovered locally, it is an essential stop.
Just east of the Greco-Roman Museum is the Alexandria National Museum (https://maps.app.goo.gl/MGRxtdPHMzYhRoPh8) located in a 1920s-era mansion. Ensure that you catch the Egyptology display in the basement.
Finally, the Roman Theater, located just north of the main railway station is worth a quick visit.
Library of Alexandria
Roman Alexandria’s two most iconic landmarks, the lighthouse (in 956 AD) and the library (in 48 BC), were both destroyed by earthquake and fire respectively. There are few indications as to the grandeur of classical Alexandria beyond reconstructions of the city plan. The library was built on the waterfront to serve as a modern data repository and knowledge center.
The library, built in 2002, is worth a visit and apart from quietly wandering its beautiful reading rooms, check out the various side exhibits, ranging from Islamic art to a museum commemorating Anwar Sadat.
Other Options
Alexandria is a convenient jumping-off point for western Egypt, including the desert battlefield of El Alamein. You can take the train to the famous railway station and work it out from there, or get a guided day-tour.
Note that while most of the online-available tours visit the military museum and Allied and German/Italian military cemeteries, they don’t visit the battlefield itself.
Logistics
Getting There
Take the train from Cairo Ramses II railway station; to locate the foreigners’ ticket office, you’ll need to go up the escalators in the main hall and take a left on the upper floor. They take credit cards and a one-way (early 2024) first class ticket was US$26. Egyptian National Railways don’t accept online bookings for foreign visitors so factor in time to buy your ticket first.
On arrival at Alexandria’s central railway station you walk for about 15 minutes up Al Naby Danyal Street to the waterfront hotels.
If the train doesn’t appeal, a one-way taxi/ride-hail app ride between the cities is about US$50, which is very reasonable for what is a 2.5 hour ride. While the Uber and Careem ride-hail apps work in both Cairo and Alexandria, the inter-city price quoted may be unreliable; be prepared to have the driver try to negotiate directly when he turns up.
Getting around Alexandria, most locations are walkable and for taxis the Careem app was reliable and very affordable – tip heavily.
Egypt has visa issue on entry for most passports; if you want to save some time on arrival you can get an e-visa in advance at https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa
Accommodation
You can take your pick of the early 20th-century hotels clustered by Saad Zaghloul square by the waterfront. I stayed at both the Cecil and the Metropole; both were very traditional spaces evocative of the era, amenities upgraded and very comfortable.
The Metropole has a nice rooftop restaurant that works well for breakfast or an evening beverage, and was where Cavafy kept an office.
Eating Out
There are plenty of great seafood restaurants in town, as well as typical Arab offerings. The Greek Nautical Club (https://maps.app.goo.gl/xt9aeMe2ZSFuG1Mz6), located just south of the Qatbay Citadel, is higher-end and serves alcohol.
Seaside (https://maps.app.goo.gl/K64rtg8K8tRUcpNx7) is another good seafood option nearby. Sidi is a more local and casual place opposite the Sidi Morsi Abu al-Abbas Mosque (https://maps.app.goo.gl/pyT6ofhuE9Cc1CVt5). Teatro Eskendria (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Dqu6wjshCsyfkr3K8) is a casual Alexandrine restaurant located by a popular theater, with outdoor seating.
There are plenty of traditional “European” cafes evoking the turn of the 20th century that are worth a stop, including the ornate Cafe Trianon next to the Metropole Hotel; the Cafe de la Paix on the waterfront boulevard; Farouk Café 1928, and Sofianopoulo Coffee Beans, a long-standing Greek-owned coffee shop.
