🌊 Inspiring Alexandria: A Mediterranean Dream Woven with History, Culture & Sea Breeze
Welcome to Alexandria, Egypt’s window to the Mediterranean and a city unlike any other in the Arab world. Founded in 331 BCE by Alexander the Great, Alexandria has worn many crowns: the capital of Hellenistic Egypt, a Roman and Byzantine cultural stronghold, and a 19th-century cosmopolitan hub for artists, thinkers, and travelers.
Today, Alexandria is not just a city—it’s a feeling. A place of layered time, fading grandeur, intellectual curiosity, and sea-washed calm.
🗺️ Top Things to See and Do in Alexandria
Each step in Alexandria takes you deeper into thousands of years of history.
🏛️ 1. Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2002)
Modern Tribute to the Ancient Library of Alexandria (circa 3rd century BCE)
Located near the original site of the Ancient Library, this spectacular granite-and-glass structure is both an architectural marvel and a cultural sanctuary.
Inside: Four museums, planetarium, rare manuscripts, and rotating exhibitions.
Don’t Miss: The glass-roofed reading hall with room for 8 million books.
🏰 2. Citadel of Qaitbay (1477 AD)
Built by Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay on the very site of the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
A fortress of defense and beauty—walk its ramparts for panoramic sea views.
Historical Note: Stones from the original lighthouse were reused in the citadel’s construction.
🎭 3. Roman Amphitheater (2nd century AD)
Discovered in the 1960s, this semi-circular Roman structure once hosted performances and political meetings.
13 marble terraces with mosaic flooring remain intact.
Nearby: The Villa of the Birds, featuring exquisite floor mosaics of exotic birds.
🏛️ 4. Kom El Dikka (1st–3rd centuries AD)
An entire Roman residential complex and bathhouse district.
Excavations revealed classrooms, frescoed walls, and colonnaded streets.
Known as Alexandria’s “Pompeii,” it’s a time capsule of Greco-Roman daily life.
⛵ 5. Montaza Palace and Gardens (1892–1932)
Originally built by Khedive Abbas II, later expanded by King Fuad I.
This royal summer retreat is a lush escape with palaces, palm-lined promenades, and access to private beaches.
Architecture: A striking blend of Ottoman and Florentine styles.
🏺 6. Alexandria National Museum (Opened 2003)
Housed in a restored Italian-style villa from the 1920s.
Contains over 1,800 artifacts spanning Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic periods.
See items recovered from the Mediterranean seabed—including statues from the sunken palaces of Cleopatra.
⚓ 7. Sunken City of Heracleion & Cleopatra’s Palace (Underwater, 4th century BCE)
Off the shores of Alexandria lie submerged ruins of the ancient cities of Heracleion and Canopus, once vibrant port towns.
Though diving is limited to specialists, exhibits at the Bibliotheca and National Museum showcase many of the finds—columns, sphinxes, and colossal statues.
🕌 8. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque (Built 1775, rebuilt 20th century)
One of Egypt’s most beautiful mosques, with intricate white domes and minarets.
Built over the tomb of 13th-century Andalusian Sufi saint, revered across the Islamic world.
Open to non-Muslims for outside photography and a quiet moment of admiration.
🪦 9. Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa (2nd century AD)
One of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
An underground necropolis blending Pharaonic, Hellenistic, and Roman art styles.
Spiral staircases, burial chambers, and mythological carvings await below the city.
🏛️ 10. Pompey’s Pillar & Serapeum (3rd century AD)
A towering red granite column rising 27 meters—not built for Pompey, but for Emperor Diocletian.
Once part of the Serapeum, a grand temple dedicated to the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis.
Nearby: Two large sphinxes and remnants of temple statues.
🍽️ Alexandria’s Culinary Culture
Try seafood at the Fish Market Restaurant, with harbor views and daily catch.
Order “Feteer meshaltet” or Alex-style liver sandwiches from local street vendors.
Sip mint tea or Arabic coffee in vintage seaside cafés like Trianon or Délices, where poets once lingered.
🕰️ Suggested One-Day Itinerary
07:00 AM – Depart Cairo in a private A/C vehicle
10:30 AM – Arrive in Alexandria; visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina
11:45 AM – Explore the Roman Amphitheater & Kom El Dikka
01:00 PM – Lunch by the Corniche at a seafood restaurant
02:15 PM – Visit the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
03:00 PM – See Pompey’s Pillar & the Serapeum
04:00 PM – Walk the gardens of Montaza Palace
05:00 PM – End the day at Qaitbay Citadel for sunset over the sea
05:45 PM – Drive back to Cairo
09:00 PM – Arrive at your hotel
✨ Why Alexandria Inspires the Soul
Alexandria isn’t just history—it’s living nostalgia. A place where poets found their muse, where civilizations met and mingled, and where the sea still carries whispers of Cleopatra’s court and Napoleon’s fleet.
It’s a city for wanderers, readers, romantics, and dreamers. Alexandria asks nothing of you but to look, listen, and feel.
📩 Ready to Be Inspired?
👇 Start Your Journey Today
