Sightseeing in Alexandria - what to see. Complete travel guide

Second biggest city of the country, Alexandria is also known as the largest port and an internationally famous resort. Each year the city attracts thousands of tourists mainly by its widely-known historical monuments. No other town in Egypt can exceed Alexandria in the number of historical antiquities.

The oldest building here is the catacombs of Kom El-Shouqafa, which have been created in the 1st-2nd centuries. The catacombs feature one of the largest Roman burial areas; the catacombs have 3 tiers, two of which, unfortunately, are now flooded. One of the most beautiful religious buildings is Mosque of Abu-al-Abbas that was built in the 13th century by order of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan. The mosque is created in best traditions of previous centuries, and its design and interior remain in great condition even in our days. Nearby the mosque there is another sight – Pompey’s Pillar. This grand monument is made of red granite and is 25 meters tall. The monument has been created in the name of the emperor Diocletian and is surrounded by labyrinths of underground galleries and ancient burials.

If you want to know more about prehistoric times, the best place to get new knowledge is Greek-Roman Museum that contains over 40 thousand of exhibits of different kinds. Here you will see a collection of statues, plates, sarcophaguses, papyruses, coins, jewelry and other works of art. Among one of the most valuable collections is the exhibition of figures made of wood and marble featuring ancient Egyptian gods. Visitors who are more interested in medieval and modern art, should attend the Museum of Fine Arts, which galleries often show exhibitions of modern foreign artists. Female tourists traditionally cannot fail to visit the Museum of Royal Jewelry, while wild nature fans should move their feet to the Hydro-biological Museum where they will find large collection of corals, fish, mollusk and other sea animals. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The unique character of the city is the Library of Alexandria; this ancient library was founded by Alexander the Great himself. Today the library is a huge cultural complex, it features more than 8 million books, many of which are unique. More in this library has several exhibition halls and art galleries, which hold regular exciting events. This cultural centre is largely focused on tourists; they are offered an extensive program. 

Those who look for an interesting place to walk, should pay attention to the charming area Anfoushi. Many tourists are attracted to this historic quarter by national restaurants with reasonable prices; here, for a small fee, you can try the most popular national dishes. The neighbourhood is ideal for taking a stroll, its streets filled with beautiful historic buildings, of which some old houses are now working craft and souvenir shops. 

One of the most interesting cultural sites of the city is Royal Jewelry Museum. This museum occupies a magnificent palace, which Mohammed Ali built for his beloved granddaughter. He managed to save a number of pristine interior, during the tour you can visit the luxurious bathrooms, which are decorated with frescoes. This museum has a rich collection of precious artefacts, that once used to decorate the royal palaces. Here you can see not only expensive jewellery, but also beautiful sculptures and paintings. One of the most unusual exhibits are considered to be the garden tools, decorated with a scattering of diamonds, and even gold chess of Farouk. The museum runs an interesting gift shop, and even a small restaurant serving national food. 

Alexandria peculiar attraction is the old fish market. Same as many years ago, every day fresh seafood can be bought at this market. Experienced cooks and tourists go to the market early in the morning, because by noon its counters are almost completely empty. If you have no purpose of acquiring fresh fish there, you can just take a stroll around this interesting market and appreciate the diversity of the goods.