Top 10 Things To Do In Alexandria Egypt

Alexandria, once the largest city of the ancient world and intellectual and cultural center of the Mediterranean, is a modern, thriving metropolis on Egypt’s northern coast. Although modern Alexandria is a bit faded from its former glory, you can still see bits of its grand past while exploring the top things to do here. A visit here for a few days is the perfect add-on to other tops sites in amazing Egypt.

Ancient Alexandria

Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great around 331 BC, was an important port city, linking Egypt and Greece. His vision was to build a city that was a center of Hellenistic culture, with the largest Mediterranean naval and commercial base.

Known for its great culture and learning, Alexandria was the capital of Egypt for a thousand years, until the Muslim conquest in 641 AD.

Key Sites In Ancient Alexandria

The Great Library

One of the most important assets of ancient Alexandria was its massive library. The Library of Alexandria, built around 288 BC, was once the largest and most significant libraries in the ancient world, holding up to a half million documents from Assyria, Egypt, Greece, India, Persia, and more.

The goal of the library was to house a copy of all known knowledge, yet, as nothing remains, little is known about what actually was housed here. It is also said that it was a meeting and mingling place for scholars, poets, philosophers, and researchers.

It even had a smaller “sister library” in the Temple of Serapis. Various legends exist on the library’s demise, but many scholars think it gradually declined until its contents were destroyed during Muslim rule.

Alexandria, Egypt Today

Today Alexandria is the largest city on the coast of the Mediterranean. It’s admittedly a little weary and worn, but still a beautiful city on the edge of the sea. The people here are amazingly friendly, going out of their way to help tourists, and much friendlier than in Cairo. Plus there are several great sites to visit, making it a nice stay when visiting Egypt.

Top Things To Do In Alexandria, Egypt

Library, or Bibliotheca

The new Library of Alexandria was built in 2002, a memorial to the ancient Library. This huge library and research center has 3 museums, 4 art galleries, a planetarium, and a laboratory for discovering and mending ancient documents.

Its unique architecture features a tilted, windowed roof, a nod to the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Citadel of Qaitbay

A defensive fortress established in the 15th century by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf Al Din Qa’it Bay, mainly against the Turks, who were the major threat at the time. The Turks, or Ottomans, eventually did defeat Egypt, using the citadel for its infantry and artillery.The citadel sits where the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria once stood.

Visiting the citadel is a lovely way to spend a few hours, full of local and foreign visitors. It’s located on the western side of the East Harbor. Click here for location.

Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

One of the most beautiful mosques in Egypt. It’s a monument for and contains the tomb of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.

Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is less than a mile from Qaitbay Citadel.

Roman Ruins at Kom El Dikka

Kom el Dikka, was an ancient Roman city dating back to the 1st-3rd century, in the heart of Alexandria. Discovered under a large pile of rubble in the 1960’s, it had a column lined street, a Roman theater with marble seats, covered by a dome, public baths, and villas, one with beautiful mosaic floors.

Making this site even better is the fact that few people visit, so you can explore it on your own.

Kom El Dikka is located just a few minute taxi ride south of the waterfront. It was a 20-minute walk from my hostel, so I pinned the location on maps.me and took the backstreets to find it.

Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar

The Serapeum, or Temple of Alexandria, was dedicated to Serapis, a hybrid Greek and Egyptian god. All that remains is one Pillar, incorrectly titled Pompey’s Pillar, some sphinx, the sister library of the Great Library of Alexandria, which held an overflow of texts, and a sanctuary.

This pillar, or column, once held a statue of Diocletian. Unfortunately, it was incorrectly named by travelers that thought it was erected for Pompey.

If walking or taking a taxi here, it helps to have its Arabic name, Amoud Al Sawari. The Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar is located a little over a mile southwest of the Ruins of Kom El Dikka. It’s a 30-minute walk or short taxi ride away.

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. This necropolis contains tombs, statues, and archeological artifacts from the 2-4th century AD.

The tombs, dug into the bedrock, are up to three stories deep, with a circular staircase. It’s a fusion of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman elements. Kom el Shoqafa is a 10-minute walk, or short taxi ride from Pompey’s Pillar.

Its name means “mound of shards”. Visitors used to bring terra cotta pots filled with food and wine for their visit. Before leaving, they smashed the pots and plates, not wanting to bring them back from a place of death, leaving a rubble of shards.

The Corniche

Spending time walking the Corniche, or waterfront promenade, is a great way to see Alexandria. It runs from Qaitbay to Montaza Palace.

Stanley Beach & Stanley Bridge

This bridge at Stanley Beach, which architecturally compliments nearby Montaza Palace, is an extension of the Corniche over the sea. It helps regulate traffic here, but is also a lovely to walk across and feel the sea breeze.

There’s also a pebbled beach here, Stanley Beach, which can get crowded on sunny days and holidays. Make sure to watch small children closely as the waves can be strong here.

There are several restaurants in the Stanley Bridge area to enjoy the view. I found a little coffee shop on its eastern side to rest and people watch for a bit.

Montaza Palace

Montaza Palace, built in the 1930’s for King Farouk, the last Egyptian monarch, is located on the eastern end of the Corniche. Although it’s not open to the public, it is noteworthy as a visit to see its exterior. It also has a large garden and sweeping views of the sea.

Visit A Museum

In addition to the museums located in the Library of Alexandria, there are two other museums that are interesting to explore.

Alexandria National Museum

Located in a former palace, this museum has over 1,800 artifacts from the Pharonic epoch, Hellenistic and Roman periods, and ancient Egypt.

I found the exhibit to be fairly small, so if visiting other museums in Egypt, you may be able to skip this one. To me, the most exciting pieces are the ones pulled from the sea, possibly the ruins of Cleopatra’s Palace.

Royal Jewelry Museum

Jewelry from the royal family of Mohamed Ali Pasha, which ruled for 150 years. The museum itself is the former palace of Princess Fatma El Zahraa, a descendent of the royal family.

Even if you’re not a jewelry fan, you can appreciate the architecture, like embellished wall panels, and artwork, like ceiling art, inside the palace. It’s a small museum, so easily paired with other stops.

This museum is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Stanley Bridge.

Want More of Egypt?

Egypt is an amazing destination with many exciting sites and cities to see. The ancient Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are one of the top destinations and really can’t be missed. Cairo also has other great sites to explore.

Luxor and Aswan, south of Cairo, are full of amazing ancient tombs and temples, as well as the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and more. And the massive temples in Abu Simbel, close to the border of Sudan, are truly remarkable.

If you want to explore the beaches and amazing diving in Egpyt, considered one of the top spots in the world, Sharm El-Sheik is a great option. There’s also Hurghada and Dahab.

For an overview of all the great places in Egypt, as well as information on how to get around, safety, scams, logistics, and more, see my Travel Guide to Egypt.

Safe Travels!

Julie

Want to learn more about me? See my About Me page to understand why I love traveling so much and my philosophies on travel.