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Over Day Alexandria From Cairo
Alexandria: Known widely as the «Pearl of the Mediterranean», Alexandria is Egypt's second largest city and center of industry. Greek warrior Alexander the Great ruled Egypt from his base in the coastal and cosmopolitan city in the fourth century bBC, making Alexandria the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt. Alexandria became the intellectual hub of the ancient world, enticing historians, philosophers and mathematicians to its famous seaside library: the “Bibliotheca Alexandrina“. Alexandria is also home to the Pharos Lighthouse — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Largely because of its unique cosmopolitan roots, Alexandria differs widely from the rest of the country, especially Cairo.
Sites to Visit:
The Catacombs of Kom El ShouqafaThese tombs were tunnelled into bedrock at the time of the Antonine emperors in the 2nd century AD for a single wealthy family still practicing the ancient religion. Although the funerary motifs are purely ancient Egyptian, the architects and artists were schooled in the Graeco-Roman style.
El Montazah GardensThis 114-acre complex belonged to the family of Mohamed Ali, which ruled Egypt from the mid-19th century until 1952. It is surrounded by great walls from the south, east and west, and a beach to the north. The complex is adorned with beautiful gardens and palm trees, making it an ideal stop in Alexandria. This area used to belong to the Mohamed Ali family that ruled Egypt from the mid 19th century until 1952. The construction was started in 1892 by King Abbas II, who built a large palace inside the complex called the Salamlek. In 1932, King Fuad built a larger palace and called it the Haramlik. His son, King Farouk, built a bridge to the sea to act as a waterfront. The rest of the 114 acres is filled with beautiful gardens. Palm trees and gazelles cover the area. This is a wonderful spot to enjoy the beauty of Alexandria.
Alexandria LibraryShaped like a massive, partly hidden, tilted disc rising up from the Mediterranean, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina evokes the image of a rising sun, a source of light and enlightenment.
The Bibliotheca was inaugurated in 2002 as a resurrection of the ancient Great Library of Alexandria, which had formed the cornerstone of ancient intellectual life. Aside from a library displaying books on seven levels that form a “pyramid of knowledge,” the cultural complex also includes other specialized libraries, museums, exhibition areas, education centers, and an international conference center
Panoramic view of fort QaitbayThis fort was built in the 1480s by Sultan Qaitbey, at the site of Alexandria's ancient lighthouse. Remnants of the lighthouse can be seen in the construction of the old fort. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the lighthouse was an astonishing 125 meters high, containing some 300 rooms for workers.
Alexandria National MuseumThe museum comprises more than 1,800 archaeological pieces that narrate the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, and modern history of Egypt. One display features pieces picked up from the seabed at Abu Kir Bay and the eastern harbor near the Qaitbay Citadel. The Alexandria Museum is number 27 in the series of historic and archaeological museums across Egypt.
Pompey’s PillarA column of red Aswan granite standing some 90 feet high, with a circumference of 27 feet, the pillar was erected in honor of the Emperor Diocletian.
A special seafood lunch is provided on the bay of Abukir, scene of the naval battle between Nelson and Napoleon.
