Alexandria Tourist Attractions

The Alexandria attractions in this guide are visited as part of Alexandria Day Tours, Cairo and Alexandria Tours, and Alexandria Shore Excursions, all of which WOW Egypt Tours proudly offers to travelers from around the world. Alexandria is also a featured destination within Egypt Tours Packages and Egypt Travel Packages, and can be reached from Cairo as a day trip by road or train, making it one of the most accessible major historical cities in Egypt for travelers based in Cairo.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the modern library and cultural center built on the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria, one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The current building, opened in 2002, was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta and houses millions of books, several museums, a planetarium, and permanent art collections along the Alexandria corniche. Qaitbay Citadel is a 15th-century Islamic fortress built by Sultan Qaitbay on the eastern tip of Pharos Island at the entrance to the Eastern Harbour, on the same site where the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria once stood. The citadel is one of the most important defensive fortresses built by the Mamluk Sultanate along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts and offers views across the harbour and city.

The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa are the largest known Roman-era funerary complex in Egypt, dating to the 2nd century CE and descending three levels into the ground. The catacombs are decorated with a unique combination of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artistic styles reflecting the multicultural character of Roman Alexandria, and include a triclinium banquet hall where funeral rites were performed. Pompey's Pillar is a 27-meter granite triumphal column erected in 297 CE in honor of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, standing in the ruins of the Serapeum, the ancient temple of the god Serapis. Despite its name, the column has no connection to Pompey and was misidentified by medieval travelers. It is the largest ancient monumental column outside of Rome and Constantinople. The Roman Amphitheatre, also known as Kom el-Dikka, is the only well-preserved Roman theatre in Egypt, with 13 white marble seating terraces and capacity for several hundred spectators. The surrounding archaeological site also contains Roman-era baths, a residential district, and lecture halls believed to be part of the ancient university of Alexandria.

The Greco-Roman Museum is the main archaeological museum in Alexandria, housing one of the most important collections of artifacts from the Greek and Roman periods in Egypt, including statues, coins, papyri, mummies, and objects recovered from sites across the city and the Delta region. The museum building dates to 1892 and underwent a major renovation project in recent years. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is the largest and most prominent mosque in Alexandria, built over the tomb of the 13th-century Andalusian Sufi scholar Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi and located in the Anfoushi neighborhood near the Eastern Harbour. The current structure dates to 1943 and is one of the most visited Islamic monuments in the city. The Lighthouse of Alexandria guide covers the history of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which stood on Pharos Island from around 280 BCE until it was destroyed by earthquakes in the medieval period. The page covers what is known about its construction, height, and function, and its legacy in the site now occupied by Qaitbay Citadel.

The overview page for Alexandria, Pride of the Mediterranean covers the full history of the city from its founding by Alexander the Great through the Ptolemaic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman periods to the present day, and explains how modern Alexandria relates to its ancient foundations. Use these guides to identify which sites fit your schedule, understand the historical connections between them, and plan your time in Alexandria whether you are visiting for a day from Cairo or staying overnight.