Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its Great Library, the largest in the ancient world; and the Necropolis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

Alexandria is Egypt’s second-largest city, a bustling, sprawling metropolis on the coast that was first founded by Alexander the Great well over two thousand years ago.

Alexandria is a Mediterranean port city in Egypt. Founded in c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria became a major center of civilization, eventually replacing Memphis in present-day Greater Cairo as Egypt’s capital. Alexandria ranked among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the storied Library of Alexandria. Today, the library is restored in the disc-shaped, ultramodern Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Its 15th-century seafront Qaitbay Citadel is now a museum called the “Bride of the Mediterranean” by locals. Alexandria is a popular tourist destination and an important industrial center due to Suez.

Alexandria is one of Egypt’s best places to visit to capture a sense of days-gone-by grandeur. Here you can find the 14 Best places to visit in Alexandria:

1. Museums of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Most visitors to Alexandria cut off, to begin with, to this present day re-imagining of Alexandria’s antiquated Awesome Library. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is one of Egypt’s most vital modern points of interest and the city’s social heart. It contains one of the advanced world’s most yearning libraries and has historical centers exploring Alexandria’s history and heritage. Its engineering is centered around a mammoth sun disk, which directs over the waterfront Corniche. The gigantic fundamental library and the perusing room can hold eight million volumes inside. For visitors, though, the main tourist attractions are the beautifully curated exhibition spaces below the main library.

However, the ancient library was lost when the city was burnt to the ground by Julius Ceasar during the wars with Rome. Although the scrolls and books were consigned to history and Alexandria fell from grace, the city’s reputation as a place for learning has never diminished.

Although it was only opened in 2002, the library has already amassed hundreds of thousands of books, while the museums on site see thousands of visitors passing through their doors each week.

2. Stroll the Corniche

Downtown Alexandria’s wide, waterfront Corniche Road is as much a symbol of the city as any of its monuments. Strolling the Corniche, particularly the section between the main shorefront square of Midan Saad Zaghloul to Fort Qaitbey on the Eastern Harbor’s western tip, gives you a natural feel for the era of multicultural elegance and decadence that marked this city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much of the architecture from this era still stands along the Corniche, though these days, much of it is heavily worn and falling into disrepair.

During your stroll, the most famous landmarks along this stretch include the multiple-domed Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque and the still-standing heritage hotels, the Steigenberger Cecil Hotel and Paradise Inn Windsor Palace Hotel. These were once the grandest addresses in town, and both feature in Lawrence Durrell’s classic Alexandria Quartet novels set in the city. The Cecil, in its heyday, is also famous for playing host to mystery author Agatha Christie, the British Secret Service and Winston Churchill during WW-II, and Egypt’s beloved singer Umm Khartoum.

3.   Head Underground to the Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqqafa

The Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqqafa are fashioned from the rock on a hill’s southern slopes in the Carmous district. Though to date from the 2nd century AD, they offer an admirable example of the characteristic Alexandrian fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles. Discovered in 1900 (thanks to a donkey falling into them), they are laid out on several levels of sarcophagi and loculi (shelf tomb) chambers spiral staircase leads down into the ground to the central dome. You can enter the main burial chamber and the Sepulchral Chapel with 91 loculi, each large enough to accommodate three or four mummies. To the left is a large room known as the Triclinium Funebre, which would have been used for banquets in honor of the dead. This labyrinth of underground burial chambers dates back to the Roman era. It is unique because it contains incredible examples of the merging of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures in the 2nd Century AD. There is a fantastic wealth of tombs and relics, complete with artistic and religious inscriptions and carvings that offer a detailed insight into life in Alexandria during ancient times. Discovered by accident in 1900, these catacombs are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt. The catacombs – built in the 2nd century CE – consist of three tiers of tombs and chambers into which the dead bodies were lowered. Keep your eyes peeled for Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, dressed as a Roman soldier. You can easily walk from the site to Pompey’s Pillar, as both are located in Karmas.

Address: El-Nasareya Street, Campus

4.   Fort Qaitbey

Walk the long shore-front Corniche road of the Eastern Harbor heading west, and you’ll finally arrive at Fort Qaitbey. It may be a poor substitute for what was once the site of the mighty Pharaoh’s Lighthouse – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was toppled by a violent earthquake in 1303 – but this squat fort has been standing guard over Alexandria since 1480. Mamluke Sultan Qaitbey built Fort Qaitbey to fortify this important Egyptian port from attack, and rubble from the toppled lighthouse was used in its construction. Inside, you can explore the series of stone-walled chambers and climb up to the roof to look out over the Mediterranean.

Address: Corniche, Eastern Harbour

5.   Ponder History at Kom el-Dikka 

Kom el-Dikka is another Roman-era Archeological site that remained unknown to the residents who lived above the ruins for centuries.  Nobody thought much of the ancient rubble mound in central Alexandria until, in the 1960s, they decided to clear the site to make way for new housing. As work commenced, the area known as Kom el-Dikka (“Mound of Rubble”) revealed a whole swag of ancient ruins buried beneath, including a small Roman theater. Today the area is a small archaeological park with remains from Alexandria’s Greco-Roman period.

As well as the theater, there are fragments of a Ptolemaic temple, a Roman bathhouse, and various Roman-era villas. Excavation work on the Villa of the Birds here unearthed well-preserved 3^rd-century mosaic floors, which have been kept in situ. Numerous excavations unearthed such historical gems as a Roman amphitheater and lavish villas because the area turned out to have been one of the wealthiest places in ancient Alexandria. Today it’s a unique place, with a mixture of new developments and ancient ruins to explore, and it’s probably the best place in the city where you can begin to appreciate the number of layers of heritage that are just waiting to be discovered under the surface.

Address: Yousri Street, Alexandria

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6.   Discover Pompey’s Pillar 

On-Campus, near the Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqqafa, is a hill littered with the remains of ancient walls, architectural fragments, and rubble on which Alexandria’s only fully intact ancient monument is left standing. Pompey’s Pillar rises from the ruins of the old and famous Serapeion (Temple of Serapis), which was once used to store the overflow of manuscripts from the Great Library of Alexandria. This column of red Aswan granite with a Corinthian capital, rising to a height of almost 27 meters, actually has nothing to do with Pompey and was instead set up in AD 292 in honor of Diocletian who supplied food for the starving population after the siege of the city. Underneath, there is not much to see of the badly ruined Serapeion, but you can clamber down some staircases into a substructure of chambers. However, it became a city of iconic status in the Mediterranean, little remains on the surface of the original ancient city founded by the Greeks.

However, one lasting structure you can see is the world-famous column known as Pompey’s Pillar. Standing at 26 meters tall, this was one of the most critical columns globally, of a size to rival those in Rome itself. Despite the name, the column had nothing to do with Pompey and was erected several hundred years after his rule ended in the 3rd century AD.

Address: Abu Mandour Street, Campus

7.   Alexandria National Museum

Alexandria’s National Museum is a must-stop if you want to get to grips with the vast history of this famed city. Inside, the collection guides you from the Pharaonic era (in the basement) to the Hellenistic heyday, when Alexandria and Egypt were governed by the Ptolemy dynasty begun by Alexander the Great (on the ground floor), and up to the Byzantine and Islamic periods (on the 1st floor). The museum’s major highlight is the ground floor’s exhibits of sculptures and artifacts from the underwater archaeological explorations of the sunken port city of Heracleion-Thonis in Aboukir Bay. The museum does a fantastic job of bringing ancient Alexandria to life, including excellent map drawing exhibits that imagine what the classical city would have looked like, helping visitors understand the changing face of this city.

Address: Tariq al-Horreya Street, Alexandria

8.   Montazah Gardens

An oasis of calm on the city’s eastern edge, Montazah is a lush haven of tall palm trees, trimmed lawns, and blossoming flowers that were once off-limits to all but the royal court and their hangers-on. Built as a hunting lodge in the 1890s by Khedive Abbas Hilmi, it was later extended substantially by King Fuad and replaced Ras el-Tin Palace as the royal family’s summer house. The eccentrically designed Montazah Palace, with its ornate Florentine-inspired towers and Rococo flourishes, is not open to the public. Still, everyone is welcome to stroll within the sprawling gardens, which can be a welcome slice of nature after a day spent within Alexandria’s hustle. The coastal end of the park is a small beach with a uniquely imaginative bridge to a small island. If you need a dose of tranquility, a trip to Montazah is just the ticket to restore your sanity before diving back into the inner city fray. Minibusses heading west up the shore-front Corniche road all pass by Montazah. They charge between 1-2 EGP depending on where you board.

Initially built for King Farouk, this stunning palace – located on the eastern side of the city – boasts a large garden and gorgeous views over the Mediterranean. The court, featuring a unique yellow and red design reminiscent of both Istanbul and Florence, is sadly not open inside for visitors. Still, you are welcome to stroll through its beautiful gardens, dotted with palm trees and rare plants. The Montaza Palace is one of the best things to do in Alexandria because the opulent palaces and exquisite gardens are beautiful to explore.  This vast complex dates back to the late 19th century, and it was then extended and used by Egyptian rulers and presidents through the 20th century. The gardens are the most impressive part of the Montaza Palaces, with a colorful collection of flora and a sandy beach to stroll along too.

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9.   Ras el-Tin Palace

Luxurious Ras el-Tin Palace was once a summer escape for Egypt’s sultans when the desert heat of Cairo got too much to bear. It’s also the famed location where King Farouk – Egypt’s last king – officially abdicated in 1952 before sailing out of Alexandria’s harbor and into exile in Italy. Today, the Egyptian navy uses the palace, which means its glorious interiors are out of bounds to casual visitors. Still, the monumental white facade, best viewed from the harbor waters, is a must-see. The Palace dates to 1847 and has been at the forefront of Egypt’s tumultuous political events over the last two centuries.

10. Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

This well-known mosque is dedicated to the 13th-century Alexandrine Sufi saint Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, and it also contains his tomb. Originally erected in the 1300s, it was redesigned and built in its current form by Eugenio Valzania and Mario Rossi between 1929 and 1945. The temple is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful mosques in Egypt and one of the most spiritually significant places to go to while visiting Alexandria. Its traditional architecture is stunning, and it sits right next to the Citadel of Qaitbay.

One of Alexandria’s significant landmarks, the Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, was built in 1796 over the tomb of the 13th-century Sufi holy man Abu Abbas al-Mursi. Originally from Murcia (in Spain’s Andalusia region), Abu Abbas became a highly esteemed religious leader in Alexandria, and his teachings are still revered in Egypt. The mammoth cream-colored mosque that holds his name is an important pilgrimage site. For non-religious visitors, the mosque’s exquisite facade of swirling Islamic calligraphy designs and motifs is the major draw-card.

Those that want to enter to see the beautiful and intricate mosaic halls should dress modestly and leave their shoes at the main entrance.

Address: Mohammad Karim Street

11. Visit Aboukir

Presiding over a peninsula, defended on all sides by old forts, the tiny fishing village of Aboukir, about 24 kilometers northeast of Alexandria, has an illustrious history that defies its small size. This is where, on August 1st, 1798, the Battle of the Nile was fought, in which Nelson inflicted a crushing defeat on the French fleet. Here, too, in 1799, Napoleon defeated a numerically superior Turkish force; and here also, in 1801, Sir Ralph Abercromby defeated the remnants of the French army and compelled them to evacuate Egypt. For naval history buffs, this military past of battles is enough to visit, but for the average sightseer, the main reason for a journey here is to sample some of Egypt’s finest seafood. Aboukir Bay is home to a host of fabulous fish restaurants that locals flock to in the summer months—stuffing yourself full of seafood while sunset sears over the Mediterranean are the perfect end to an Alexandrian day.

12. Cavafy Museum

One of Alexandria’s most famous sons, Constantine Cavafy (1863-1933), was a Greek Alexandrian poet who found fame and recognition for his writing after his death. His apartment on what is now Sharm el-Sheikh Street is a tribute to his life and a major attraction for anyone on an Alexandrian literary pilgrimage. Cavafy spent his working life as a journalist and civil servant, little recognized for his poetry outside of a small group of Alexandrian-based writers (including English novelist E.M. Forster, a champion of Cavafy’s work). His poetry, though, richly captures the vast history of Alexandria – particularly its Hellenistic origins – and he has become one of the greatly celebrated literary figures of the city. The small museum contains many of his manuscripts and correspondence.

Address: Sharm el-Sheikh Street, Alexandria

13. Soak Up the Sun at Mamoura Beach  

Most travelers don’t visit Alexandria for the beaches, and the city hardly has a reputation as a beach holiday destination, but don’t forget that you are right on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean.  Alexandria has a surprising number of beaches within easy reach of the city center, and one of the nicest and cleanest is Mamoura Beach.  Here you’ll find a busy stretch of sand and pebbles that are surprisingly separate from the city. It’s a great escape from Alexandria, and you can sit in the sun and watch the waves lap against the shore.

14. Royal Jewelry Museum

Formerly the palace of the Egyptian royal family, the Royal Jewelry Museum is a hidden gem in the heart of Alexandria. Inside the renovated 1919 villa, you’ll find nearly 11,000 items, including diamond-studded tiaras and smoking sets made from gold, left behind by the royal family after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Admire the walls lined with oil paintings and stained-glass windows, a great place to visit for those interested in art and history.

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