Alexandria Travel Guide! Dive into the wonders of Alexandria, Egypt – a city brimming with ancient history, stunning Mediterranean views, and vibrant local culture. This guide is crafted for travelers seeking authentic experiences, from exploring the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria and Bibliotheca Alexandrina to discovering hidden gems like Montaza Palace Gardens and Stanley Bridge. Whether you’re a history lover, foodie, or beach enthusiast, Alexandria Travel Guide offers tips, insights, etc
The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa is a historical archaeological site located in Alexandria, Egypt, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funerary cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences. Due to the time period, many of the features of the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa merge Roman, Greek and Egyptian cultural points; some statues are Egyptian in style, yet bear Roman clothes and hair style whilst other features share a similar style.
A circular staircase, which was often used to transport deceased bodies down the middle of it, leads down into the tombs that were tunneled into the bedrock during the age of the Antonine emperors (2nd century CE).
The facility was then used as a burial chamber from the 2nd century to the 4th century, before being rediscovered in 1900 when a donkey (named Howard Carteeeore) accidentally fell into the access shaft. To date, three sarcophagi have been found, along with other human and animal remains which were added later. It is believed that the catacombs were only intended for a single family, but it is unclear why the site was expanded in order to house numerous other individuals.
Another feature of the catacombs is the Hall of Caracalla, which contains the bones of horses which were the tombs created for the horses of the emperor Caracalla in 215 CE.
Tigran Tomb Alexandia
The Main Tomb at Kom el-Shoqafa( the Tigrane Tomb) presents the most convincing case for active worship of Isis and her mysteries in Alexandria. In comparison to the scale of the Great Catacomb at Kom el-Shoqafa, the Tigrane Tomb, which was discovered in 1952 in the eastern necropolis near the tombs at Moustapha Pasha, appears exceedingly modest.
it consisted of one room fitted with loculi and another in the form of a triclinium-shaped burial chamber, but only the burial chamber was removed from the earth.
The triclinium shapeA triclinium (plural: triclinia) is a formal dining room in a Roman building. The word is adopted from the Greek triklinion (τρικλίνιον)—from tri- (τρι-), "three", and klinē (κλίνη), a sort of couch or rather chaise longue. of the burial chamber is formed, as it is in the Main Tomb at Kom el-Shoqafa and other Roman-period tombs in Alexandria, by the arrangement of three niches – in its case arcosolia The word is from Latin arcus, "arch", and solium, "throne" (literally: "place of state") or post-classical "sarcophagus".– created by the sarcophagi carved from the living rock.
Catacombs
The catacombs were named Kom El Shoqafa, meaning Mound of Shards, because the area used to contain a mound of shards of terra cotta which mostly consisted of jars and objects made of clay. These objects were left by those visiting the tombs, who would bring food and wine for their consumption during the visit. However, they did not wish to carry these containers home from this place of death, so they would break them. At the time of the discovery, heaps of these broken plates were found.
The catacombs lie beneath the western necropolis of Alexandria and consist of three levels cut through solid rock, the third level was completely underwater until recent restorations. The catacombs have a six-pillared central shaft which opens off the vestibule. On the left is a triclinium, a funeral banquet hall where friends and family gathered on stone couches covered with cushions, both at the time of burial and also on future commemorative visits.
Principal tomb chamber
At the front of the tomb chamber there is a temple-like façade consisting of two columns topped by papyrus, lotus, and acanthus leaves of ancient Egypt and supporting an architrave with a relief of a central winged sun-disk flanked by Horus falcons. A carved Agathodaemon in the form of a snake is flanking both sides of the entrance to the inner tomb. Each snake wears a Roman Caduceus and a Greek Thyrsus as well as the Egyptian Pschent and is topped by a shield showing a Medusa.
Figures of a man and a woman are carved into the wall. The man's body has a stiff hieratic pose typical of Ancient Egyptian sculpture, with the head carved in the lifelike manner of the classic Hellenes. The woman's figure is also rigidly posed but bears the Roman hairstyle.
There are three huge stone sarcophagi with non-removable covers along the sides of the chamber. It's assumed that bodies were inserted in them from behind, using a passageway which runs around the outside of the funeral chamber. There is a hallway with 91 inch deep walls in the central tomb chamber, with carved recesses, each providing burial space for three mummies.
The sarcophagi are decorated with garlands and heads of Greek mythology gods. Each sarcophagus has associated a relief panel. The central panel shows the jackal-headed Anubis wearing Roman soldier garb, who mummifies a body lying on a lion bed. Below the bed are three canopic jars. The lateral panels show the Apis-bull receiving a gift.
People also ask FAQ
Why was the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa built?
Located in Alexandria, Egypt, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are an ancient burial site that was built under Roman rule in the 2nd Century AD. They were initially intended to be used by just one wealthy family, but later expanded to include more families and individuals.
What is found in the great tomb of Kom El Shoqafa?
A carved Agathodaemon in the form of a snake is flanking both sides of the entrance to the inner tomb. Each snake wears a Roman Caduceus and a Greek Thyrsus as well as the Egyptian Pschent and is topped by a shield showing a Medusa. Figures of a man and a woman are carved into the wall.
How deep are the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa?
The catacombs consist of three tiers of tombs and chambers cut into bedrock to a depth of 35m (the bottom level is flooded and inaccessible).
Can you visit the catacombs in Alexandria?
There are some tombs and old structures that can be seen as you enter the site. To see the catacombs, you need to descend a spiral staircase. The skeletal remains have been cleared so mainly a few statues and a labyrinth of corridors with empty holes in the walls are what can be seen.
It contains 1655 coins of the Roman emperors Galba, Otho, Vitellius, the Flavian emperors, Nerva and Trajan (AD 68- AD 117).
As the most prolific provincial coinage of the Roman Empire, the Alexandrian coins document extensively the portraits of the Roman emperors, and convey a rich choice of reverse representations, inscriptions, and dates.
Since its foundation in 1892, the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria receives and keeps a considerable part of the numismatic discoveries from archaeological excavations and from accidental finds from Egypt.
In Egypt Roman coinage was based until AD 296 on the Ptolemaic system. The first issues are some copper based coins. Regular production started in AD 20 with a tetradrachma. Most of the coins in Egypt were struck at the main mint in Alexandria.
As with many Roman provincial coins, the obverse usually depicts the portrait of the emperor or members of his family. The legends are in Greek. The reverses are varied and offer many types only known from Egypt. Some depict gods such as Sarapis and Isis.
Personifications of the virtues such as Nile on a crocodile or Nike ('Victory' in Greek) holding a palm branch are also common. The representations on coins seldom reflect political or other current events.
Issues for the Egyptian nomes can be found honouring the administrative provinces and are typical of the second century AD in the Antonine Period (AD 138 - 180).
Fort Qaitbay Alexandria Egypt is one of the most important forts on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaitbay built it between 882 AH/ 1477 AD and 884/ 1479 AD over the ruins of Alexandria’s Lighthouse. It served as Alexandria’defence against naval attacks.
Qaitbay Citadel was made of limestone and spanned an area of approximately 17550 m2. An outer wall plotted with defence towers surrounds the building in Alexandria.
An inner wall surrounds the citadel’s courtyard and includes a number of rooms some of them used as barracks and others for storage.
The citadel’s entrance leads to the courtyard where we find the main tower located in the northwest. It consists of a massive three-floored square fort. Its four corners are occupied by half-circular towers that carry protruding balconies for the defence of the city. A tank near the tower supplied soldiers and their horses with water.
Qaitbay citadel drew the attention of rulers throughout the ages, on account of its strategic location. The building was also enlarged and subject to other conservation operations in 2003.
How was the Citadel of Qaitbay destroyed?
The Citadel retained the interest of Mohammed Ali's successors until the year 1882 when the Orabi Revolt took place. The British fleet bombarded Alexandria on 11 July 1882 and damaged a large part of the city, especially in the area of the Citadel. This attack cracked the fortress, causing great damage. The north and western facades were severely damaged as a result of cannon explosions, aimed directly at the structure. The western facade was completely destroyed, leaving large gaps in it.
The citadel continued to be an important strategic location of Muhammad Ali's successors until AH 1299 / AD 1882, when the Orabi Revolt took place in Egypt and the British navy bombarded the city of Alexandria, destroying its forts, damaging its defences and causing extensive damage and destruction to the citadel itself. The citadel was restored in 1982, and the High Council for Antiquities undertook the complete restoration of it in 2005.
How much does it cost to go to the Citadel of Qaitbay?
The Citadel of Qaitbay (or the Fort of Qaitbay; Arabic: قلعة قايتباي) is a 15th-century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast, in Alexandria, Egypt. It was built from 1477 to 1479 AD (882–884 AH) by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay.[2] The Citadel is situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the Eastern Harbour.
How old is the Citadel of Qaitbay?
The Citadel of Qaitbay It was built from 1477 to 1479 AD (882–884 AH) by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay.
The Greco-Roman museum contains several pieces dating from the Greco-Roman (Ptolemaic) era in the 3rd century BC, such as a sculpture of Apis in black granite, the sacred bull of the Egyptians, mummies, sarcophagus, tapestries, and other objects offering a view of Greco-Roman civilization in contact with ancient Egypt.
among the most distinguished are the Sobek Temple with a shrine bearing a mummified crocodile from the reign of Ptolemy V. This Temple was previously on display in the garden of the Museum prior to the restoration project.
In Roman times, the region of Egypt which now forms the Fayum was called in official documents the Arsinoite name with Arsinoe as its metropolis.
It was under Ptolemy Philadelphos after his marriage to his sister Arsinoe, therefore between 270 BC the date of his marriage and 246 BC when he died, that the names of the Arsinoite nome and Arsinoe replaced the previous names of the Krokodilopolite name and Krokodilopolis.
The name of Krokodilopolis clearly indicates that the divine animal especially worshiped in the prefecture and its metropolis was the crocodile.6 The cult of the crocodile god Sobek.
Ptolemaic queen”, reads a sign beside an 11-metre Statue of goddess Isis in the form of the goddess Isis inside the newly reopened Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. The 25-ton statue is one of many of similar design, but this one is the biggest, said Sobhi Ashour, professor of Graeco-Roman Art and Archaeology at Helwan University.
Ashour added that the Isis statue was found in the 1960s by an Egyptian diver Kamel Abu el-Saadat north of the Qaitbay Citadel in the eastern port of Alexandria. Graeco-Roman Museum: Selfie with a stately statue “Take a selfie with Ptolemaic queen”, reads a sign beside an 11-metre statue of a queen in the form of the goddess Isis inside the newly reopened Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria.
The 25-ton statue is one of many of similar design, but this one is the biggest, said Sobhi Ashour, professor of Graeco-Roman Art and Archaeology at Helwan University. Ashour added that the Isis statue was found in the 1960s by an Egyptian diver Kamel Abu el-Saadat north of the Qaitbay Citadel in the eastern port of Alexandria.
The statue of the ‘selfie-genic’ queen is not alone. A black basalt statue of one of the Ptolemaic queens is portrayed as Isis. Her robes are carved so skillfully that you can imagine they might billow in a light breeze.
Head of Isis Pharia - Graeco-Roman Museum -Alexandria Pharia Isis, or as on coins of Julian the Apostate it is written FARIA, was so called according to Pliny, from Pharus, in Egypt, an island joined by a bridge to the Roman colony of Alexandria.
Isis here means the protectress of the Pharus, on which the light-house was built. Isis is fabled to have been the daughter of Inachus, King of the Argives, and to have been transformed by Jupiter into a cow; and having afterwards been restored to her pristine form was made a goddess, and adored as such by the Egyptians above all other divinities.
Isis Pharia statue, which is one of the largest statues to be displayed in the museum, pointing out that it is made of pink granite and divided into three parts: A crown of the sun disk, topped by the two feathers of Isis; an upper part consisting of the head and chest with a length of 265 cm, a width of 185, and a weight of 7.5 tons; and a lower part that is 380 cm long, 120 cm wide, and weighs about 10 tons.
Othman further stressed that for the first time these parts will be assembled and restored for the statue to be displayed in the museum's garden.
Head of the Central Administration for Museums Sector Affairs Ali Dahi indicated that the statue of Isis Pharia was discovered by the archaeologist Kamel Abu al-Sa’adat in the 1960s, east of Qaitbay Citadel and the Eastern Port.
It was recovered by the naval forces in 1962, when it was transferred to the Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar area. In 1991, the statue was transferred to the Maritime Museum. As for the upper part of the statue and the crown, it was discovered by the submerged archaeological mission in the eastern port, and it was recovered, restored and displayed in the theater area of the Maritime Museum.
The Graeco-Roman Museum houses a large number of Egypt's antiquities from the period roughly 300BC to the Arab Conquest in the 7th century. It was built in 1895 by Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti and has been renovated several times along the span of its history. It was last restored almost 20 years ago.
The Graeco-Roman Museum has the only portrait of Cleopatra and that of her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes. This artwork dispels the myth that she was black, negroid, or resembling a Hollywood actress. Cleopatra VII was a Greek, after all, even if she did not look like Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film of the same name.
Top Attractions in Alexandria by Alexandrea travel Guide
1. Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern tribute to the ancient Great Library of Alexandria, one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. Rebuilt in 2002, the new library serves as a cultural center, boasting millions of books, museums, art galleries, and planetarium.
Highlights: Ancient manuscripts, rare books, and exhibitions on Egyptian history.
Visitor Tips: Arrive early to fully explore the library’s diverse collections and exhibitions.
2. Qaitbay Citadel
The Citadel of Qaitbay stands proudly on the eastern harbor, built in the 15th century on the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This fortress offers panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and is a favorite among history lovers and photographers.
Highlights: Stunning sea views, historical displays, and architecture.
Visitor Tips: Climb to the top for breathtaking views of the sea and city.
Why Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria | Fort Qaitbay Egypt must visit?
The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast. It formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century AD.
3. Montaza Palace and Gardens
Once the royal family’s summer residence, Montaza Palace is set amid beautiful gardens with lush trees, flowers, and fountains. Montaza is perfect for relaxing and enjoying a stroll along the Mediterranean coast.
Highlights: Palace architecture, well-maintained gardens, and coastal views.
Visitor Tips: Pack a picnic or enjoy a seaside meal at the nearby cafes.
4. Kom El-Dikka (Roman Amphitheater)
Dating back to the Roman era, Kom El-Dikka includes an amphitheater, ancient baths, and a villa with stunning mosaics. It’s one of the few ancient sites in Egypt that transports you directly to Roman times.
Highlights: Ancient amphitheater, Roman baths, and preserved mosaics.
Visitor Tips: A guided tour enhances the experience, providing historical context.
5. Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa
The Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa is an ancient necropolis and one of Alexandria’s most fascinating sites. Dating back to the 2nd century AD, this underground burial site combines Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architectural elements.
Highlights: Tombs, funerary chambers, and a spiral staircase carved into the bedrock.
Visitor Tips: Bring comfortable shoes; the site requires a bit of walking.
6. Stanley Bridge
Stanley Bridge is a symbol of modern Alexandria, a place where locals and tourists come to take a scenic walk and enjoy the Mediterranean views. The bridge is especially beautiful at sunset, offering a picturesque view over the sea.
Highlights: Mediterranean views, especially during sunset.
Visitor Tips: Stop by one of the local cafes to sip coffee and enjoy the view.
7. Pompey’s Pillar and Serapeum
One of the city’s most iconic structures, Pompey’s Pillar is a massive Roman column erected in honor of Emperor Diocletian. Nearby, you’ll find the ruins of the Serapeum, a once-grand temple dedicated to the god Serapis.
Highlights: Roman column, ancient ruins, and history-rich atmosphere.
Visitor Tips: Take photos from different angles for perspective on the pillar’s size.
8.Greco-Roman museum
The Greco-Roman museum contains several pieces dating from the Greco-Roman (Ptolemaic) era in the 3rd century BC, such as a sculpture of Apis in black granite, the sacred bull of the Egyptians, mummies, sarcophagus, tapestries,Crocodile Temple Sobek , Statue of goddess Isis and other objects offering a view of Greco-Roman civilization in contact with ancient Egypt.
Hidden Gems in Alexandria
Beyond the well-known attractions, Alexandria is full of hidden gems that reveal its unique charm and character. Here are some lesser-known spots to check out:
1. El Alamein War Museum and Cemetery
Located a bit outside Alexandria, El Alamein holds an important place in WWII history. The museum and cemetery provide a glimpse into Egypt’s involvement in the war and serve as a memorial to soldiers from around the world.
Highlights: War exhibits, memorial sites, and historical artifacts.
Visitor Tips: A perfect day trip from Alexandria for history enthusiasts.
2. Anfushi Tombs
Dating back to the Ptolemaic era, the Anfushi Tombs are another excellent stop for history lovers. These tombs are painted with motifs and figures, giving you a sense of ancient Egyptian burial practices.
Highlights: Ancient artwork, underground tombs, and Ptolemaic history.
Visitor Tips: Photography may be restricted, so be sure to ask before taking pictures.
Getting Around Alexandria
To fully enjoy Alexandria, it’s essential to know your transportation options: Taxi: Taxis are abundant and convenient; just ensure the driver uses the meter. Ride-Sharing Apps: Services like Uber and Careem are available in Alexandria. Tram: Alexandria’s tram system is one of the oldest in the world, a cheap and unique way to explore the city.
Alexandria’s Best Beaches
Alexandria’s Mediterranean coast offers many beaches for relaxation and recreation:
Maamoura Beach: A private beach offering calm waters and a laid-back vibe.
Stanley Beach: Located near Stanley Bridge, it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.
Montaza Beach: Located within Montaza Gardens, this beach is scenic and serene.
The best time to visit Alexandria is between October and April, when temperatures are mild and perfect for sightseeing. Summer months can be hot and crowded, especially along the beaches.
Whether you're wandering through ancient ruins, watching the sunset from Stanley Bridge, or exploring the legendary Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria promises an experience that blends history, beauty, and modernity. With Alexandria Travel Guide as your companion, you’re all set to explore this iconic Egyptian city, savor its Mediterranean charm, and uncover its hidden treasures.
