Formed during the Greek empire, Alexandria is one of Egypt’s most historic cities and the 2nd largest city behind Cairo. My guided tour of Egypt didn’t include a stop in Alexandria so I opted to stay an extra day to see this mediterranean city I’d heard mixed reviews about. Since I wasn’t sure what to expect, I booked “the” day trip from Cairo that covers the city’s most popular and important sites.

Here’s what I thought.

Ancient Roman Amphitheater

I’ve seen amphitheaters before but seeing the amphitheater complex of Alexandria was a real surprise and highlight of my day. A lot of people marvel at the lovely theatre, which is a small horseshoe-shaped design, but it’s not like the ones you would see in Rome or Pula. It is quite small and was probably used for lectures and meetings because it’s actually part of a large ancient university. There are less impressive but numerous lecture hall ruins alongside that you can also see.

Additionally the complex has Roman baths and a Roman villa. The Villa of the Birds is largely ruined but you can still see some beautiful mosaic floors, one of which is of birds (thus the name). It takes about half an hour to see everything and is quite impressive with no other Roman site its equal in Egypt.

What’s interesting is that the whole site was discovered accidentally in 1960 and not much is known about the complex. It dates to the late Roman and early Byzantine periods but historians aren’t really sure what the university was called, or who lived in the villa, etc. It’s shrouded in mystery. Just goes to show you never know what’s waiting for us under the soil!

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

You’ve probably heard of the ancient Library of Alexandria. It was founded by the ancient Greeks and was one of the world’s most impressive libraries at the time. Combined with the ancient university mentioned before, Alexandria must’ve been one of the most exciting places for a scholar. But about 200-300 years after it was built, it was burned by Julius Caesar and his army.

What you may not have heard is that there’s a new library in town. Opened in 2002, Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a large, modern library that’s home to hundreds of thousands of books. As a visitor, you can visit the library and one (or several) of its art galleries with different exhibitions. The day trip I was on includes a tour of the library and entrance to a few of the galleries which feature art both ancient and modern.

There are some galleries that require an additional ticket. Of course those were the ones I wanted to visit and of course I couldn’t because we were on a schedule. I didn’t think the library itself was that impressive (I don’t like modern architecture) but I would go back to see the ancient art gallery from excavations on that site plus the gallery on old books and manuscripts.

Catacombs Of Kom El Shoqafa

The catacombs in Alexandria is one of the most beautiful historic sites, but also very representative of the city’s history. They were created around the 2nd century CE, when ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece were all cultures that lived and breathed together. All three are embedded in the artwork in the catacombs.

You can see lots of traditional Egyptian motifs (in the photos, you can quite obviously see some Egyptian gods including Anubis) but there’s also imagery imported from Greece and Rome such as the Agathos Daimons (ancient Greek serpents) that guard the chambers. You’ll also see the head of Medusa. The painting is done in the ancient Roman style.

The catacombs aren’t very large but definitely fascinating to see. With such a combination of art, they’re one of the most unique places in the entire world. It’s very much worth seeing!

Citadel of Qaitbay

Jumping a bit ahead in time, the Citadel of Qaitbay is also based off of ancient Alexandria. Alexandria’s lighthouse was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and it collapsed during an earthquake in the early 14th century. About 100 years later, the ruins were converted into a citadel by Sultan Qaitbay (thus the name).

The citadel today is a look at Egypt’s medieval past. Even though it’s just a defensive fortress, there are actually some lovely architectural details in the wood, brick, and stone. The citadel also has sweeping views over the city and its stunning harbor. While it’s a little sparse, it’s still quite pretty and gives a unique view to the seaside city.

Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi

The last stop of the day was a quick one to the Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was a man from the 13th century who fled his home of Spain in the face of Christian conversion to live in northern Africa, settling in Alexandria where he lived as a spiritual advisor for 43 years. He is an Islamic saint. His mausoleum became a place for pilgrimage so in the mid 15th century, it was officially turned into a proper mosque.

The mosque has a lovely exterior and interior but it’s actually quite new. Its modern form was designed and built from 1934-43, though it is designed to look old. The visit just consists of walking around the inside a bit. We did not go back to see the tomb of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.

So what did I think of the tour overall? Well firstly, I 100%, absolutely recommend a visit to Alexandria. It’s drenched in history and gives a glimpse at a different time period from other historic sites in Egypt. It’s beautiful with its stunning harbor of bright blue. There’s quite a bit to see.

I’m not sure I really liked the specific tour I went on because it was very “get in the car, get out to see this site, and get back in the car.” I was actually shocked when our tour guide said we were at the end of the tour and I was put into the car and driven back to Cairo. We didn’t have a single moment of free time! Didn’t even get to walk along the ocean promenade for like 5 minutes. It was such a bummer because I didn’t really get to visit Alexandria itself – just its sites.

I get it. Going to Egypt, I was concerned what it would be like and even booked an organised tour because I didn’t know what to expect. There are lots of scams. It’s realistic that people may not actually want any free time to explore by themselves. But this was at the end of my trip and I actually felt comfortable being by myself so had I known we wouldn’t have any free time, I would’ve just booked a bus or train to Alexandria instead and done my own visit. The silver lining is that Alexandria is working on a new underwater museum so I’ll have to visit again once that’s completed!

But everyone’s different. If you just want to see the sites then this is a great tour. But if you want to spend any amount of time seeing the city itself then I don’t recommend it.

Either way, Alexandria should definitely be on your Egypt bucket list. It’s a lovely city with a fascinating history and cannot be missed.

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