Alexandria

If you read my post about my volunteering opportunity, you should already know that between trips I stayed in Alexandria. It was my home for five weeks. It was the place where I would come to get some proper sleep and wash my clothes in between travels. I was sharing an apartment with two other Tunisian girls, also on AIESEC projects. The accommodation was actually quite nice and was located in a 20 story building in the Miami district. I would only spend a few days a week in Alexandria so I didn’t get to know the city all that well. However, I did see the main attractions and I am going to tell you everything about it.

Alexandria is Egypt’s second city and the largest one on the Mediterranean coast. Founded by Alexander the Great in 322 BC, Alexandria was capital of Egypt during the Ptolemaic era. It was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. And also for the Great Library and the Necropolis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

It was built in 2002 as a memorial to one of the largest and most important libraries in antiquity. Bibliotheca Alexandrina honors the Great Library of Alexandria, which burned down in the 1st century. It is one of Egypt’s most important contemporary landmarks and the cultural heart of the city. It contains one of the modern world’s most ambitious libraries and a host of museums exploring Alexandria’s history and heritage. Its architecture resembles a giant sun disk, which presides over the waterfront Corniche. Inside, the huge main library and its reading room can hold eight million volumes. Unfortunately we couldn’t enter in the reading section because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa

The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa are hewn from the rock on the southern slopes of a hill. Thought to date from the 2nd century AD, they offer an example of the characteristic fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles. It’s discovery took place in 1900, thanks to a donkey falling into them. There are several levels of sarcophagi and loculi (shelf tomb) chambers and a spiral staircase leads down into the ground to the main rotunda. The district where the catacombs are is quite poor and I would recommend going there with an Uber or taxi. I also recommend getting a guide for the visit. We didn’t have one and almost got lost down there among tombs.

Citadel of Qaitbay

Walk the long shore-front Corniche road, and you’ll finally arrive at Fort Qaitbay, where the Pharos Lighthouse once stood. It was destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1303 and the citadel was built in 1480 by Mamluke Sultan Qaitbay. Rubble from the lighthouse was used in its construction. Inside, you can explore the series of stone-walled chambers and climb up to the roof to look over the Mediterranean. You can see the waves crashing on the rocks and the fisherman out to claim their catch.

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. They include diamond-studded tiaras and smoking sets made from gold. They belonged to the royal family after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. With walls lined with oil paintings and stained-glass windows, a great place to visit for those interested in art and history. I visited this one on my last day in Alexandria and I am so glad I did.

However, there was a lot more to visit in Alexandria. I want to come back someday to visit the Montazah Palace and it’s lush gardens. I am also planning to check out Pompeye’s Pillar, the Roman Theatre and Alexandria National Museum.