Alexandria

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria was one of the ancient world’s greatest cities. Earthquakes, time, and subsidence have since ravaged it, but Alexandria is still worth visiting today. In 1922, E.M Foster wrote: “The sights of Alexandria are not in themselves interesting, but they fascinate when we approach them through the past” – a view we believe still holds true today. Visiting Alexandria is a fascinating addition to a tailor-made holiday to Egypt for those looking for a comprehensive view of Egypt.

Three hours from Cairo by train, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria is where Mark Antony met Cleopatra and where classical learning and culture reached its apogee. Once the location of renowned glories including the Museion and Library, Tomb of Alexander (the Soma), and ‘Pharos’ lighthouse – a Wonder of the Ancient World – Alexandria is also where the mathematician Euclid developed his system of geometry, Theocritus penned his idylls, Claudius Ptolemy drew his famed map of the world, and Arius and Athanasius debated the nature of Christ. While little survives from the classical period, when walking past the Mosque of Nebi Daniel, where Alexander’s tomb once stood, peering down into the harbour from the Fort of Qaitbey and seeing blocks that once formed the Pharos, exploring the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, and gazing on the Graeco-Roman glories in the National Museum, the visitor has to pinch themselves and imagine what once must have been.

Between teasing out fragments of the ancient world, a tour of Alexandria will also include the now faded sights from the city’s renaissance in the early 20th century when the Greek poet Cavafy lived here, as did the author Lawrence Durrell. The modern city is not beautiful, but it has character and, after years of decline, has begun to reassert its place on the cultural map with the futuristic Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Outside of Alexandria, sights of interest include the fine Ottoman houses of Rosetta (El Rashid), Aboukir Bay, where in 1798 Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, the UNESCO remains at Abu Mina, and the desert battlefield of El Alamein, where ‘Monty’ defeated Rommel in 1942.