Alexandria

Understand

History

Few cities of the world have a history as rich as that of Alexandria; few cities have witnessed so many historic events and legends. Founded by Alexander the Great (Iskander al-Akbar) in 331 BCE, Alexandria became the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt; its status as a beacon of culture is symbolized by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse. There had long been a fishing village here, called Rhakotis, but Alexander had greater plans for it. Its strategic value was obvious: it had a great natural harbour, a backing lagoon to prevent land attack, a fertile hinterland, and potential control of trade routes up the Nile and overland to the Red Sea and Arabia. But the approach to the harbour was tricky: the coastline and off-shore islands were low and without landmarks, so sailors could easily take the wrong channel and get wrecked on the shoals. To guide them in, Alexander's successors Ptolemy I & II built a lighthouse on the nearby island of Pharos. It stood just over 100 m tall, so only the Great Pyramids were taller. A bronze mirror atop it reflected sunlight by day, and by night the flames of oil-soaked sheep fleeces. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the name of the island "Pharos" came to apply to all subsequent lighthouses, and spawned modern words such as "phares" in French. A jetty over 1 km long was built to connect Pharos to the mainland, dividing the bay into an eastern and western harbour. Silt and landfill built up along the jetty so it broadened into a peninsula, the present-day district of Anfushi. The lighthouse was badly damaged by earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323, then fell into disuse and disrepair. In 1480 Sultan Qaitbey used the ruined stone to build his fortress here. The rest of it was eaten by coastal erosion, and came to lie on the sea-bed. But a combination of ancient descriptions, modern marine archaeology and satellite imaging give us a detailed picture of it. Alexandria under Ptolemy I & II prospered not just through trading, but as a knowledge economy. They set out to acquire and understand every manuscript they could. Arriving ships were searched, and any manuscripts seized and copied onto papyrus. In the great Library of Alexandria texts were translated, catalogued and studied. Scholars, philosophers and scientists flocked to work on these texts, and to create new material. Just one example of their creative output was the Septuagint, the first Greek translation of Hebrew holy texts that became the Christian Bible Old Testament. Trade and knowledge made Alexandria cosmopolitan, with the largest Jewish

Getting there

By plane Alexandria has domestic flights daily from Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, with Egyptair the main operator. Saudia Airlines fly from Jeddah and the Gulf States, and Turkish Airlines fly from Istanbul. And all of airlines of the country including: Air Cairo Air Arabia Nile Air FlyEgypt and Petroleum air services (PAS). 1 Borg el Arab Airport (HBE IATA). All flights into Alexandria use this airport 45 km southwest of downtown. It's small but modern, ample for the low passenger numbers it now handles. Cafe and clean toilets and that's about all. There is no public transport - a taxi downtown will take 60-90 min, and reckon at least LE400 as they've no competition. (updated Oct 2021) Cairo (CAI IATA) is the main portal of entry into Egypt and you travel onwards overland. The Cairo-Alex flight only makes sense as a connection with another flight.

By train Train is the easiest way to travel between central Cairo and Alexandria, with 30 services a day. Best of these are the "Specials", running non-stop and taking 2 hr 40 min; almost as good are the "Express" services taking around 3 hours (usually stopping only in Tanta on the way). These trains are clean and comfortable, air-conditioned, and with snacks available. For foreigners, one-way AC2 tickets cost 35USD and AC1 tickets cost 40USD (+ 1USD if you pay by credit card) (October 2025). The fast trains are sometimes also called Spanish, French or Turbo because of their rolling stock. See "Egypt#get around by train" for how to buy tickets. Trains from Cairo all depart from Ramses Station. In Alexandria they arrive downtown at 2 Misr station, where taxis and microbuses are waiting, or a 15-min stroll north along Nabi Daniel St brings you onto the Corniche. Nabi Daniel is a street market and closed to traffic, so taxis use the parallel Saad Zaghlool St. But when your "non-stop" train arrives, and everyone piles out, ask around before following. You may have stopped 3 km east at 3 Sidi Gaber station on Abu Qir St at the top of Mushir Ahmad Ismail St. Only get off here if you're heading for an eastern district such as San Stefano. Otherwise sit tight, and in a couple of minutes the train will rumble on and terminate at Misr Station. Trains to Alexandria also run from Marsa Matruh and the delta towns. These are slower "ordinary" trains and you buy your ticket at the station. Some trains run directly from Luxor via Cairo, but these too are slow "ordinary" trains, and you're better taking fast trains and changing in Cairo.

By bus Several bus companies offer a bus service into Alexandria

Getting around

Alexandria is a long, long city but there's good transport along the Corniche. It also extends several km inland past the lagoons, but you've no reason to go that way.

By taxi

Alexandria's yellow and black taxis are a good way to travel in the city, and a cheap one as well. Be careful though: taxis will uniformly refuse to use meters (the rates haven't been adjusted in years) and drivers love to take advantage of non-Alexandrians (both foreign and Egyptian), so it's best to agree on the fare before you get in. If you are on a day trip to Alexandria, hire a taxi outside the railway station for the day. To get into a taxi, wave at the driver and yell the name of your destination. If the driver agrees they would park at the side of the road as soon as possible. Some taxis will stop to pick you up even if they already have a passenger, but such offers are best refused. Furthermore, always check back once you get out of the taxi, there is no number to call if you lose anything of value, and nearly no chances of having it returned. Careem and Uber operate in Alexandria. Careem requires an Egyptian phone number.

By tram

Alexandria has a creaky, slow but very cheap tram system that dates back to 1860 and looks the part — it's the oldest one still running in Africa. The route map is remarkably confusing and changes on a regular basis, but one factor stays constant: the network is split into the interurban Ramleh Lines (Tram el-Raml), which use blue-and-cream trams and run across the city a few blocks back from the sea towards the eastern suburbs, and the City Lines (Tram el-Madina), which use bright yellow trams and run west and south of central Alex. The two meet at Raml Station (محطة الرمل Mahattat el-Raml), right at the heart of Alex. In general, the Ramleh Lines are relatively quick despite their age, as they have substantial stretches of dedicated and uninterrupted right-of-way; the City Lines, however, frequently get stuck in traffic. For both lines, the flat fare is LE1, bought on board. Note that the first car (out of three) in the blue trams is reserved for women only. The lines run until 1AM, every 10-30 min or so. Probably the most useful service for tourists is yellow tram #25, which runs from Raml Station to Ras el-Tin and Fort Qait Bey. You can also hop on any blue tram west from Sidr Gabr bus/railway station to get to Raml, but not all eastbound trams stop there.

By bus There are a variety of local bus services which have improved significantly in the past few years, but they are rather confusing for those who haven't lived in Alexandria

See

Historical monuments

1 Citadel of Qaitbay, Ras el-Tin (yellow tram or microbus to Anfushi), ☏ +20 3-4809144. Daily 9AM-8PM. Set on the tip of the Anfushi/Pharos promontory, looking back over the eastern harbour and downtown Corniche. It was built by Mameluke Sultan Abdul-Nasser Qa'it Bay in 1477 CE, by re-cycling the stone of the ruined lighthouse. It tried (with limited success) to defend the city against invaders, from crusaders to Napoleon, and was in military use as late as 1882, when the British bombarded it. There are two entrances and admissions. West, facing your approach along the Harbour mall, is the ground-floor Maritime Museum, which is of little interest. (Its collection continues in a building on the mall.) Come round to the south flank facing the Corniche for the main entrance into the Citadel. There's a fortified courtyard, then a 4-storey bastion. Citadel LE150 for foreigners and LE60 for Egyptians and Arabs. (updated Oct 2024) 2 Mostafa Kamel Necropolis (Mustafa Kamel Cemetery/Tombs). The cemetery includes four tombs dating from the 2nd century BC, all of which are in excellent condition and beautifully decorated. The cemetery bears the name of Mostafa Kamel, one of 20th century Egyptian politics' greatest legends. It was he who pronounced the famous phrase: "If I were not born an Egyptian, I would like to be an Egyptian." As of October 2025, the site is closed for renovations. (updated Oct 2025)

3 Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Carmouz district, south of Anfushi. Daily 9AM-4PM. These catacombs were probably carved out to be a single wealthy family's mausoleum, and later expanded to take other elite funerals, from the 2nd to 4th century CE. The name "Kom el-Shoqafa" means "mound of shards" as people brought offerings to the dead here in earthenware bowls, then smashed the empties before returning home. They are composed of a ground level construction that probably served as a funerary chapel, a deep spiral stairway and three underground levels (the lowest now flooded by groundwater) for the funeral rituals and entombment. The place was discovered in 1900 when the ground gave way under a donkey. Built as a separate (and older) catacomb, the Hall of Caracalla became linked when energetic tomb-robbers tunnelled through. It seems to have been a burial place for the Roman emperor's horses, as horse bones predominate. No, not the donkey's. The catacombs are interesting for their plan and for their decoration, as the last of the pharonic burials transitioned into Grecian and Roman styles. But if you've seen the richly decorated burial chambe

Do

Sunbathe at the Maa'moura Beach or Montazah Beach. During summer the beaches are packed with Egyptian tourists, parasols and plastic chairs and it will cost to get in. At this time the sand and water may have some throwaway plastic floating around. 1 Double decker bus ride along the Corniche, Al-Anfushi Bus Station (at the corner of Al Geish Road and Al Captain Abd Al Qader Koura Street). The Corniche stretches from the Citadel in the west about 30 km along the seaside to the east. Its core is a 15 km promenade along the bay dotted with restaurants, markets and historic sights. Take one of the red double decker buses that start from Al-Anfushi Bus station and enjoy the ride along the promenade. LE25. (updated Oct 2024) 2 Montazah Royal Gardens. Though the gardens are a part of the more than three hundred and fifty acre grounds (61 ha) of the large royal home known as the Muntazah Palace, the Montazah Royal Gardens take up more than half of the property. Montazah Royal Gardens are situated along the shore as well, which means access to the lovely beaches and warm Mediterranean Sea waters nearby. The Montazah Royal Gardens are a bit unique where city parks and public spaces are concerned as they are rigorously landscaped, and well-stocked with benches and wading or swimming pools that are open for the public to enjoy. (updated Feb 2020) Also in Montazah, Montazah Water Sports, provide various water sports, from waterskiing to wake-boarding, even Banana Boat and Donuts. Hire a boat and go cruising at Ras el-Tin. Have a long walk by the beautiful Corniche by the Mediterranean Sea.

Cinemas 3 Renaissance Royal Cinema, 22E Al Bakht, Al Mesallah Sharq. This movie theater in Alexandria is owned by the same people who run the Renaissance theaters in Cairo. There are three screens, with surround sound and all options. Midnight shows are daily. (updated Feb 2020) Cineplex, 14th of May Bridge Rd (by Hilton at Green Plaza, Smouha, see Sleep). 10 screens, 3D movies available. Tickets LE25. (updated Oct 2021) 4 Amir. (updated Apr 2022)

Sports Football: Alexandria has two soccer teams in the Premier League, Egypt's top tier. Smouha SC and Al Ittihad are both based at Alexandria Stadium (capacity 20,000), 500 m east of the railway station. Haras El Hodoud are in the Second Division, playing in the western suburb of El Max. Pharco in the Premier League play at Borg el Arab (aka El-Geish) Stadium 25 km west towards the airport. 5 Alexandria Sporting Club (right in the heart of Alexandria). Built in 1898 and used during the British occupation, the Alexandria Sporting

Buy

Standard shop hours are daily until 10PM or later, but in summer they take a siesta from noon to 4PM. Ramadan hours also vary. Typically, vendors of a particular product cluster along a street.

Nabi Daniel, the street between the railway station and Corniche, has many booksellers with titles in several languages. Prices negotiable. Further inland has vendors of electrical components (e.g. plug adapters) that may be useful to a traveller. "Nabi" means prophet so the street refers to the Biblical figure. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Bookshop (in the new library). Daily 9AM to 7PM. Good for general and tourist literature in different languages. 1 Deeb Mall, 1 Syria St, Roushdy. 10:30AM-10:30PM. Mid-range shopping mall, mostly clothing but with IT section. Plus cinema and food court. (updated Oct 2021) Green Plaza (by Hilton Hotel). 9AM-1AM. Big modern open-air mall with many shops, restaurants, cinema and a court for video games and bowling. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Maamoura Plaza Mall, Maamoura. 24 hours. Small mall in the tract east of Montazah, has some restaurants. (updated Oct 2021) San Stefano Grand Plaza Mall. By the Four Seasons Hotel, see #Sleep. Large mall with upscale shopping, 10 cinemas and large food court. 3 Zahran Mall, Smouha. Daily 10AM-11PM. Popular mall with cinema and coffee shops. (updated Oct 2021) 4 Carrefour City Center, Gate 4 - 1st Alexandria Cairo Desert Road. Daily 10AM-midnight. If this is "city centre", you'll need camels to reach "edge of town". It's a big mall with huge hypermarket, coffee shops and cinemas. Take a taxi to get here. (updated Oct 2021)

Eat

Seafood restaurants line the waterfront. Alexandrian ice cream is similar to the typical soft-serve ice cream, but it is described as being a little bit 'stretchy'. It is available in numerous flavors, and according to the locals, this type of ice cream is only made in Alexandria and Greece. Try it at Bahary near Qait Bey, where popular shops include Makram, El-Sheikh Wafik, Azza and El Se'eedy. Corn on the cob (dorra mashwey) is sold by street vendors along the Corniche. Koshary, the Egyptian national dish, is a mixture of noodles, rice, lentil and more noodles topped with a tomato sauce. Koshary topped with kibda Iskandarani — Alexandria-style fried liver with cumin, onion, and hot peppers — is a local tradition.

Budget 1 Tawn Coffe Shop. Yes, "Coffe". Great place on the Corniche, with a decent pizza and chairs in front of the café for "enjoying" the traffic and view. (updated Jan 2018) 2 Kushari Bondok, Smouha (beside Fathalla supermarket). Well known kushari joint, value for money. (updated Oct 2021) 3 Meto, 273 Gamal Abdel Nasser St, ☏ +20 3 550 7774. Daily 9AM-midnight. Fast food: pizza and its Arabic equivalent fateer. (updated Oct 2021) 4 Asmak Shabaan, El Hana Tower, Al Max, Corniche, ☏ +20 120 424 2551. 24 hrs. Great place for seafood. (updated Oct 2021) 5 Foul Mohamed Ahmed, 17 Shakour Street (off Saad Zaghloul Street, opposite Metropole Hotel). Legendary joint for fuul and falafel, clean, friendly and inexpensive. According to a personal memory by an Alexandrian lady it was in Jewish ownership and called Binyamin before the Revolution of 1952. (updated Mar 2022) 6 Mostafa Gad, Al Iskandar Al Akbar Street (just opposite the Raml Station building). Takeaway only branch of the Egyptian cuisine fast food chain. (updated Mar 2022) 7 Mostafa Gad, Mahmoud Azmy Tousoun Street (close to the Bank of Egypt building). Takeaway and eat-in branch of the Egyptian cuisine fast food chain. (updated Mar 2022) 8 Mostafa Gad, El-Horeya Road (opposite Cinema Amir). Takeaway only branch of the Egyptian cuisine fast food chain. (updated Mar 2022) 9 Fayrouz. Fast food restaurant with Levantine and Egyptian plates. Slightly more expensive than Gad. (updated Apr 2022)

Mid-range Mid-priced by Egyptian standards, Western fast-food chains like Pizza Hut, McDonald's and KFC can all be found in the city's larger malls, but there are more interesting options as well.

10 Abou Shakra, El Geish 424 (Smouha Green Plaza), ☏ +20 3 426 1777. Daily 10AM-midnight. Popular Egyptian chain for shwarms, similar grills and set meals of kebab, kofta, fries and salad. (updated Oct 2

Drink & nightlife

Cafes

Traditional coffee shops or ahwa serve coffee, tea and shisha water pipes. Play a little backgammon or dominoes and watch the world pass by. They remain a male bastion. Brazilian Coffee Stores are a chain with several city outlets. Western chains such as Starbucks or Costa have only a handful of outlets. The chain's best known branch is the one in Saad Zaghloul Street: 1 Brazilian Coffee Stores, 44 Saad Zaghloul St., Raml Station (next to Délices Patisserie/La Veranda). Daily 7AM-11PM. 2 Clay Cafe, 156 Omar Lotfy St (near Small Sporting Tram station). Daily 11AM-midnight. Coffee and stuff are only just okay for the price, you come for the laidback atmosphere and the wi-fi. (updated Oct 2021) 3 Trianon 1905, 52 Saad Zaghlul Square (Metropole Hotel building, see #Sleep), ☏ +20 128 583 9731. 8AM-midnight. Posh cafe and dessert restaurant, you're paying for the ambiance. (updated Oct 2021) 4 Cafe de la Paix, 202 El Geish, Raml Station. 24 hours. Relaxing place on the waterfront. (updated Oct 2021) 5 Club21, 5 Mo'askar Elroumany St, Roushdy, ☏ +20 3 523 2929. Daily 9AM to 1AM. Friendly inexpensive place for food and drink, plus shisha in the garden. (updated Oct 2021) 6 Le Boudoir, 30 Al Naby Daniel Street, Al Attarin East, ☏ +20 3 4974151, [email protected]. Cafe and small restaurant of the Institut français. Large and calm outdoor seating area, small indoor seating area. Entry via the security check of the Institut français. (updated Jan 2022) 7 Lail. 10AM-4AM. Spacious cafe and restaurant on a rooftop offering shishas. (updated Apr 2022)

Bars Time was, way back, when a maze of bars and nightclubs filled the city. They're now mostly confined to the hotels, with few free-standing bars. Still, enough remain for visitors to get squiffy recalling their days on General Auchinleck's staff, eyes swivelling independently upwards to recreate the effect of an old ceiling fan.

8 Spitfire Bar, 7 Old Borsa Street, Mansheya (off Saad Zaghloul Street before Cherry Maryski Hotel). Daily 4PM-midnight. Cheerful bar with food a short block off the main downtown street. "Atmospheric", meaning the building looks derelict, but persevere. (updated Oct 2021) 9 Mermaid Bar, Mahatat el Raml (near Athineos). Little and nice bar with good view to the sea. Prices on beer are moderate; hard liquor is more expensive. At night the upper floor has a dance floor featuring Western and Arabic music. The bar is frequented by foreign (particularly American) Arabic language students at the Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) Center at Alexandria University. (up

Sleep

Accommodation in Alexandria has quite a different feel due to the old buildings with sometimes nice colonial style lobbies. There is a good selection of hotels in all price ranges.

Apartments For stays of a month or more, consider renting. Apartments are easy to come by, in a range of prices (LE180-1000 per week) and states of repair. Landlords/ladies tend to live in the same blocks and will be willing to haggle the rates. It's definitely worth visiting an apartment before placing any money down, preferably in late afternoon so you see how well the lighting works and the worst of any insect problems. (It's very unlikely to find any accommodation near the coast that's completely roach-free!)

Budget It is mostly not necessary to reserve ahead online, this is in general more expensive. Just check around where many hotels are—there are at least 7 or so near Triomphe Hotel, where you can walk in and ask for a price. One will definitely have the required budget and standard.

1 Ithaka Hostel. 4-dorm hostel just at the sea front with very friendly staff. Not the quietest place. There used to be just one shower for the whole hostel. The installation of a second is planned for December 2021. Shared kitchen and spacious common area, smoking permitted in one half of it. Warm water. Lockable drawers under the beds, locks are provided. Sockets at the beds, but no lamps. Wi-Fi isn't very stable. 24/7 reception, hostel is in the 2nd floor. LE230 without and LE250 with sea view and tiny balcony in a dorm. LE100 deposit are returned upon checkout. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Alexandria Youth Hostel, 13 Sharia Port Said (1 km east of the Bibliotheca), ☏ +20 3 5974559. A decent budget option and close to the sea and Bibliotheca Alexandrina. LE82 in 4-bed dorm and LE56 in a 8-bed dorm, including breakfast. (updated Dec 2020) 3 Triomphe Hotel, 26 El Ghorfa El Togaria Street, ☏ +20 34807585. Check-in: noon, check-out: 11:30AM. Decent choice with impressive (smoking area) lobby and nice staircase, elevator also available. The rooms are clean. The bathroom is clean and has warm water. WiFi is free. Single from LE150. (updated Jan 2018) 4 Normandy Hotel, 8 Gamal el-Din Yassen (near Raml Station), ☏ +20 3-4806830, [email protected]. The Normandy hotel is good value for money, but a little run down. It is a one-floor hotel on the Corniche, with unbeatable views of the city's Eastern Harbor. It is the building behind the famous Cecil Hotel, on the fourth floor. The rooms are well-appointed, large and clean, but spare. The bathrooms are down the hall, and also clean. Staff are

Go next

Abu Mena is a Christian pilgrimage site 45 km south of Alexandria, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. El Alamein is a small town on the coast 120 km west of Alexandria. In 1942 the Axis forces under Rommel had swept this far across Libya towards Cairo and Suez. They were halted in June 1942 by Allied forces under Auchinleck, and sent retreating by Montgomery in November. The town has memorials, museums and war graves commemorating all nations. It's usually done as a day trip from Alexandria. Marina El Alamein is the upmarket beach resort 20 km before El Alamein main town. Marsa Matruh is start of the desert road to Siwa Oasis, but check if the highway is open. The oasis towns are usually reached via Cairo. Cairo can be done as a day-trip, but needs longer, and you'll probably pass through on your way to Luxor, Aswan or the Red Sea resorts.