Things to do in Alexandria
Alexandria is also a very popular tourist destination. With an extraordinary history, founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was an important center of Hellenistic civilization. If you are planning to visit this amazing city, check out our guide to its top attractions and activities.
Alexandria library
This modern copy is located near the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria. It is a cylindrical eleven-story building with more than eight million books. Reimagining the great ancient Library of Alexandria, this exquisitely designed cultural center contains an array of museums as well as one of the modern world's most ambitious libraries. Its design - a giant sun disk - overlooks the waterfront promenade, while inside, the enormous reading room can hold eight million volumes. Below the main library, visitors can explore a host of beautifully curated galleries. The Manuscript Museum, with its impressive collection of ancient texts and manuscripts, the Archeology Museum with its Greco-Roman relics and statues found during the underwater excavation in the harbor are major attractions. But there are also regular art galleries, a permanent collection of Egyptian folk art, a science museum, and a planetarium that directly target children.
Montazah Gardens
It is a good place for families, you can play all day enjoy the beautiful gardens and relax with a wonderful view of the sea. Historically, the park built the old palaces of King Farouk (Haramlek and Salamlek) and they are not allowed to enter, but you can see them from the outside. The park is huge including lots of restaurants and cafes. However, you can also enjoy an outdoor barbecue party.
Fort Qaitbey
This fortress resembles a majestic castle, and Sultan Qaytbay built it in the 1880s on the site of the Pharos Lighthouse to protect the city from the Crusaders, who used to attack the city by the sea. The Citadel of Qaitbay, with its magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea, is easily the most striking historical structure in Alexandria. Incorporated in 1477, it is relatively recent according to the timeline of Egypt, which goes back ten times further. But 1477 was fine 15 years before Columbus discovered America, and the site's history predates the Roman Empire. The citadel stands and houses stones from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Qaitbay was neither an Arab nor an Egyptian, but a Circassian. But he did a reliable job building a newer and stronger fort where the ancient lighthouse was.
