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ALEXANDRIA


	Alexandria Beaches The City Greco-Roman Alexandria The Roman Amphitheatre Al Anfushi Tombs		Pompey's Pillar Al Shatby Necropolis Alexandria National Museum Islamic Alexandria

"The Pearl of the Mediterranean"

"The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is only 225 km from Cairo.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331BC, Alexandria became the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt; its status as a beacon of culture is symbolized by "Pharos," the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Marc Anthony, Alexandria was also the Centre of knowledge in the ancient world. But ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed the found it a sparsely populated fishing village.
Since the 19th century, Alexandria has played a new role, as a focus for Egypt's commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalized by writers such as E.M. Forster and Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the City synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture; Lawrence Durrell described it as "The Capital City of Asiatic Europe, if such a thing could exist".

ALEXANDRIA BEACHES
	Today, traces of all these parts remain. Visitors can eat seafood caught by local fisherman, Take a tram to view Roman ruins or drink coffee in European-style coffee shops and cafés. A waterfront city, Alex (as it is popularly known) runs along the Mediterranean for 20km. A walk along the magnificent Corniche sweeps round the curve of the Eastern Harbour and takes you right through the city centre. The Corniche is lined with beaches, having full tourist facilities extending from eastern beaches like Maamoura, Montazah, Mandara, Asafra, Sidi Bishr, San Stefano, Glim, Stanley, Rushdi, Sidi Gaber, Sporting, Al Ibrahimia, and Al Shatby, all the way to the Western city, where the resorts of Al Agami and Hanoville.

THE CITY
	"The best way of seeing it, is to Wander aimlessly about". E.M. Forster Now, Alexandria is a year-round resort. In winter, the sun still shines along the white sand coast while yachts race in the harbour. In summer, sun lovers seek out the cooling sea breezes. Whether you come for the past or the present, for history, or just on holiday, when you visit Alexandria, you'll see more than one city. The city centre stretches from Saad Zaghloul Square, to the seafront, where there is a statue of Saad Pasha. This was formerly the site of the caesareum, a magnificent temple built by Cleopatra for Marc Anthony and subsequently completed by their enemy Octaves. Two famous obelisks (one known as "Cleopatra's Needle", now on the Embankment in London; the other in New York's Central Park) were once here but all traces of the temple have disappeared. Today, post-colonial architecture, like Hotel Cecil, views with more modern buildings. The Unknown Soldier Monument is located near Tahrir Square. Strolling round here you can still see old street nameplates and find the jewellery and antique shops for which the area was known, as well as modern restaurants and cafés. The international project of the rebuilt Alexandria Library, which once housed laboratories, observatories and a library of over 500.000 volumes, is putting Alexandria back on the map as an international centre of learning.

GRAECO ROMAN ALEXANDRIA
	Kom El-Shoqafa This is the largest Roman cemetery. It is of three levels and cut in the rock to a depth of 100 feet. Dating to the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. It is a blend of Pharonic and Roman art.

THE ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE
	Over 30 years of excavation have uncovered many Roman remains including this well-preserved "Amphitheatre" with marble seats for up to 800 spectators, galleries and sections of mosaic-flooring. In Ptolemaic times, this area was the park of pan, a recreational garden surrounded by Roman villas and baths. Villa Al Toyour An archaeological residential district in Kom El Dekka has been unearthed, dating back to the Ptolemaic era, and includes houses, workshops and a Byzantine school. Also Villa Al Toyour, dating to the Roman Era "1st Century" has been discovered. The first Mosaic museum in Egypt depicting seven paintings ornamented with birds and portraying a small lamb.

AL ANFUSHI TOMBS
	Dating from about 250 B.C. and painted to simulate alabaster and marble. These limestone tombs are decorated with pictures of Egyptian deities and daily life, besides graffiti that dates back to the same period.

POMPEY S PILLAR
	A 25m high red granite column, constructed in honors of the Emperor Diocletian, originally from the Temple of Serapis, once a magnificent structure rivaling the Soma and the Caesareum. Other remains include two pink granite sphinxes. Nearby are subterranean galleries, where the sacred Apis bulls were buried.

AL SHATBY NECROPOLIS
	Built along the lines of the Old Greek houses, it comprises a doorway, corridor and two chambers. It dates Back to the 3rd century B.C. and lies north of St. Marc College.

ALEXANDRIA NATIONAL MUSEUM
	The collection, which covers the period from the 3rd century B.C. to the 7th century A.D. is a fascinating record of a civilization in the process of change as religions merged and society evolved. In Alexandria, Graeco-Roman and Pharaonic religions mingled in the cult of Serapis. The shift from pagan religions to Christianity can also be seen in the exhibits which include mummies, Hellenistic statues, busts of Roman emperors, Tanagra figurines and early Christian antiquities.

ISLAMIC ALEXANDRIA
	Al-Gomruk and Al-Anfushi are interesting neighborhoods to explore, for their soaks and street life as well as Ottoman Mosques and Mashrabiya- Decorated houses. El Attareen Mosque It is so called due to its location nearby El-Attareen marketplace (Souk), dates back to the 14th century. It is adjacent to an ancient mosque established by Amr Ibn El-Aas, Known as the "Thousand - Column Mosque".