Cairo is not the only city worth visiting in Egypt. There is also Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, Alexandria was once one of the world’s greatest cities. The city has a long history. It was once the home to the monumental lighthouse of Alexandria and the great Library of Alexandria.
If you want to really get to know the city, a few hours of trip is just not enough. You need more hours and a private tour. We’ve got you covered. With EXODUS’s Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary, you will be able to enjoy many things that the beautiful coastal city has to offer.
4 Places You Will Visit on EXODUS’s Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary Vacation
On our Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary, there will be 4 places you will visit. They are the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay, and the Montaza District. We explain how your tour will be below.
1. Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
Your vacation in the city of Alexandria starts in the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa is one of the most fascinating and beautiful catacombs in the world. How could it not? Many of the catacombs’ features combine Roman, Greek, and Egyptian cultural points.
The catacombs are situated just west of Pompey’s Pillar. The name “Kom El Shoqafa” means Mound of Shards, which refers to the mound of shards that came from terracotta jars, plates, and other objects deposited in the vicinity of the catacombs.
During antiquity, people who visit the tombs would often bring food and wine. But since they didn’t want to bring the containers back home from the catacombs, they broke them instead, discarding the shards just outside of the catacomb’s entrance.
The catacombs were used as a burial chamber from the 2nd century to the 4th century BCE. It is believed that the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa were meant to be used for a single-family. It is still unclear why the facility was expanded.
Here’s an interesting fact about the catacombs: The catacombs were rediscovered by chance in 1900. The site was unearthed after a donkey accidentally fell into its access shaft.
2. Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The next destination in EXODUS’s Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. This library is extraordinary. In fact, it is among the world’s most important and the largest libraries.
While the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built in 1989 and completed in 2001, the idea of reviving the old library can be traced back to 1974.
The Library of Alexandria was lost in antiquity. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is its reincarnation. It was built in commemoration of the old grand library. However, rather than recreating the old grand library, the designers created a new one.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is an impressive piece of modern architecture. With the Mediterranean Sea as its backdrop, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina looks gorgeous.
The inside of the library is no less impressive. Its main reading room covers no less than 220,000 square feet (20,000 square meters). Its shelf space can accommodate as many as eight million books. The library itself is trilingual. It contains books in Classical Arabic, English, as well as French.
The library complex also has specialized libraries (for children, young people, the visually impaired, multimedia, and maps), four museums, four art galleries, a conference center, a planetarium, a library for manuscript restoration, and 15 permanent exhibitions.
3. Citadel of Qaitbay
The third place you will visit on EXODUS’s Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary vacation is the Citadel of Qaitbay. The Citadel of Qaitbay, also known as the Fort of Qaitbay, is a defensive fortress situated on the Mediterranean Sea coast built by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa’it Bay in the 15th century.
From a distance, the fort may look like a sandcastle. In actuality, it is an impressive fortress. The fortress was established on the exact spot of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was completely destroyed due to a devastating earthquake in the 14th century.
About 1480 AD, Sultan Qaitbay fortified the place as part of Egypt’s defensive edifices against the Turks. The Citadel of Qaitbay continued its military function until the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882.
After that, the fortress was kept out of the spotlight until it was restored several times in the 20th century. Today, the Citadel of Qaitbay no longer serves any military function as it has been repurposed into a Maritime Museum.
Is the fortress worth visiting? Absolutely. Not only can you wander and be awed by the fortress, but you can also see the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea.
4. Montaza District
The last part of the vacation is visiting the Montaza district. The district is located at the northeastern edge of Alexandria. While the city of Alexandria is vibrant, the Montaza district is quieter, making it the perfect place to relax. That’s not to say it is not interesting, of course.
In the district, you can visit the Montaza Palace. Also known as Montaza Park, the palace covers an area of approx. 3,000 meters. It stretches to the nearby beach. The park is great for from sports, and picnics to various marine activities like diving, snorkeling, and water-skiing.
The Montaza district is home to the Abu Qir neighborhood, which is famous for its fresh and tasty seafood.
The district is an amazing fusion of nature and history. On one hand, it has a long history, which you can just tell by seeing the many palaces. On the other, extensive gardens are an incredible sight to see. Not to mention there are plenty of exciting things to do, too.
If you’re looking for a slow tourism destination where you can relax, enjoy nature and learn the history of the place, the Montaza district is not to miss.
The city of Alexandria is full of stories. And the more you know the stories, the more you’ll admire the city.
That is the Alexandria Tours of Egypt Itinerary from EXODUS. Want to learn more about our tour packages? Or perhaps you want to tailor-made your own vacation? If so, just visit us at exodustravel.net contact us on WhatsApp at +20 120 250 0027 to Talk with one of our experts, tell us your bucket list, and we will make it happen.