Historical places in Alexandria Egypt
What attracts you the most when you think about a trip to Egypt?
Most travelers think about visiting the Great pyramids of Giza, all the historical places in Cairo
, and visiting Luxor and Aswan. But, did you ever think about visiting Alexandria?
Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt.
There are a lot of historical places in Alexandria Egypt that are worth visiting.
In this article, we will take you on a virtual trip to discover all the historical places in Alexandria Egypt.
History of Alexandria
Alexandria’s name is dedicated to the great Alexander as he founded it in 331 BC.
Alexandria’s importance has many reasons but the major one is that it was the center of the commerce between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean.
When you visit Alexandria you will see how unique it is as it has a lot from the Greek era, the Roman era, the Christian period, and then the Islamic era.
Alexandria is named as the bride of the Mediterranean as it is believed to be a European city in the middle east.
As mentioned above, one of the reasons for its importance is the number of Historical places in Alexandria Egypt.
For example, it has the lighthouse that is one of the world’s seven wonders in the ancient world.
It also houses a lot of historical places that are dedicated to more than one historical period.
The ancient Library of Alexandria
Alexandria used to house the largest library of the ancient world until the great fire destroyed the Library of Alexandria.
The ancient library was built in the third century BC and it’s believed that it had around 700,000 books.
The library of Alexandria became famous worldwide because it was the first public governmental library in history.
In The early 70th, there were initiatives to rebuild the library of Alexandria,
while no actual steps happened before the 80th of the 20th century.
The modern library of Alexandria
The design of the modern library of Alexandria consisted of four underground stores and six upper stores.
The special shape of the modern library of Alexandria is considered a special architectural germ.
The oval shape of the library from outside is a symbol of the continuity of life as the sun comes out of the sea and goes from the highest point to the lowest point overlooking the sea.
The library is surrounded by a great wall that was made out of Aswan Granite and it
contains writing and inscriptions in 120 languages.
The library of Alexandria is considered the first digital library in the whole world and it contains a place to include 8 million books, six specialized libraries,
three museums, research centers, two permanent galleries, six halls to host art exhibitions,
an internet archive, audio and visual library, a special library for blind people,
a library for children, a library for teenagers, a microfilm library,
the library of the rare books and a conference center.
The modern library is one of the most important historical places in Alexandria Egypt that is really worth visiting.
Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa
The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafais is one of the historical places in Alexandria Egypt, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funerary cult. The tombs of Kom El-shoqafa combine Roman, Greek, and Egyptian cultures and styles. Visiting the catacombs of Kom El-shoqafa may sound scary while the historical statues and drawings will give you a feeling as if you are inside a historical movie. It is one of the great historical places in Alexandria Egypt that you must visit to experience a new and enjoyable experience.
Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman Amphitheatre is one of the famous historical places in Alexandria Egypt. It was built in the 4th century AC where important meetings like public assemblies and governmental summits take place. It was built to host music ceremonies and poet competitions during the reign of the Romans in Egypt . The audience section of the Roman Amphitheatre has a diameter of about 33 meters. It consists of 13 rows. They are made of European white marble. The thirteen rows are numbered with Roman digits and letters. It was to regulate the seating of the audience on different occasions . There were also five compartments. They were constructed at the top of the audience section and used to host important figures and wealthy tradesmen during performances. In the middle of the structure, there is the section of the orchestra. It is where the musical performances used to take place. This section is supported with two large marble columns. It has some of the finest Roman mosaics on its floor. Visiting the Roman amphitheater will take you back hundreds of years and will let you discover Roman culture and architecture.
Montazah Palace gardens
Montazah palace was built by order from Abbas II of Egypt, the last khedive of Egypt & Sudan. It was built inside a huge garden that Abbas II of Egypt gave the name of “Montazah palace”. The word montazah in Arabic means a trip or picnic, it was because he built this palace to be a summer house for the royal family of Egypt. In Montazah palace you can see the famous clock tower that used to have four statues made out of gold for Khedive Farouk. You can also see the queens’ cinema which is a large hall with a wall prepared for screenings of all the international movies for the queens. Also, you can find a lot of coffee shops and restaurants with a sea view to chill and enjoy the weather of Alexandria. Montazah palace is one of the most interesting historical places in Alexandria Egypt where you can chill and enjoy the sea view.
The lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria or the Pharos of Alexandria is a lighthouse built during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. It was about 100 meters in height and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It used to be one of the tallest man-made structures in the world for many centuries. The lighthouse was built to guide thousands of ships safely into the harbor. During the day, a reflective mirror on the top level of the lighthouse would reflect the sunlight to guide the ships. At night, a fire was used instead and it could be seen from 100 miles away. The lighthouse was built from large blocks of light-colored stone. The tower was made of three tapering tiers. The first was a lower square section with a central core; the middle octagonal section; and, at the top, a circular section. Today it is possible to see the ruins of the ancient lighthouse that have tumbled into the harbor by diving.
Qaitbay citadel
The Citadel of Qaitbay is a 15th-century fort on the edge of the Mediterranean sea. It is one of the most important historical places in Alexandria Egypt as well as being one of the most important defense strongholds. It was built by Sultan Qaitbey to protect the Egyptian port from attacks. The citadel was built in the same place as the lighthouse of Alexandria.
The castle is square shaped, surrounded by the Mediterranean sea from each side. The first floor contains a mosque and defense hall that allow soldiers to pass easily during wars. While the second floor contains chambers and halls. The third floor consists of a huge throne chamber where Sultan Qaitbay used to watch the sailing ships towards Alexandria shores, and also has an oven for making wheat bread for the soldiers who were living in the citadel. Today it houses a small naval museum that is worth a visit to explore the inside of the fortress beside enjoying the magnificent view of the sea from its windows.
Summary
There are a lot of historical places in Alexandria Egypt to enjoy visiting during your holiday in Egypt. Unlike any other city in Egypt, you can see different architecture from different cultures like the Roman, Ottoman, Islamic, Greek, and Egyptian cultures. As well as enjoying the coastal weather of Alexandria. It’s highly recommended to include Alexandria and the historical places in Alexandria Egypt in your upcoming holiday to get the maximum level of happiness.
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