The ancient city of Alexandria in Egypt has one of the most remarkable, colorful and lengthy histories of any other city in the world. Founded by Alexander the Great, home to the Ptolemies, the legendary “lighthouse” and the birthplace of Cleopatra, it is also widely known for its lost library, and its ongoing service as the best and biggest port in Egypt. Clearly, anyone partaking of Alexandria tours is bound to learn a great deal about both world and Egyptian history, and will have a lot to look forward to. Alexandria tours can be done on foot, by cab, bus or the city’s antiquated trolley system. In fact, no visit to the city would be complete without even a brief ride on one of the cars. The system dates to the 1800s and is the oldest on the entire African continent. Additionally, the simple color coding system on the cars makes it simple to know which to board or avoid. Most Alexandria tours take in the many historical monuments as well as some of the museums and religious sites, and none skip the Bibliotheca Alexandria – the rebuilt, modern library constructed atop the original site of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Generally, the historic locations covered in Alexandria tours will include the Roman catacombs, which houses both Romans and Egyptians alike; the Roman Theatre which was constructed almost two thousand years earlier in the classic Roman amphitheater configuration; the Citadel of Quait Bey which is a fortress built during the 1400s to protect the city from the crusader’s many frequent attacks; and Montaza Palace which was built in the late 1800s by the last khedive of Egypt. The most popular museums included in many Alexandria tours are the Alexandria National Museum, which covers the chronological history of the city from the prehistoric to the modern period, and which is the only location to view the artifacts recovered from the underwater archeological exploration in the city’s harbor. The Greco-Roman Museum is also popular during Alexandria tours due to its enormous collection of artifacts related to the Ptolemaic period all the way through to the Romans. Like the rest of Egypt, Alexandria has been a home to many of the world’s major religions and today many Alexandria tours include some of the most beautiful mosques, Coptic churches and Greek Orthodox structures in the world. Finally, almost all visitors enjoying Alexandria tours make a point of walking the beautiful waterfront Corniche, which is amply supplied with shopping, restaurants and scenery along its entire length.
Related posts:
