Alexandria on a Map: Egypt's Mediterranean City

Quick answer: Founded by Alexander the Great and once home to the ancient world's greatest library, Alexandria feels unlike anywhere else in Egypt — a breezy Mediterranean city strung along a curving seafront.

The corniche & Qaitbay

The waterfront corniche is the spine of the city. At its western end, the Qaitbay Citadel stands on the spot where the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria — one of the Seven Wonders — once rose. It's the classic photo and the best place to feel the sea.

Greco-Roman Alexandria

The city's ancient layer is scattered but rewarding: the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, the Roman amphitheatre at Kom el-Dikka, and Pompey's Pillar. Together they tell the story of a city that was Greek, Roman and Egyptian at once.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

On the seafront, the strikingly modern Library of Alexandria revives the memory of the ancient one — a vast disc of a building well worth an hour.

Café culture & seafood

Alexandria is also about atmosphere: old European-style cafés, fish grilled by the harbour, and a slower pace than Cairo. See Alexandria.

Visiting from Cairo

Alexandria is an easy day trip or overnight from Cairo — around three hours by road or train each way. If you can, stay a night to catch the corniche at sunset.

🗺️ See the coast: Open the interactive map to place Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean shore.