Alexandria
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1. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque
El AnfushiThis attractive mosque was built during World War II over the tomb of a 13th-century holy man, who is the patron saint of the city's fishermen. The area surrounding it has been turned into Egypt's largest and most bizarre religious/retail complex, with a cluster of mosques sharing a terrace that hides an underground shopping center. Intruding on the space is a horrific modernism-on-the-cheap office building (with yet more shops) that is as pointed and angular as the mosques are smooth and curved. If you are dressed modestly and the mosque is open, you should be able to get inside. If so, remove your shoes and refrain from taking photos.
Alexandria, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt -
2. Anfushi Tombs
El AnfushiThese 3rd-century-BC Ptolemaic tombs are built on a smaller scale than the Catacombs at Kom el-Shoqafa, but this necropolis has more extant decoration, including paintings on the limestone walls that simulate marble and include various images from the pantheon of pharaonic gods. The tombs are on the spit of land (which at one time was an island) separating the Western and Eastern harbors, roughly a third of the way between the Palace of Ras al-Tin on the western point and Fort Qaitbay on the eastern point.
Alexandria, Alexandria, 21511, EgyptSight Details
Rate Includes: LE60 -
3. Fort Qaitbay
El AnfushiThis sandstone fort lies on the very tip of the Corniche, dominating the view of the Eastern Harbor. It was built on the site of Alexandria's Pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and incorporates its remains—much of which are still visible—into the foundation. A Greek named Sostratus in the 3rd century BC constructed the lighthouse in the Ptolemaic period. Standing about 122 meters (400 feet) high and capable of projecting a light that could be seen 53 km (35 miles) out to sea, it was one of the most awesome structures created by ancients. The base of the four-tiered Pharos was thought to have contained some 300 rooms, as well as a hydraulic system for lifting fuel to the top of the tower. In the centuries that followed, the Pharos was damaged and rebuilt several times, until it was finally destroyed in the great earthquake of 1307. It lay in ruins for two centuries until the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay had the current fortress constructed in 1479. Recently, a French team found what are thought to be parts of the Pharos in shallow waters just offshore, rekindling local interest in the ancient monument—there is even talk of an underwater museum, although that is unlikely to materialize anytime soon. The outer walls of the fort enclose a large open space, and the ramparts' walk affords magnificent views of miles and miles of coastline. The fort also encourages romance—the arrow slits built into the ramparts that were once used to defend the fort now shelter Egyptian couples enjoying the chance to court each other in semiprivacy. The interior of the building within the fort, by comparison, is exceptionally dull, housing an undecorated mosque, a patriotic mural of President Jamal ‘Abd al-Nasir (Nasser) reviewing a fantastically outfitted Egyptian navy, and a kitsch historical model of "the fleet of Senefroo." Upstairs are the iron bullets, swords, bombs, and shards of pottery recovered from Napoleon's ship l'Orient, which the British sank off Abu Qir, several miles east. During the summer months, look out for evening musical performances and concert series at the fort.
Alexandria, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt3-480–9144Sight Details
Rate Includes: LE60 -
4. The Battlefield and Monuments of El Alamein
The desert west of Alexandria was the field of one of the decisive battles of World War II. In 1942, the British Eighth Army led by General Montgomery attacked the German Afrika Corps led by Field Marshal Rommel (the famous "Desert Fox") and sent them into a retreat, which would eventually clear Axis troops from the whole of North Africa. Soldiers from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, and other countries were buried here if they died on the battlefield. Otherwise, their bodies were transferred to the hospital in Alexandria and buried in the Commonwealth Cemetery that still exists in the city. Three carefully tended military grave sites hold the remains of Allied, Italian, and German soldiers—each with a suitably somber monument. The gardens of El Alamein's museum display an array of military hardware used in the battle. Inside the museum, galleries offer background information on the forces involved and explain how the campaign in North Africa developed and how the decisive battle played out. The museum has also collected a wealth of personal items, including letters and photographs from soldiers on all sides that layer a compelling human story on top of the military records. The sites are about an hour west of Alexandria along the coastal road. Renting a taxi for the morning is the most convenient way to see the museum, monuments, and graveyards. Local tour companies also organize guides and transportation.
El Alamein, Matruh, Egypt46-410–0031Sight Details
Rate Includes: LE100 -
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