Alexandria is the 3rd largest city in Egypt after Cairo and Giza, it’s also the seventh largest city in Africa, and one of the main economic centers in Egypt. With a total population that exceeds 5.5 million, Alexandria is the largest city on the Mediterranean in terms of population. The city is usually named «Bride of the Mediterranean» by the Egyptian people.
Alexandria is one of the popular tourist destinations in the country, as it’s the place for a lot of very important monuments plus the fascinating long coast that extends for about 40km on the Mediterranean Sea.
Alexandria is located at the north of Egypt, 13 meter above the see level, the climate of the city is moderate for the most part of the year, however, during winter the city experiences heavy rains and violent storms.
History
The city of Alexandria was founded in c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great, and by time it became the most important city of the whole country for about 10 centuries, until the conquest of Muslims in AD 641 when the capital was moved to Al-Fustat (Cairo).
The Arab conquest of Egypt largely marginalized the city before re-emerging in the modern era as one of the most important centers not only for tourism but also for Industry and Logistics, as Alexandria has become a vital port for the international shipping.
Alexandria was a major point of early Christianity, and was the center of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The city houses the Church of Alexandria, which is the main Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, Middle-east and Africa.
Places to Visit
The city of Alexandria has a unique blend of history and modernity, however, only little remains of the ancient city to be found, Alexandria still retains its Mediterranean culture.
The city offers fabulous places and monuments, form its Greek past to its modernized era, including Ancient Roman Amphitheater, Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, the Corniche, Stanley bridge, the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Montazah Palace, Montazah Gardens, Citadel of Quaitbay, Alexandria National Museum, Ras el-Tin Palace and many more.
As the city has along coast on the Mediterranean Sea, as a result, spending a nice time on the beach is a nice option, and for that purpose, Mamoura beach won’t let you down, you can also consider Abu Qir beach, Montzah beach, and san stefano beach.
For shopping, the options are not limited; you go for city Center Alexandria, Green Plaza Mall, San stefano Grand Plaza, or even shopping from the local shops in streets of the city.
What to eat?
The moment you land a foot on the city of Alexandria, you know that the food will be good. For the breakfast, it will be a traditional Egyptian food, not necessarily something exclusive for the city, the good news is it will be very delicious, you can try the fava bean with tahini and tomato salsa, alongside the falafel which is also made of fava bean, with different variety of cheese, Eggplant and French fries, and the awesome balady bread.
As you probably knew by now, Alexandria is a coastal city, so you can expect excellent dishes of seafood for launch/ dinner, especially if you shopped for some fresh goods from “Halket El-Samak” or “Souq Al-Midan”, the catch here is that they don’t just sell the fresh seafood, but they cook it for you the way you like or as they suggest. Dishes like squid with tomatoes and onions, Grilled Shrimps, sautéed Fish are a must during your stay in the city.
Don’t get me wrong, yes the city is well-known for its seafood, but it’s also known for a lot of local dishes such as grilled liver or brain sandwiches, oriental meat pies “Feteer and last but not least the Egyptian version of fondue.
After finishing your meal, you can settle for a fresh home-made ice cream from one of the many local shops in the city, you can also try some traditional Egyptian sweets as basbosa, Kunafah, and many more.
Night Life
The city at night is magical, you can chose between a number of bars and coffee shops, or maybe some night photography at stanley bridge, or a walk on the Corniche while engaging with locals.