Explore Alexandria, Egypt: visa, Bibliotheca & 2,300 years
Apply for your eVisa- Code:ALX
- Type:governorate
Introduction
Alexandria, Egypt's second city and Mediterranean port, was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE and served as the intellectual capital of the ancient world — home to the Great Library, the Pharos Lighthouse (another Ancient Wonder), and the melting pot where Greek, Egyptian, Jewish, and Roman cultures fused. Today it's a city of 5.2 million strung along 32 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline, preserving faded grandeur in its Belle Époque architecture, a cosmopolitan literary heritage (Cavafy, Durrell, Mahfouz), and a waterfront culture that feels more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern.
Overview
Alexandria offers a different Egypt — Mediterranean rather than Nilotic, cosmopolitan rather than pharaonic, literary rather than monumental. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2002), a stunning modern library built to echo the ancient Great Library, anchors the waterfront with 8 million books, a planetarium, and rotating exhibitions. The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa blend Roman, Greek, and Egyptian burial traditions in a 2nd-century underground complex that's one of the most unusual archaeological sites in Egypt. The Citadel of Qaitbay (1477), a Mamluk fortress built on the site of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse, guards the Eastern Harbor with Mediterranean views. The Roman Amphitheatre at Kom al-Dikka is the only Roman theater found in Egypt. And the Corniche — Alexandria's 15-kilometer waterfront boulevard — is where the city breathes: fishermen, families, coffee shops, and the best seafood in Egypt. The underwater ruins of the ancient royal quarter, visible on scuba dives when conditions allow, add a layer of submerged history. Alexandria is typically a 1-2 day trip from Cairo (2.5 hours by train, 3 hours by car) but rewards a longer stay for its literary cafes, seafood, and Mediterranean pace.
Discover Alexandria
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2002) is the most architecturally ambitious building in modern Egypt — a tilted disc of glass and granite on the waterfront holding 8 million books, a planetarium, four museums, and rotating art exhibitions. Conceived as a revival of the ancient Great Library (which held the knowledge of the ancient world before its destruction), the building's exterior wall is inscribed with letters from every known alphabet. The main reading room is a 70-meter-diameter open space descending in terraces — one of the largest reading rooms on Earth. Entry: 70 EGP for the library, separate tickets for museums and planetarium. The Antiquities Museum inside holds Egyptian artifacts; the Manuscript Museum preserves rare Arabic and Islamic texts. Allow 2-3 hours. The waterfront location means combining the library with a Corniche walk and seafood lunch.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina's 8-million-book collection, planetarium, and museums echo the ancient Great Library's role as a center of world knowledge — now in a stunning 21st-century building on the waterfront.
The Catacombs' three-culture fusion, Egypt's only Roman amphitheater, Pompey's Pillar, underwater ruins of Cleopatra's palace — 2,300 years of Mediterranean-Egyptian civilization layered underground and underwater.
The 15-kilometer Corniche, Citadel of Qaitbay on the Pharos Lighthouse site, fish market dining, and Mediterranean beaches — Alexandria is Egypt's port city with a decidedly non-desert character.
Cavafy's apartment, Durrell's Alexandria Quartet, Mahfouz's Nobel prose — the city that was the Mediterranean's most cosmopolitan center for 150 years retains its literary soul in faded cafes and neoclassical facades.
Important Travel Information for Alexandria Governorate
- Getting there: 2.5 hours from Cairo by train (frequent departures from Ramses Station, ₹60-180 EGP depending on class), 3 hours by car/bus.
- Best season: April-June and September-November. Summer (July-August) is hot and beaches are extremely crowded. Winter is cool but pleasant for sightseeing (10-18°C).
- Alexandria's Mediterranean climate is distinctly cooler and windier than Cairo — bring layers in winter.
- The city is best explored on foot (central sights are walkable) plus taxis for the Corniche and Montaza. Uber/Careem work here.
- Seafood is the highlight — eat near the Citadel fish market area for the freshest catch at local prices.
- The underwater archaeological sites require advance booking with specialized dive operators and depend on sea conditions.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.