Alexandria's Library & Museum

OVERVIEW

Treasure Egypt’s rich and alluring history during revealing visits to both the old and the new Library of Alexandria and the comprehensive National Museum. Study over 1,800 pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Islamic and Coptic artifacts at the Alexandria National Museum, which is located in a restored early 20th-century palace. As you roam its three floors, you’ll discover a fascinating selection of invaluable items, including artifacts rescued from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. Visit the remains of the illustrious Library of Alexandria, once a vast repository of knowledge and center for learning and scholarly research, originally founded in the 3rd century BC by Ptolemy I Soter and partially destroyed in 48 BC due to a fire ignited by Julius Caesar’s troops. At the sophisticated new library, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, learn that its design was conceived through cooperation between Egypt and UNESCO to pay tribute to the original, and admire the bold architecture featuring a massive circular structure with a tilting roof. Enjoy a walking tour of the new library’s elegant grounds, which are also home to an absorbing museum, galleries and planetarium, and celebrate Alexandria’s renaissance as the global cultural center it was always destined to be.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Examine over 1,800 artifacts spanning centuries of rich history at the National Museum of Alexandria.
• Visit the ruins of the fabled Library of Alexandria, once a foremost world center for scholarly research.
• Marvel at the new Library of Alexandria, a bold reimagining of the original, which suffered a catastrophic fire in 48 BC.
• Explore the library’s attractive grounds, site of a planetarium, a museum and several galleries.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.