Egypt is one of the cradles of human civilization, first united as a kingdom about five thousand years ago. More than just a repository for historical monuments and artifacts, Egypt is truly another world that can provide sensation and experience quite unlike anything one has ever had before.

While Cairo is the center of Egyptian political and cultural life, there is plenty to see outside Cairo. These places can be accessed by train or plane.

Alexandria

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great and was the capital of Egypt during the Ptolemy Dynasty and Roman times. It was the site of the Great Library, where much of the knowledge of the western world was once stored. It remains an impressive port city today, with interesting historical attractions.

Roman Amphitheatre

In the midst of ongoing excavations, the Roman amphitheatre is the only one of its type in Egypt. One can still see the marble seats, the mosaic flooring, and the columns that formed the original structure. Nearby there is a Graeco-Roman street, a newly discovered Roman villa, called the Villa of the Birds after the mosaics on the floor, and a museum.

Fort at Qaitbey

The fort was built in the fifteenth century on the site of the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the great ancient wonders of the world, using stones from the lighthouse that was toppled by an earthquake a century before. The naval museum is located inside the fort, woth artifacts dating from Roman times to the Napoleonic Wars.

Pompey’s Pillar

Pompey’s Pillar, misnamed by the French, was actually raised in honor of the Emperor Diocletian in the third century. On the western side of the column is engraved, "To the just Emperor, the god of Alexandria, the invincible Diocletian." The site is the home to the Serapeum, a temple to Serapis, the god created by King Ptolemy 1 in order to unite Egyptians and Greeks in shared worship. The only things left are the pillar and two sphinxes on the nearby hill top.

Mosque of Abu Abbas al Mursi

The mosque is Alexandria’s largest, with a high minaret and four domes. The interior, including the underside of the dome, is quite ornate. The interior is made up of eight monolithic granite columns and a colonnade of elongated arches. It was originally built in the 18th Century over the tomb of a medieval saint Ahmed Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi who had joined and then lead the Shadhali brotherhood. It was rebuilt in the 1940s.