Day 01
Catacombs, Pompey's Pillar, Roman Theatre and Stanley Bridge
- A tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Alexandria to begin one of our Alexandria tours.
- Transfer to discover the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, also known as the Hill of Treasure, regarded as a huge necropolis and royal cemetery dating back to the 2nd century A.D. The necropolis has a unique mixture of Roman, Hellenistic, and pharaonic art elements, reflected in the wall paintings and in the style of the statues, funeral objects, and tombs. This archaeological site was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
- Then move to one of the remarkable structures built during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in Egypt - Pompey's Pillar. The column now stands in the heart of Alexandria on top of a temple ruin built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 297 A.D. The pillar's base diameter is 2.71 meters, and it was carved out of red granite from Aswan. The net weight of the pillar is 285 tons, and it reaches 26 meters in height including the base. This prominent monument was built to commemorate Emperor Diocletian's victory over an Alexandrian revolt.
- Then continue to the Roman Theatre. What we see today in Alexandria is a typical Roman theatre, consisting of an audience section made of marble, granite columns, five compartments, and a structure based on thick limestone walls. The theatre once hosted huge ceremonies and events, with a capacity of 600 spectators. The audience section consisted of 13 rows made of white marble, and the supporting columns were made of granite brought from Aswan in southern Egypt. The five compartments at the top of the audience section were probably used to host royals or public figures during performances and were covered by dome-shaped ceilings supported by granite columns to protect the audience from the sun and rain. In the 6th century A.D., an earthquake struck Alexandria and destroyed most of these structures, leaving only some ruins that still stand today and reflect the Romans' beautiful architectural skills.
- Visit Stanley Bridge, which was built to improve traffic flow on the Alexandria Corniche.
- See the Monument to the Unknown Marine Soldier in the Mansheya area of Alexandria. It was built by the Italian community in Alexandria in 1933 A.D. to honour Khedive Ismail, and a statue of him was placed at the top of the monument. It was later turned into the Unknown Soldier's Monument in 1965 A.D., and the statue of Khedive Ismail was removed.
- Return to your hotel.
