I work in a travel magazine where I was sent to research on tourism in Alexandria. This is the second most important city in Egypt and a tourist destination full of emotions and surprises. I planned my trip in advance, pausing step by step to know everything about this beautiful city.
Alexandria seems to have it all, archaeological sites, beautiful beaches, desert and natural landscapes. In each one of its streets is the rich history of the Egyptian empire that overthrows the Greek dominion. At the present time, it calls thousands of tourists by restoring its importance in the world and in the society.
After arriving in the city, I went to the Sheraton Montazah Hotel, which was where I was staying, this hotel has amazing views of the Mediterranean, very nice and comfortable rooms, private beach, parking and beautiful sea views. The service was excellent and the place was very clean and tidy. I loved their American breakfast which tasted pretty well and has nearby places to shop.
The first thing to visit was the Pompey Column; this one is located in the Archaeological Park of Alexandria, specifically in the Temple of the Serapio. When I saw it, I could see how solitary and majestic it is, it was built in red granite and has a total height of 26.85 meters and a diameter of 2.7 meters of the base. Its dimensions are impressive and in antiquity it was believed that it indicated the place where the tomb of Pompey was. What I liked the most was that the Column is on a raised ground where you have a good view of the city.
Then I visited Qaitbay Fortress, which was built in 1480 and is located on the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Inside this fort is a mosque which is situated on top of a naval museum. The fort was built by orders of Sultan Al-Ashraf Abu Alnasr Saif El Din Qaitibay, who came to Egypt as a slave when he was almost 20 years old and came to power during the Mamluk period. Nowadays it is a beautiful promenade that the city’s inhabitants and tourists take advantage of. I was able to enjoy the sunset, the sea breeze and the views of the city. It is a place to relax and enjoy the scenery.
I wanted to try my lunch at the Sea Gull restaurant, where I had a very pleasant time. The funniest thing about this place is that you can fish in the fish tank what you want to eat. All the seafood is freshly served with freshly baked bread and salads that is prepared very fast. What I like the most is the incredible sea view from the restaurant as it is located across the sea front.
And finally, I visited the most famous attraction of Egypt the “New Library of Alexandria” which is the tribute to the legendary library that tried to compile all the knowledge of antiquity. Founded in the 3rd century and destroyed by a fire in the 7th century, this library housed almost 900,000 scrolls of papyrus manuscripts, was the largest library in the world and the first to inventory its contents. It includes academic research centres, a planetarium, several museums, exhibition halls, conference centre and forum for political studies and dialogue, as well as two bookstores.
As it goes, I found it to be the most spectacular place on planet earth, even though it sounds exaggerated and I thank the incredible travel agent team for making this trip a dream come true. “Travel Center UK” is one of the best travel agents I have ever travelled with. I recommend you all to try your trips with this wonderful team. Trust me – try the best- travel with “Travel Center UK”!
