Alexandria Full Day Private Tour from Cairo

Alexandria Tour from Cairo Our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide will pick you up at 7.30am from your Cairo hotel and travel approximately 3 hours to the ancient port city of Alexandria. Known as the "Shining Pearl of the Mediterranean", Alexandria is the most important Egyptian City after Cairo, earning it the reputation of Egypt's second capital. It's historical importance and fascinating sights make the amazing City of Alexandria one of the most visited summer resorts in the Middle East. Alexandria Tour Itinerary Visit Pompey's Pillar Pompey's pillar is a Roman triumphal column built in Alexandria, this is the largest of its type ever to be constructed outside of the Imperials capitals of Rome and Constantinople. Measuring a staggering 20 meters in height and built from beautiful red Aswan granite, each piece weighing approximately 285 tonnes. Pompey's pillar was built in 297AD to commemorate the victory of the Roman Emperor Diocletian over an Alexandrian revolt. Visit the Citadel of Qaitbey We'll proceed with our sightseeing tour of Alexandria from Cairo to the Citadel of Qaitbey, a picturesque fortress built during the 14th century to defend Alexandria from the advancing Ottoman Empire. The project turned out to be in vain as the Ottomans took control of Egypt in 1512, but this impressive and beautiful fortress has remained strategically located on a thin belt of land extending into Alexandria harbour. The splendid fortress left today is not original, having been extensively damaged from the British bombardment of Alexandria during a nationalist uprising against the British hegemony in 1882 the fortress was rebuilt around the turn of the 20th century. The fortress of Qaitbey was built on the site of the famous Pharaohs Lighthouse - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and actually includes stones salvaged from the huge tower that once stood there. Today you can explore inside and outside the fortress and the small naval museum, whilst enjoying the beautiful sea views, shops and ice cream shops. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqata Meaning "Mound of Shards" this historical site is one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Consisting of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and Pharaonic funeral cult archaeological objects, the tombs merge Roman, Greek an Egyptian cultures such as statues built in a Egyptian style but with Roman clothes and hair styles. A circular staircase runs through the tombs with a hole in the middle used to transport deceased bodies down into the bottom tombs that were tunnelled into the bedrock during the 2nd Century AD. On your tour you'll hear some of the more gruesome parts of the tombs history such as Hall of Carcalla, a mass burial chamber for the unfortunate humans and animals massacred by order of the Emperor Caracalla in 215 AD. Inside the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqata are three huge stone coffins with non-removable covers along the sides of the chamber, its assumed that bodies were inserted into them from behind, using a passageway running around the outside of the funeral chamber. There is a hallway with 91" deep walls in the central tomb chamber with carved recesses, each providing a burial space for three mummies. Transfer back to your Cairo Hotel Once we've explored the magnificent sites of Alexandria on our guided tour from Cairo, we'll transfer you back to your Cairo hotel.

Alexandria Full Day Private Tour from Cairo Reviews

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