Question 1

Alexandria on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Alexandria's main sights sit along the seafront between the Citadel of Qaitbay in the west and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the east, with older sites inland. Cairo is about three hours away by road in each direction, so a visit there takes up almost the whole of a port day. Citadel of Qaitbay: Sultan Qaitbay built this fort between 1477 and 1479 on the foundations of the ancient lighthouse, at the tip of what was once Pharos island. The yellow tram 25 runs from Raml Station to Ras el-Tin and the fort. Bibliotheca Alexandrina: The modern library has museum areas including an antiquities museum, exhibition space and a planetarium. Kom el-Dikka: Close to Misr Station, this archaeological park keeps the remains of Roman villas with mosaics, public baths and a theater with tiers of marble seats. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa: These 2nd-century tombs, cut into the rock on three levels and reached by a spiral staircase, were rediscovered in 1900 when a donkey fell into the shaft. Pompey's Pillar: This column of pink Aswan granite, about 27 meters high with its base, was raised for the emperor Diocletian around 300 AD. It is the only ancient monument in the city still standing where it was built. Plan your time: Check each site's opening hours before you go. The central seafront is congested, so leave plenty of time for the ride back. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Yellow-and-black taxis are the usual way around Alexandria, and drivers do not use their meters, so agree the fare before you get in. Ride-hailing apps also operate in the city. The tram network dates from 1860 and is the oldest still running in Africa. It is slow but cheap, and its yellow city lines and blue Ramleh lines meet at Raml Station. On the blue trams, the first car is reserved for women. Avoid riding in a taxi alone if you can, and share the driver's details and your route with someone you trust. Check the seat before you leave a taxi, because lost items are rarely returned.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Fish and seafood are central to the food of Alexandria and the Egyptian coast, and the city's waterfront has many seafood restaurants. Its street-food specialty is fried liver with peppers and cumin, served in a long roll. Kibda iskandarani, Alexandria-style liver, is fried with bell peppers, chili, garlic and cumin and served in a soft roll called eish fino. Koshary, often called Egypt's national dish, is a filling bowl of lentils, rice and pasta with tomato sauce and fried onions on top. In Alexandria it is sometimes topped with the local liver. Ful medames is a stew of fava beans with olive oil and cumin, and the Egyptian falafel, ta'ameya, is made from fava beans too. Alexandrian ice cream is a soft, slightly stretchy kind, sold around the Bahary district near Qaitbay. Street vendors along the Corniche sell grilled corn on the cob.

Question 4

Tipping in Egypt

Accepted Answer

Egyptians do not usually tip in restaurants, and owners do not expect it, although smarter places may add a service charge. The currency is the Egyptian pound. Rounding up a taxi fare a little has become common. Drivers on organized tours usually expect a tip. Toilet attendants are usually given a few pounds.

Question 5

Customs and Etiquette

Accepted Answer

Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country and Alexandria a conservative city, so dress modestly, covering shoulders and legs, and cover your head in places of worship. During Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight. Ask permission before you photograph anyone, and do not photograph children or officials. Do not bring a drone. Using one without permission from Egypt's Ministry of Defence can lead to a prison sentence. Traditional coffee houses, called ahwa, serve tea, coffee and water pipes, and they remain largely male places. Alexandria is the historic seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church, whose patriarchal cathedral is Saint Mark's, and of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. The Greek poet Constantine Cavafy was born in Alexandria and wrote many poems about the city.

Question 6

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Alexander the Great founded the city in April 331 BC, and under the Ptolemies it grew into the largest city in the world, a center of trade and Greek scholarship. It declined after the Arab conquest moved the capital inland, and revived in the 19th century. 331 BC: Alexander chose the site and planned a causeway to the island of Pharos, which created two harbors. He left Egypt a few months later and never saw the city again. The Ptolemies: The Museion and its great library made the city a center of learning, and a Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, was produced here. The lighthouse on Pharos became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lost library: The library was damaged by fire more than once, including, it is thought, during Julius Caesar's siege of the city, and how it finally disappeared is still debated. 641: Arab forces took Alexandria after a siege of 14 months, and the capital moved to Fustat, now part of Cairo. 1303 and 1323: Earthquakes destroyed the lighthouse, and in 1477 Sultan Qaitbay ordered a fort built on its foundations. 1798 to 1801: French troops stormed the city on 2 July 1798, and it fell to the British in September 1801. 1820: The Mahmoudiyah Canal reconnected the port to the Nile, and the city recovered under Muhammad Ali. 1882: British warships bombarded Alexandria in July, and British forces occupied it. 1950s: Nationalizations under Gamal Abdel Nasser forced tens of thousands of foreigners to leave, among them most of the city's large Greek community. 2002: The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened near the site of the ancient library. To learn more ashore: The Alexandria National Museum, at 110 El-Horreya Road, covers the city's past from pharaonic to Islamic times, including finds from underwater excavations.

Question 7

Alexandria with Children

Accepted Answer

With children, choose two or three stops along the seafront rather than trying to cross the whole city, and use taxis between them. Hats and water matter, because summer days are hot and humid. Younger children: The Montazah gardens, in the grounds of a royal palace east of the center, are open to the public and have benches and paddling pools. Red double-decker buses also run along the seafront from the Anfushi bus station. School age: At the Citadel of Qaitbay, walk through the fortified courtyard into the four-story bastion, and talk about the lighthouse that once stood on the same spot. Teenagers: Go down the spiral staircase into the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and find the Hall of Caracalla, where horse bones were found. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina's planetarium and antiquities museum make a good second stop.

Alexandria, Egypt

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Arriving in Alexandria