Cruises to Alexandria, Egypt
Port description
Known as ‘The Pearl of the Mediterranean’, Alexandria is Egypt’s second largest city and is renowned throughout the world for its museums, libraries and is one of the most important cultural spots of ancient Egypt. The Antiquities Museum of Alexandria houses over 14,000 relics and welcomes tourists from all over the globe.
Typical Excursion
Alexandria and the Jewellery Museum: Firstly we stop at the Citadel of Quait Ray once the home to the Pharos lighthouse, which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Constructed in the 3rd century BC, it was destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century. We then proceed to the Greco-Roman Amphitheatre built from Asia Minor marble and pink granite to house 800 people in the 2nd Century; it was then remodelled and used for religious purposes. The Greco-Roman museum houses a fascinating array of 3rd century BC artefacts including statues, pottery and coins. From here we visit the magnificent Royal Jewellery Museum housed in the Fatima El Zaharaa Palace. This museum is considered to be an architectural masterpiece; its famous halls are full of valuable paintings, decorations and rare statues. It also houses a collection of the Mohamed Ali family’s jewellery. Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza: First we visit the magnificent Egyptian Museum which is home to the most important collection of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. The museum also includes artefacts from Pharaonic and Greco-Roman eras, 2700 BC up to the 6th century AD, with highlights of the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s treasures. After lunch we head to the Pyramids, located nine miles west of Cairo on the desert plateau. Here you can see the pyramids which the three Pharaohs Cheops, Chepihren and Mykerinus built to preserve their mummified bodies. This is a marvellous excursion which takes in the major sites of Alexandria and the surrounding areas.
