Middle East - Anthony Ham [117]
Unfortunately, this museum was closed for renovations at the time of research, scheduled to be reopened in 2009.
ALEXANDRIA NATIONAL MUSEUM
The excellent Alexandria National Museum ( 483 5519; 110 Sharia Tariq al-Horreyya, Challalate; adult/student E£30/15; 9am-4pm) sets new benchmarks for summing up Alexandria’s impressive past. Its small, thoughtfully selected and well-labelled collection does a sterling job of relating the city’s history from antiquity to the modern period. Look for it in a beautifully restored Italianate villa.
CATACOMBS OF KOM ASH-SHUQQAFA
Dating back to the 2nd century AD, these eerily fascinating tombs ( 484 5800; Carmous; adult/student E£25/15; 9am-5pm) would have held about 300 corpses. The centrepiece of the catacombs, the principal tomb, is the prototype for a horror-film set, with a miniature funerary temple decorated with a weird synthesis of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman death iconography. No cameras are allowed. You’ll find the catacombs in the southwest of the city, a five-minute walk from the famed, misnamed and disappointing Pompey’s Pillar ( 484 5800; Carmous; adult/student E£15/10, 9am-4pm).
ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE (KOM AL-DIKKA)
The 13 white marble terraces of the only Roman Amphitheatre ( 486 5106; Sharia Yousef; adult/student E£15/10; 9am-5pm) in Egypt were discovered in 1964. Worth seeing is the ‘Villa of the Birds’ mosaic (adult/student E£10/5) in the grounds.
Activities
As most of old Alexandria has slipped into the oceans, the underwater archaeology scene has recently managed to dredge up ancient pavements, platforms, statues and columns in the eastern harbour and around Fort Qaitbey. Alexandra Dive ( 483 2045; www.alexandra-dive.com; Corniche) runs diving tours of the submerged harbour sites, though visibility is often shockingly bad.
Sleeping
Alexandria is one of the few Egyptian cities where hotel rates stay the same year-round.
Swiss Canal Hotel ( 480 8373; 14 Sharia al-Bursa al-Qadima; s/d E£70/90, with air-con E£100/123; ) Fresh from a transformational makeover, the bright upstairs rooms here have whimsically pink walls and oodles of fresh pine trim, and range from small and cute to huge, bright and airy. Don’t be tempted by the discount unrenovated rooms – they’re icky.
Hotel Union ( 480 7312; 5th fl, 164 Corniche; s E£70-140, d E£90-160; ) This used to be the budget place of choice in Alexandria, but the Union let it go to its head a bit – with standards slipping and prices creeping. The smallish rooms are still quite charming, relatively well maintained and come in a bewildering mix of bathroom/view/air-con options and rates. Our rates quoted include their complicated mix of taxes and add-ons, but no breakfast.
Crillon Hotel ( 480 0330; 3rd fl, 5 Sharia Adib Ishaq; s/d from E£72/99) Two blocks west from the Cecil Hotel, the Crillon is a budget hotel poster child. The staff are friendly and attentive. Rooms are big and glistening, some sporting original ’60s decor, while regular renovations deck out other rooms with more modern trimmings. Look at a few chambers – the best ones have polished wooden floors and French windows that open onto balconies with that great harbour view. Reservations recommended.
Egypt Hotel ( 481 4483; 1 Sharia Degla; s E£270-320, d E£320-350; ) The new kid on the block, the Egypt fills a desperate niche for decent midrange digs. The rooms are super-comfy, with plush beds and lots of frilly period touches thrown in for good measure. All have perfectly neat bathrooms, and either sea or street views, and there’s a homey sitting room filled with antique-ish furniture.
Windsor Palace Hotel ( 480 8123; www.paradiseinnegypt.com; Sharia ash-Shohada; s US$125-135, d US$145-155; ) This bejewelled Edwardian gem is an institution