Located on the Mediterranean coast north-west of the Nile Delta around 225 km drive from Cairo, Alexandria is Egypt's second largest city. It boasts a uniquely Mediterranean flair and its comparatively mild summer temperatures are appreciated by both locals and overseas visitors alike.

Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, this fascinating metropolis is home to numerous ancient monuments commissioned mostly during Greek and Roman rule. In millennia past, the city was famous for its lighthouse (Pharos) and its library. To commemorate the importance of the latter which was lost to a fire in antiquity, the ultra-modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was opened not far from the original site in 2002. Ongoing excavations - many of which are taking place under water - ensure the culturally diverse city of Alexandria will continue to fascinate visitors for generations to come.

Sightseeing:

• ‘Fort Kâit Bey': built where Pharos once stood, its walls contain the lighthouse's ruins
• The new library right on Alexandria's Corniche
• The El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque in the Al-Gumruk district
• The synagogue in the city centre
• The Kom al-Dikka Roman amphitheatre and baths.
• The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa in the city's west
• Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum built by Ptolemy III
• The El Montaza Royal Gardens
• any of the large number of important museums