Alexandria, Egypt
Museum in Alexandria, Egypt
The Graeco-Roman Museum in central Alexandria, near Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, is the oldest building in Egypt designed from the start to show Greek and Roman antiquities. It began in 1891 in a five-room flat on the initiative of the Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti, moved into its present building with a classical portico, opened by Khedive Abbas II in 1895, and after a long closure for renovation has reopened with new galleries. Around six thousand pieces from a collection of more than forty thousand cover the 5th century BC to the Byzantine era, focused on what makes Alexandria special: Egyptian art blending with Greek and Roman. Highlights include the black granite Apis bull, portraits of Alexander and the Ptolemies, colourful mosaics, mummies and painted coffins, coins, pottery and delicate Tanagra figurines. Scholars treat it as the reference collection for Alexandrian art, and it is the best place to understand the city Alexander founded before you visit its ruins.
Go early in your stay for context before Kom el-Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar and Kom el-Dikka. Allow two hours. It is close to Raml Station and the Roman Amphitheatre, all walkable. The square in front fills in the evening with families and wedding couples posing for photos.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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