The reason for my visit to Alexandria, a northern coastal city overseeing the Mediterranean Sea is to see Qaitbal Fort, the site where the legendary lighthouse "Pharos" was built but no longer in existence. This lighthouse was one rated as one of the 7 ancient Wonders of the World. Alexandria was named after Alexander the Great in 331BC.
From the Cairo train station, I bought a train ticket (21EP=Rm14) to Alexandria, about 225km from Cairo. The train ride took 3 hrs & stopped at the old Alexandria train station in the heart of the city.
Alexandria is the Egypt's 2nd largest city. In this visit, we explored the souk area, the narrow streets & traditional shops. An old electric tram is still in service ferrying local residents to down town area. We also passed the Roman Amphitheatre but did not enter. Next we walked towards the Eastern Harbour corniche where the Qaitbai Fort is located. However, to save time, we took a microbus which dropped us at a nearby road junction not far from the Fort.
Qaitbai Fort is surrounded by a charming coastline of Mediterranean Sea. A number of local residents were found to be lazing around indulged in fishing near the fort and we really enjoyed the sea breeze and the surrounding environment,. The deep blue sea & clear blue sea plus the scenic coastline tempted us to stay a bit longer in this area.
Other interesting places worth visiting are the Alexandria library & Pompeii's Pillar but due to time constraints , we were not able to see them.
I took a return train ride back and arrive in Cairo at around 7.00pm
Alexandria Town
Qaitbey Fort, Alexandria
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