Thursday, January 8, 2026

Alexandria - Day 4 - Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa and Graeco-Roman Museum

This is our last full day in Alexandria.  We'll be visiting two major tourist sites:  the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Graeco-Roman Museum.  

The Catacombs are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.  In spite of being a historical archaeological site, it is located in an urban area, surrounded by houses and high-rise buildings.  I will not be doing it justice if I try to explain the pictures I took.  It takes a guide specializing in this catacombs to explain all the different parts of it.  You can also read more about it by clicking on the link to Wikipedia above.























Our next stop is the Graeco-Roman Museum, also known as the National Museum.  It was being renovated for many years and recently opened in 2023.  It is a beautiful museum with well-curated archaeological pieces.  Here are some of the exhibits.
















We made an impromptu stop at a Jewish Synagogue.  One would think that there will not be a sizable Jewish population in a predominantly Muslim country.  However, the Jews are traders and Alexandria has been a major port with extensive trade with neighboring countries.  Today there are very few Jews left in Alexandria but the synagogue is still beautifully maintained by a local Egyptian family.






Finally, on our way back to the hotel, we stopped and walked through a local market.  This market sells everything, from makeups to fabric to jewelry to clothes, etc.  It was mostly in a narrow alley with many shoppers.






When we came out to the open there was a farmers' market.







This ends our post-trip to Alexandria.  Tomorrow we'll be driving back to Cairo, where we'll be spending another night at the Cairo Marriott, before leaving in the morning to return to the United States.  My flight will leave from Cairo, stopover in Istanbul, then flying all the way back to JFK Airport in New York City.

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