Alexandria, Our Day’s Overview
Alexandria is where we spent our second day in Egypt. Today is the day after Christian Easter. This is also a holiday in Egypt. Ramasside Tours ramassidetours.com met us at the port to pick up our group of 10 in an air conditioned van. While the city was very beautiful, most of the major attractions do close for this holiday. It is great to see families celebrating together with picnics. Both the parks and the beaches are full of people.
Catacombs
Our first stop of the day is the catacombs. Usama, our guide, is very knowledgeable of crowding later in the day. Luckily, he did arrange for our visit earlier than the large crowds. As a matter of fact, we were the first group of the day! The catacombs and history are very interesting. These wall paintings and mosaics are incredible! Their preservation is beyond impressive!
The Library
While closed for the holiday, The Library of Alexandria is beautiful from the outside. The exterior of the library has a multitude of languages and symbols covering it. This library contains over 8,000 books, four museums, and a planetarium. Outside the library is a nice bust of Alexander the Great.
A Mosque is a “Must Do”
We had the privilege of visiting a beautiful mosque. Keep in mind that the genders have separate entrances. Men and women are segregated once inside. At the female entrance, fabric coverings are provided for women to cover their heads. The art, mosaics, and design are beautiful. When visiting Alexandria, a visit to a mosque should be on your list. Be sure to read list of appropriate behaviors and attire for visiting a beforehand. The people in Alexandria were very friendly and open. A family outside the mosque asked for their children to be in our family photo. We obliged, and it was cute!
More Sights To See
While touring Alexandria, we are also able to see the Presidential Palace and Citadel from afar. Both are very impressive and may be open on non-holidays. When we return, on a non-holiday, we will be sure to use the same company http://www.ramassidetours.com again!
TIP; when using a public restroom, be sure to have some small denominations of local currency to tip the bathroom attendant.
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