One of the must-visit places of Alexandria is the National Museum which was inaugurated in 2003 by the then president, Hosni Mubarak. The building’s roots go way back to 1926 when the construction design was assigned to a French engineer. The building largely draws inspiration from the Italian style of architecture. The palace is 3,480 square meters with spacious gardens.

The building also housed the American consulate from 1960 to 1977, post which the Ministry of Culture bought it and converted it into a museum.

The museum houses over 1,800 artifacts from various eras of Alexandrian history including, Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic, and Islamic eras. The museum also exhibits modern artifacts from the 19th century such as glassware, silverware, jewels, and more. Some of the underwater excavations have also found their way to the museum.

Important artifacts to view at Alexandria National Museum:

• Mummies displayed in the recreated funerary chamber
• Sculptures of Heraklion & Canopus
• Artifacts from Nectanebo II’s era like canopic jars
• Artwork by Caracalla
• A mosaic portrait of Queen Berenice II, Ptolemy III’s wife
• Medusa’s statues
• A sculpture of Alexander the Great
• Paintings & sculptures representing Jesus, Virgin Mary, the Last Supper, and clothes with golden & silver crosses.
• Pottery, coins, incense bners, mashrabiya windows from the Islamic era.