Quick answer
The Alexandria National Museum is a compact museum in a 1920s Italianate mansion on Tariq al-Horreya that tells the story of Alexandria and Egypt from pharaonic times to the 20th century in about 1,800 objects. Its highlights include finds raised from the Eastern Harbour and Abu Qir Bay, and an hour to ninety minutes is enough.
What is the Alexandria National Museum?
It is the city's history museum, opened in 2003 in a restored palace, and it arranges Egypt's story chronologically over three floors with a strong focus on Alexandria itself. The building is a handsome villa in an Italian Renaissance style, built in the 1920s for the Bassili family, timber merchants, and later used for a period as a diplomatic consulate. Its marble staircase, painted ceilings and garden make it a pleasure to walk through before you look at a single object.
The museum is air-conditioned, well lit and rarely crowded, with labels in Arabic and English. Because it is small, it never feels exhausting, which makes it a good choice for families and for travellers who have already seen the big Cairo collections and want the Alexandrian chapter of the story in one place. It works well as an orientation at the start of your stay or as a calm stop in the heat of the afternoon.
What is on each floor?
The basement covers pharaonic Egypt, the ground floor the Greek and Roman periods, and the upper floor Coptic, Islamic and modern Egypt.
Basement: pharaonic Egypt
A modest selection of statues, coffins, jewellery and everyday objects, with a reconstructed tomb setting. It is not on the scale of Cairo's museums, so do not come here for pharaohs alone; the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza is the place for that. The pieces here are chosen to show continuity, from Old Kingdom stone vessels to New Kingdom statuary, and the small display of funerary objects sets up the later rooms well.
Ground floor: Graeco-Roman Alexandria
The strongest section. Marble portraits of Ptolemaic rulers and Roman citizens, Tanagra-style figurines, coins and glass show how Greek and Egyptian culture merged in the city Alexander founded. Look for statues in which Ptolemaic kings and queens appear in traditional Egyptian dress; our guides to Ptolemaic Egypt and Cleopatra fill in the background.
Upper floor: Coptic, Islamic and modern Egypt
Coptic textiles, icons and crosses; Islamic coins, ceramics, metalwork and glass; and objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, including items connected with the Muhammad Ali dynasty, Egypt's royal family until 1952.
What are the underwater finds?
They are objects raised by underwater archaeologists from the Eastern Harbour, where the Ptolemaic royal quarter now lies submerged, and from Abu Qir Bay east of the city, site of the sunken cities of Canopus and Heracleion. Since the 1990s French-led teams have mapped harbour installations, sphinxes, statues and inscribed blocks on the seabed. The selection here includes sculpture, pottery, coins and fittings, and gives a real sense of how much of ancient Alexandria still lies under the sea. Bigger pieces from the harbour are displayed in the open air at Kom el-Dikka, and the seabed near the Citadel of Qaitbay is where many were found. Plans for a dedicated underwater museum in the harbour have been discussed for years; treat any opening date as unconfirmed until it happens.
How does it compare with the Graeco-Roman Museum?
The Graeco-Roman Museum holds the city's main classical collection and is larger; the National Museum is smaller, broader in period and easier to see in an hour. The Graeco-Roman Museum, near the Bibliotheca, closed for a long renovation and reopened in 2023, at the time of writing. A keen classics traveller should try to see both. If you have only one day in Alexandria, the National Museum is the more efficient overview, while the catacombs and Kom el-Dikka show Graeco-Roman remains in place.
Visiting tips: when to go, how long, tickets
Allow an hour to ninety minutes; mornings are quietest, and it is a good refuge from the midday heat. The museum is on Tariq al-Horreya, the main east-west avenue of the old city, about 1 km from Raml Station and 5–10 minutes by car from most Corniche hotels. Bags go through a scanner at the entrance. Tickets are bought at the door; check current prices and opening hours on egymonuments.gov.eg, as hours can change during Ramadan and on public holidays. There is a lift between floors at the time of writing, which makes it one of Alexandria's more accessible sights.
If you are short of time, focus on the ground floor and the underwater finds. Pair the visit with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, about 1.5 km away, or with coffee at one of the historic cafes downtown.
Alexandria National Museum: FAQs
Is the Alexandria National Museum worth visiting?
Yes, especially for its Graeco-Roman galleries and underwater finds. It gives a clear overview of the city's long history in about an hour.
Is the Alexandria National Museum the same as the Graeco-Roman Museum?
No. They are separate museums. The Graeco-Roman Museum focuses on the classical period; the National Museum covers all periods from the pharaohs to the 20th century.
Can you see sunken city finds in Alexandria?
Yes. The National Museum displays objects raised from the Eastern Harbour and Abu Qir Bay, and larger statues are shown in the open air at Kom el-Dikka.
How long should I allow?
One to one and a half hours is enough for most visitors.