Graeco-Roman Museum

Founded in 1892 and housed since 1895 in a neoclassical building, the Graeco-Roman Museum was the first building in Egypt designed specifically to display antiquities. It is the country’s only museum dedicated to Egypt under Greek and Roman rule, the period when Alexandria was one of the great cities of the ancient world. After a long renovation that began in 2005, it reopened in October 2023 with a new upper floor and modern displays.

What to see

The collection covers the Ptolemaic and Roman centuries, when Egyptian and Greek traditions mixed. Look for statues and portrait heads of rulers, figures of the hybrid god Serapis, painted mummy portraits, Tanagra-style terracotta figurines, coins, glass and mosaics. Many finds come from Alexandria itself and from sites around the city, which makes it a good introduction before visiting Pompey’s Pillar, Kom el-Dikka and the catacombs.

Visiting tips

• Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
• The museum stays open later on Friday and Saturday evenings.
• Facilities include a café, lift, ramped entrance, accessible toilet and Braille labels.
• During Ramadan it closes at 16:00.

Getting there

The museum is on Al-Mathaf Street in central Alexandria, a short taxi ride or walk from Raml Station and the Corniche. Combine it with the Roman theatre at Kom el-Dikka nearby, or with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on the seafront.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: egymonuments.gov.eg, mota.gov.eg, en.wikipedia.org, theeastafrican.co.ke.