Alexandria National Museum Museum

The Alexandria National Museum is a city museum in Alexandria, Egypt, presenting material from the Pharaonic, Hellenistic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic periods. The museum opened in 2003 in a restored early 20th-century palace in central Alexandria.

Exhibition rooms are organised by era, so visitors can follow Alexandria’s long history from ancient Egypt through its Hellenistic and Roman peak to later Christian and Islamic phases. Displays include statuary, ceramics, coins and architectural fragments that summarise the city’s archaeological record.

The museum was established in the early 21st century to gather and display finds from the Alexandria region in a single municipal institution; its collection brings together material recovered in urban excavations and older museum holdings.

Situated in central Alexandria near the waterfront and the city’s historic districts, the museum is within walking distance of other downtown landmarks and the Corniche.

• Building and opening year: Housed in a restored early 20th-century Mediterranean-style building in central Alexandria, the museum opened to the public in 2003 and organises its collection by historical period.

What to See#

• Pharaonic Gallery: Displays artifacts from Egypt’s Pharaonic period including stone funerary pieces and small statuary that illustrate Alexandria’s connections with ancient Egypt.
• Greco-Roman Gallery: Focuses on Hellenistic and Roman-era material - coins, pottery and mosaic fragments - reflecting the city’s role as a major Mediterranean metropolis.
• Coptic and Islamic Galleries: Covers Coptic and Islamic-period objects, showing the continuity of settlement in Alexandria across late antiquity and the medieval era.
• Modern and local finds: Exhibits modern and recent archaeological finds from the Alexandria region and provides contextual displays on the city’s changing urban fabric.

• Arrive soon after opening to avoid peak heat and tour-bus groups that commonly visit Alexandria's museums mid-morning.
• Combine the museum visit with a walk along the nearby Corniche or a stop at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to make the most of central Alexandria in one outing.
• Focus time on the museum's Greco-Roman and Hellenistic galleries - they are the institution's strengths and can be missed if you rush through.