Pompey's Pillar

Pompey’s Pillar is a large Roman monumental column standing in eastern Alexandria and is one of the city’s most prominent ancient remains. The column dates to the late 3rd century AD and commemorates a Roman imperial victory on behalf of Emperor Diocletian.

A single, nearly intact monolithic shaft of red granite rises from a raised stone platform and is visible across the surrounding archaeological precinct. The column is set within the remains of larger Hellenistic and Roman complexes in eastern Alexandria, where exposed foundations, blocks and fragments mark the footprint of the ancient Serapeum and adjacent structures.

Erected around 297 AD during the Roman period, the monument was dedicated in the name of Emperor Diocletian; the popular name “Pompey’s Pillar” is a later misnomer. It has survived largely intact through the medieval and modern periods and remains a key landmark of Alexandria’s classical past.

Positioned in the eastern sector of modern Alexandria, the monument stands within an archaeological zone near the site traditionally associated with the Serapeum and within Alexandria Governorate.

• Height and material: The shaft is one of the largest ancient monolithic columns still standing, measuring roughly 27 metres in height for the column alone.

What to See#

• The column: The freestanding granite-column monument itself, consisting of a single monolithic red-granite shaft on a raised base with a Corinthian capital, rising roughly 27 metres above its platform.
• Serapeum area: The archaeological area around the base, which preserves remains associated with the nearby Serapeum and other Hellenistic-Roman structures in eastern Alexandria.

• Go early in the morning to avoid Alexandria's heat and the busiest vendor crowds around the site; morning light is also best for photographing the solitary column.
• View Pompey's Pillar as part of the adjacent archaeological complex-combine it with nearby Kom el‑Dikka ruins and the Alexandria National Museum to get the historical context most visitors miss.
• Expect a small entrance area around the column rather than an isolated monument; allow time to walk the surrounding ruins rather than just viewing the pillar from the street.