Alexander's city on the Mediterranean
Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt, home to the Pharos lighthouse and the Great Library. Little of that survives above ground, but the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina honours the library, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa blend Egyptian and Roman styles, and the Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the site of the lighthouse. The long Corniche curves around the Eastern Harbour, lined with old cafés and seafood restaurants where you choose your fish by weight.