Kom Al Dikka

Alexandria


Kom Al Dikka was a well-off residential area in Graeco-Roman times, with lovely villas, bathhouses and a theatre. The area was known at the time as the Park of Pan, a pleasure garden where citizens of Alexandria could indulge in various lazy pursuits. Although the ruins aren't terribly impressive in scale, they remain a superbly preserved ode to the days of the centurion and include the 13 white-marble terraces of the only Roman amphitheatre found in Egypt.

This site was discovered in 1967 when foundations were being laid for an apartment building on a site known unceremoniously as Kom Al Dikka – 'Mound of Rubble'.

In the same complex is the Villa of the Birds, a wealthy urban dwelling dating to the time of Hadrian (AD 117–138). Despite being redecorated at least four times in antiquity before being destroyed by fire in the 3rd century AD, its floor mosaic of pigeons, peacocks, quails, parrots and water hens remains astonishingly well preserved. Additional mosaics feature a panther and a stylised flower design known as a rosette.

Excavations continue to uncover more in the area. In early 2010 the ruins of a Ptolemaic-era temple were uncovered along with statues of gods and goddesses, including a number of the cat goddess Bastet.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Alexandria attractions

1. Cavafy Museum

0.28 MILES

The Alexandrian-Greek poet Constantine Cavafy spent his last 25 years in an apartment above a brothel on the former Rue Lepsius, a flat now preserved as…

2. Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue

0.41 MILES

Among the largest synagogues in the Middle East, this magnificent Italian-built structure served Alexandria’s once-thriving and cosmopolitan Jewish…

3. Museum of Modern Art

0.62 MILES

This wonderful and little-visited collection of 16th- to 20th-century paintings reflecting the city's cosmopolitan flair is housed in an old villa. Some…

4. Mosque of Al Qaid Ibrahim

0.64 MILES

This massive mosque, built in the 1940s, is a major landmark. It played an important role in the 2011 revolution as a gathering point for many of the city…

5. Jewish Cemetery

0.66 MILES

This intimate walled Jewish cemetery has largely escaped vandalism and is pretty well kept. The many graves stand as lonely reminders of Alexandria's once…

6. Statue of Mohammed Ali

0.68 MILES

This statue of Mohammed Ali, Egypt's modernising 19th-century ruler, presides over Midan Tahrir.

7. Alexandria National Museum

0.72 MILES

This excellent museum sets a high benchmark with its summary of Alexandria’s past. Housed in a beautifully restored Italianate villa, the small but…

8. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

0.73 MILES

This neoclassical monument is a tribute to the Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "egypt/mediterranean-coast/alexandria/attractions/kom-al-dikka/a/poi-sig/1436390/355232",
      "destination": "Alexandria",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Egypt",
      "city": "Alexandria",
      "position": "superzone"
    }