Your guide will be waiting for you with your name on a sign by Alexandria Port. You will start your Alexandria shore excursions to Rosetta 60 km to the east of Alexandria.
Rosetta National Museum
You will start your Alexandria day tours with Rashid Museum which was opened by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1959 AD in a restored 18th-century house. The house Museum contains some images of daily life in Rashid during the Ottoman era. in addition to crafts, industries, collections of coins, lamps, and crockery. Overall, a replica of the Rosetta Stone. Rosetta stone was very important for deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. It was discovered in 1799 during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt by a French soldier and the original one is now in the British Museum.
Rashid Local Market
We will take you later to Rashid's local market which is very vibrant and diverse, offering a range of products such as spices, textiles, and traditional crafts very similar to Khan El Khalili in Cairo. Here you will see local vendors sell their goods. Also, you will learn about Bargaining as a common practice in Egyptian markets.
Ottoman Homes
A lot of houses in Rashid reflect the architectural styles and features of the Ottoman era such as the use of wood and stone. Also, the Mashrabiya was a wooden balcony with intricate geometric designs that provided shade and privacy. You will visit the house of Amasyali which is one of the best houses in Rosetta with its lantern lights and Mashrabiya. It was built in around 1808 for the Turkish Aga, Ali al-Topgi.
Mill of Abu Shaheen
Side by side with the Amasyali house is the Mill of Abu Shaheen. It is an ancient rotary Flour Mill that used to be rotated by animals. The Mill is located on the ground floor, featuring enormous wooden beams and planks in the house of Abu Shaheen. Besides, it was built with black and red brick walls.
Hanging Mosque
After the houses tour, it is time to visit the Hanging Mosque or Al-Muallaq Mosque, the only one of its kind in Rosetta and it's one of the top attractions in Alexandria. It is named Al-Muallaq because it is located on the first floor built on a ground floor composed of storerooms and small shops. The mosque is accessed via a wooden staircase on the eastern and western sides and it has a wooden ceiling supported by 10 columns.
Qaitbay Citadel
The last stop will be the Citadel of Qaitbay, about 5km north of Rosetta along the Nile, this fort was built in 1479 to guard the mouth of the Nile 6km further on. It was known as the Julian fortress during the French occupation and today is known for its connection to the Rosetta stone, which was found here by Napoleon's soldiers in 1799. At the end of your day tour to Rashid attractions, you will be taken back to your hotel in Alexandria.
