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Alexandria Sights

Temple of Serapeum

1 reviews | Write a review

Good for: Anyone

  • Address
    • Carmous
  • Phone
    • tel, info: 03 484 5800
  • Price
    • adult/student £E15/£E10
  • Hours
    • 09:00-16:00

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Lonely Planet review for Temple of Serapeum

The Temple of Serapeum is a magnificent structure that stood here in ancient times. It had 100 steps leading past the living quarters of the priests to the great temple of Serapis, the man-made god of Alexandria . Also here was the 'daughter library', the second great library of Alexandria, which was said to have contained copies and overflow of texts held in the Great Library of Alexandria, the Mouseion library.

Unlike at the Great Library, these rolls could be consulted by anyone using the temple, making it one of the most important intellectual and religious centres in the Mediterranean. In AD 391 Christians launched a final assault on pagan intellectuals and destroyed the Serapeum and its library, leaving just the lonely pillar standing. The site is now little more than rubble pocked by trenches and holes with a few sphinxes (originally from Heliopolis), a surviving Nilometer and the pillar - the only ancient monument remaining whole and standing today in Alexandria.To reach the pillar, walk west from Midan Gomhuriyya (the Misr train station square), following the tram tracks along Sharia Sherif. The entrance to the Serapeum is 300m past the major bend in the road on the right.

 

Traveller reviews for Temple of Serapeum (1)

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    Pompey's Pillar, temple, & catacombs = half-day, nice walk.

    DastardlyMash recommends this,

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    This central-city site, which is referred to both Pompey's Pillar and the Temple at Serapeum, offers historic and engineering aspects appealing to a wide range of visitors. With so much of ancient Alexandria now underwater, this site and the nearby catacombs provide some of the few authentic Egyptian ruins accessible without scuba equipment.

    The surrounding neighborhood is interesting, not "touristy," and it's just a short walk to the Kom al-Shoqafa catacombs, which fit together nicely with the pillar and related stuctures for a half-day self-tour.

    The gift shops here are well-stocked and reasonable, with especially nice local postcards and books, something of a rare find in late 2011 Egypt. Walking surfaces are cut stone and one area has extensive stairs, so some travelers may find walking a bit challenging, but most of the wide-open site is easily seen from flat vantage points.

    Good for: Anyone

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