Pompey's Pillar & Serapeum
عمود السواري
A red Aswan granite monolith about 27 metres tall, erected in AD 297 and standing on the site of the Ptolemaic Serapeum temple.
Pompey's Pillar has nothing to do with the Roman general Pompey. It was raised in AD 297 to commemorate Emperor Diocletian. The shaft is carved from a single block of red Aswan granite, and with its base the monument stands about 27 metres tall, making it one of the largest commemorative columns outside the Roman Empire. Nearby is the Serapeum, the Temple of Serapis, which is said to have housed the “daughter library” of the Library of Alexandria. Visitors can enter the underground passages, and there are two sphinxes on site. Admission is about 150 EGP, and allow about 45 minutes. The pillar is in the Karmouz district, southwest of the Old City, and is best reached by taxi. Foreign visitor fares have been raised several times in recent years, so check the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities website or ask on site.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
- Roman Amphitheatre (Kom El Dikka)
- Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre)
- Cavafy Museum
- Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Mark
- Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue
- Unknown Soldier Memorial (Alexandria)
- Saad Zaghloul Square & Historic Cafés